Actor

### Event Description: "Fat Ham" by James Ijames

**Dates:** May 28 - June 22, 2025  
**Location:** Demens Landing Park, Downtown St. Petersburg, FL

**Event Overview:**
Join American Stage for a riveting performance of "Fat Ham," a modern-day adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet, set in a vibrant African American community known as The Hill. This contemporary retelling, penned by James Ijames, follows J-Boy as he navigates the emotional aftermath of his father's untimely death and seeks the truth behind it. With dynamic characters and thought-provoking themes, "Fat Ham" promises to offer a fresh perspective on a classic tale.

**Key Characters:**
- **J-Boy:** The modern-day Hamlet, grappling with his father's mysterious death.
- **Gertrude:** J-Boy's mother, torn between her loyalty to her late husband and her new relationship with his brother, Uncle C.
- **O (Ophelia):** A strong, independent character who defies the traditional damsel-in-distress trope.

**Content Advisory:** Mature themes.

**Ticket Information:**
- **Availability:** No tickets currently available.
- **Box Office Contact:** Call 727-823-7529 or email boxoffice@americanstage.org for inquiries.

**Additional Information:**
- **Weather Policy:** Performances will proceed in light rain. In case of severe weather, ticket-holders can exchange their tickets for another performance. Announcements will be made on American Stage's Facebook page.
- **Food & Drink:** Concessions will offer charcuterie boards, vegan options, snacks, and a selection of local beers and wines.
- **Parking:** 
  - Southcore Garage, 101 1st Avenue South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
  - Al Lang Parking Lot 1, 230 1st Street South, St. Petersburg, FL 33701.
  - Additional parking information available at DiscoverDowntown.

**Accessibility:**
- **Seating:** Chairs with no legs are allowed in the Premium or General Blanket area. Other chairs will be seated in the General Chair section.
- **Trail:** The trail is just under a mile, not paved but wheelchair accessible with some bumps.

**Dos and Don'ts:**
- **Do Bring:** Bug spray, reusable water bottle, extra layers, a poncho, comfortable walking shoes, and a headlamp with a red light setting (provided if you don't have one).
- **Don't Bring:** Food, drinks, pets, or flashlights. Smoking and vaping are prohibited on the trail.

**Restrooms:** Located at the park next door to Boyd Hill, within the parking lot.

**Safety Note:** The performance is set in a nature preserve, so encountering wildlife is possible. Staff will be present at all times to ensure safety.

**Get Your Tickets Now:** Visit American Stage’s Box Office or call 727-823-PLAY (7529) to secure your spot for this unforgettable theatrical experience.

Fat Ham

American Stage

Juicy is a queer, self-aware young black man grappling with some serious questions of identity, when the ghost of his father shows up in their backyard, demanding that Juicy avenge his murder. From an uproarious family barbecue emerges a compelling examination of love and loss, pain and joy.

EPSG:4326

Unicorn Theatre

San Francisco Playhouse presents the Northern California Premiere of 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winning “Fat Ham.” Playwright James Ijames turns William Shakespeare’s Hamlet on its head in this piping hot play that transports the drama to a modern day barbecue in the American South. Queer Black college kid Juicy longs to break his crazy family’s cycle of trauma and violence when his father’s ghost demands Juicy avenge his murder. With family feuds and a dance party on the menu, this delectably irreverent, poignant play explores legacy and identity, love and loss, as well as pain and joy. Making its World Premiere in a filmed production presented by Wilma Theater, “Fat Ham” received the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama ahead of its in-person premiere Off-Broadway at The Public Theater. The production transferred to Broadway in 2023, where it was nominated for five Tony Awards including Best Play. The New York Times hailed the show as “hilarious yet profound. It is the rare takeoff that actually takes off — and then flies in its own smart direction.” The Wrap called it “the most fun you'll have at any play this Broadway season” and Deadline lauded it as “a delicious and irresistible piece of work. Sweet, saucy, and very funny, “Fat Ham” has enough good-time disco sparkle to win over all but the grumpiest of spirits.” Bay Area theatre titan Margo Hall, who directed the Playhouse’s “[hieroglyph],” “Barbecue,” “Red Velvet,” “The Story,” and most recently “Nollywood Dreams,” returns to direct.

San Francisco Playhouse

Critically-acclaimed playwright James Ijames reinvents Shakespeare’s masterpiece with his new drama, Fat Ham. Juicy is a queer, Southern college kid, already grappling with some serious questions of identity, when the ghost of his father shows up in their backyard, demanding that Juicy avenge his murder. It feels like a familiar story to Juicy, well-versed in Hamlet’s woes. What’s different is Juicy himself, a sensitive and self-aware young Black man trying to break the cycles of trauma and violence in service of his own liberation. From an uproarious family barbecue emerges a compelling examination of love and loss, pain and joy.

