There have been a lot of remakes and updates of William Shakespeare’s plays. “West Side Story” is “Romeo and Juliet” set in 1950’s New York. The recent hit rom-com “Anyone But You” is based on “Much Ado About Nothing.” The films “10 Things I Hate About You,” “Deliver Us from Eva.” and the stage musical “Kiss Me Kate” are “The Taming of the Shrew” in disguise.
“Fat Ham,” by playwright James Ijames, follows in that tradition of modernizing a Shakespeare play, in this case, “Hamlet.” The Pulitzer Prize-winning play opens May 17 at GableStage in Coral Gables, but don’t expect a stage full of dead characters as happens in The Bard’s tragedy about a Danish prince. “Fat Ham” flips the script, resulting in a story about a Black family in the American South, that over the course of a wedding barbecue, addresses familial patterns of violence and generational trauma. In Ijames’ version of what is widely considered to be the greatest play ever written, tragedy becomes comedy in an ultimately life-affirming play that focuses on love, not vengeance.
IT TAKES A VILLAGE
Juicy, played by Henry Cadet, faces off with the ghost of his father, played by Melvin Huffnagle
“Fat Ham” is a co-production of three regional theater companies – Brévo Theatre in Pompano Beach, GableStage, and Island City Stage in Wilton Manors, possibly the first of its kind. Brévo Theatre was founded at Florida A&M University and is dedicated to amplifying diverse voices in theater. GableStage is one of the region’s oldest theatre companies and has won numerous awards for its thought-provoking, handsome productions. Island City Stage produces LGBTQ plays and musicals as well as plays by queer playwrights. The missions of the three theaters converged in ”Fat Ham,” a play with a pedigree that features an all-Black cast and queer characters.
Andy Rogow, artistic director of Island City Stage, got the idea to include Brévo Theatre in their planned “Fat Ham” production.
Melvin Huffnagle, Denzel McCausland, April Nixon and Toddra Brunson at the wedding barbecue in "Fat Ham"
“I saw the quality of work they were doing and thought they would be a perfect partner for us to produce ‘Fat Ham’ with,” said Rogow. “Meanwhile, unbeknownst to us, GableStage had already acquired the rights to the play. When Bari Newport (artistic director of GableStage) found out we were also interested, she contacted me and a partnership was born.”
Rogow said that the partnership ran smoothly. Brévo Theatre took the lead in directing the show and was given priority in choosing who the designers and other team members would be.
“We wanted to prioritize giving early- to mid-career artists of color an opportunity to benefit from the resources being given this production,” said Rogow. The co-production of “Fat Ham” was given by funding from the Warten Foundation, a philanthropic organization based in Boca Raton.
(Courtesy Andy Rogow)
Andy Rogow, artistic director of Island City Stage
PASSING THE BLACK BECHDEL TEST
TM Pride, one of the cofounders of Brévo Theatre and the director of “Fat Ham” encountered the play shortly after it premiered on Broadway.
“I was struck by how masterfully James Ijames flips ‘Hamlet’ on its head, not by erasing its history, but by offering a new ending, a new beginning,” said Pride. “It made me laugh, reflect, and ultimately feel hopeful — and I knew then that it was the kind of story I wanted to help bring to my community.”
Rogow read “Fat Ham” during the pandemic and later saw the Broadway production. He said he was reminded of the Bechdel Test, a concept created by Alison Bechdel, which asserts that a movie must have two women who talk to each other about something other than a man.
(Courtesy TM Pride)
TM Pride, co-founder of Brévo Theatre and director of "Fat Ham."
“Imagine there was a Bechdel-type test for plays that feature Black families and characters; no mention nor need of white characters or race relations,” said Rogow. “‘Fat Ham’s’ family exists as their own interesting, strong, funny entity. We can all relate to these characters.”
A JOYOUS RESPONSE
Pride said the audience reaction to “Fat Ham” at Island City Stage during the first leg of its run has been extraordinary.
“There’s been so much laughter, of course — but also moments of profound stillness where you could feel people deeply connecting to what’s unfolding onstage,” he said. “Many audience members have shared that ‘Fat Ham’ gave them permission to see themselves differently, or to imagine a different ending for their own story. Some were moved by how the show captures the complexities of family with so much authenticity and tenderness. It’s been a reminder that when you tell the truth — even when it’s messy or complicated — people respond with their whole hearts. This is theatre that reminds you that you’re not trapped by your past — you are the author of your future.”
IF YOU GO
“Fat Ham”
March 17 – June 18
GableStage, at the Biltmore Hotel
1200 Anastasia Ave. Coral Gables