Serving Up Shakespeare at a ‘Fat Ham’ Cookout

To grill, or not to grill — that is the question playwright James Ijames asks in “Fat Ham,” which turns William Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” into a refreshingly modern Black Southern family drama.

The Pultizer-winning play, running at the Goodman Theater from Jan. 11 to March 2, blends classic themes of betrayal, family dysfunction and identity with the rich culture of a contemporary cookout. 

Directed by Saheem Ali, the show’s set and costume design combine with a lively Southern cooking theme to reflect a warm yet explosive family dynamic with narrative stakes rising alongside the smoke of barbecued steaks.

The stage is a mini backyard cluttered with garbage bags, beer bottles and Hobby Lobby wedding decorations. The sunset-orange and purple lights offer a vibrant backdrop for the unfolding drama, juxtaposed by the sizzling sounds of a grill simmering and the tensions of a family on edge. 

Trumane Alston stars as Juicy, a closeted gay college student misunderstood by his family. Ronald L. Conner plays Juicy’s father, Pap, who was murdered in prison and appears as a spirit and in flashbacks. 

The backyard barbecue setting becomes a stage for Juicy’s inner turmoil as he navigates family drama and his father’s ghostly plea for vengeance. 

The cast creates a sense of unease through physicality and purposeful pauses as Juicy grapples with his father’s ghostly visitation and his search for self-identity. 

Throughout the play, Juicy steps toward the audience, locking eyes with them as he delivers soliloquies. Each time he turns, the room grows closer as lights dim and a single warm spotlight shines on him. 

Conner plays two roles — Pap’s ghost and Rev. As Pap’s ghost, he commands the stage with a cold presence and a deep, eerie voice. As Rev, Juicy’s uncle turned step-dad, he carries a quiet authority that looms over Juicy’s every move. Juicy’s battle to break free from his father’s shadow is burdened by the thick tension between himself and Rev. 

“It’s amazing what fathers think they own of their sons just ‘cause we share a name,” Juicy says. 

Playwright Ijames balances the serious and the absurd, disarming the audience with humor before plunging into darker topics of generational trauma and betrayal. 

Similar to the setting, the dialogue is contemporary, sharp and riddled with Southern charm, making the play relatable while retaining the original’s tragic depth.

The comedy of “Fat Ham” manifests via the crude contortion of Hamlet’s confidant Horatio, reimagined as Tio, played by Victor Musoni. Tio’s ad-libs and weed-fueled personality bring laughter amidst the unfortunate bleak reality of the play.

Tio’s jests are more than jokes — they’re a necessary balance to the chaos around him, offering a refreshing contrast to the more tempestuous characters. 

“Far as we know, we are in the only place in the cosmos that welcomes our particular brand of life,” Tio said. “Why waste it trying to be miserable cause it’s gonna make somebody else happy?”

“Fat Ham” gives a voice to the women “Hamlet” ignores. Opal, played by Ireon Roach, is given a sense of agency often missing in traditional portrayals of Ophelia. 

Opal redefines Ophelia with a powerful performance, capturing her struggle for identity in a town rejecting her strength as a butch lesbian. Torn between her mother’s demands to wear dresses and focus on academics and her own dream of opening a restaurant with a shooting range, Opal navigates between societal expectations and personal authenticity.

Anji White plays Tedra, Juicy’s mom, with complexity arising from being torn between family loyalty and her own pursuit of happiness. Tedra’s character offers depth to Shakespeare’s Gertrude, who’s often overshadowed by Hamlet’s angst.

Ijames creates a reliable Gertrude who isn’t silenced by the patriarchy and is loved by her son. To break the cycle of misogyny in “Hamlet,” “Fat Ham” gives Tedra a chance to be a mom — something Gertrude was robbed of. In an interview with the Center for Fiction, Ijames said he’s deconstructing the sexist views in “Hamlet” and stepping away from the disdain towards women. 

Throughout the play, Tedra supports Juicy in navigating his sexual identity, while also calming the water between him and Rev.

As “Fat Ham” flips the script of “Hamlet,” Ijames spins an enemies-to-lovers narrative using Laertes and Hamlet’s characters. Larry, played by Sheldon Brown, is in love with Juicy, but can’t reveal his emotions as he’s trying to embody the strong Navy figure his mother wants him to be. 

Though he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder due to the trauma of war, Juicy’s presence provides him with a grounded comfort. Larry’s dream is to be a performer, but he finds himself forced to carry out the role of the strong, Southern man who protects his family. 

“People decide what they want you to be,” Larry said. “It’s hard to fight that.” 

In the play, Larry navigates his identity and voice. Unlike Juicy, he’s unapologetically open about his sexuality — a contrast to Shakespeare’s Hamlet, who avoided the topic entirely. Ijames reframes the narrative, presenting love through a queer lens absent in the original text.

By blending the line between tragedy and comedy, Ijames assembles a happy ending out of the grievous story pieces of “Hamlet.” By amplifying Black, queer voices and granting agency to women, “Fat Ham” disrupts the cycle of violence, allowing a new narrative to manifest — life holds more than just tragedy. 

“Fat Ham” runs until March 2. Tickets are available to purchase on the Goodman Theater website.