In this witty take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the only real death is the patriarchy. To be or not to be certainly is the question for Juicy, a young, queer Black man. Juicy grapples with identity, family, responsibility, and honesty as generations clash at a backyard barbecue, serving up all of the drama, wit, and existential angst of the Bard with a generous side of humor and heart. See what the New York Times calls “a hilarious yet profound tragedy smothered in comedy,” in James Ijames’ Pulitzer Prize–winning Fat Ham. 

Riffe Center

Experience the powerful narrative of "August Wilson's King Hedley II" at the Arden Theatre Company. Directed by Pulitzer Prize-winner James Ijames, this compelling production delves into the life of King, a man who returns to his family and community after seven years in prison. Set against the gritty backdrop of 1980s Pittsburgh, the story explores King's struggle to reclaim his life and the internal conflicts that arise as he attempts to plant seeds of hope in seemingly barren soil. This production continues the Arden's dedication to August Wilson's monumental American Century Cycle, offering a profound exploration of identity, resilience, and the human spirit. The F. Otto Haas Stage will host this evocative tale, brought to life by a talented cast and creative team.

King Hedley II

Arden Theatre Company

Shakespeare’s Hamlet has been invited to the backyard barbeque! Get your plate ready for a slab of smokin’ hot revenge, served with a hefty scoop of vengeance, and a side of karaoke. Without spilling too much of the sweet tea, a visit from beyond the grave reveals family secrets and scandalous generational trauma. How will “Juicy,” a queer Southern Black mama’s boy, reconcile the truth in service of his own liberation? This Pulitzer Prize-winning play is a delicious, outrageously, heaping hot mess of hilarity!

Cleveland Play House

What if the hero of the story wasn’t who everyone expected? Step aside, Hamlet. Meet Juicy, a young Southern queer college boy grappling with grief, identity…and now the ghost of his father demanding vengeance for his murder!? Set against the backdrop of a family wedding barbecue, will the poetic and sensitive Juicy lose his courage to get the answers he needs or will he find the strength to ‘his own self, be true.’ This Pulitzer-Prize-winning adaptation by James Ijames serves you a juicy blend of comedy, drama, and social commentary with a side of soul food; and reimagines this timeless classic with a bold and innovative look that shatters stereotypes and celebrates identity, togetherness, and the meaning of family.

Wells Theatre

The story’s reluctant hero, Juicy, a Black, queer, young man, is just trying to get his online degree in HR when his father’s ghost shows up, demanding that Juicy avenge his murder. But can Juicy do what his father commands? A family cookout becomes a compelling examination of love and loss, pain and joy, and a strange, surprising and often hilarious journey. The New York Times called James Ijames’ Pulitzer-Prize winning Fat Ham, “A hilarious yet profound tragedy smothered in comedy.” See DPT’s take on the uproarious and brilliant award winning play that took Broadway by storm last season!

Detroit Public Theatre

Join us at the Otto M. Budig Theater in Cincinnati for a groundbreaking theatrical experience, "Fat Ham" by James Ijames, running from September 6 to September 22, 2024. This Pulitzer Prize-winning play offers a unique and contemporary twist on Shakespeare's classic tragedy, "Hamlet." Set in the South, "Fat Ham" unfolds at a backyard BBQ turned wedding reception, where Juicy, a queer Black man, encounters the ghost of his father demanding vengeance for his untimely death. This sweet and spicy reimagining serves up a feast of drama, exploring themes of loyalty, identity, and power dynamics, all smothered in a hilarious yet profound tragedy.

Showtimes include half-price preview performances on September 4 and 5, with the grand opening night on September 6, all starting at 7:30 PM. Additional performances will run through September, including special post-show Q&A sessions with the cast and accessible performances featuring sign language interpretation and live audio description services on September 22.

Don't miss this "hilarious yet profound tragedy smothered in comedy," as hailed by the New York Times. Secure your tickets now and take advantage of our flexible subscription options to save on this and other captivating performances in our season. For more information and to book your tickets, visit boxofficecincyshakes.com or call 513-381-2273. Experience the drama, the laughter, and the unforgettable moments at Cincinnati Shakespeare Company's "Fat Ham."

Cincinnati Shakespeare Company

The 2022 Pulitzer-winning, Tony-nominated sensation Fat Ham is a fresh and funny take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet that The New York Times called “a flat-out hilarious comedy.” During a Southern family cookout, Juicy is confronted by the ghost of his father, who demands revenge for his murder. But Juicy, a young, queer, Black man, has enough on his plate. James Ijames’s remarkable play uses uproarious humor and profound insight to explore the conflict between what you owe your family and what you owe yourself. “Smart, fearless, and wildly entertaining” (The Chicago Tribune).

Actor

James Ijames

Events

Past events

May 28 - Jun 22, 2025

Fat Ham · American Stage Theatre Company

May 14 - Jun 8, 2025

Fat Ham · Unicorn Theatre

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