Fat Ham.

On Saturday, April 23, my Parents, my girlfriend, and I saw the production of Fat Ham. I went into this show knowing absolutely nothing, and to say the least, I was blown away. The Modernized version of Hamlet seemed to be set sometime in the present or the last couple of years, at a family cookout somewhere in the south. When I read the Playbill, the author didn’t set a confirmed location but named a few different ones that fit the vibe for his production. The set was created to look like a backyard BBQ filled with chairs, hanging lights, a big grill, and a memorial for The father that had recently passed away. When the actors came on stage, I was pleased to see how natural and modern it was, because I had never seen an adaptation of Shakespeare that I had liked. It was cast to perfection, each character being their own, but having subtle connections to the original was so clear, but not overwhelming. It felt like I was seeing a completely different show but was getting thrown some Easter eggs here and there.

What I loved most about this show was the journey of each character finding themselves in some way. Each of them goes on a personal journey that ends up changing their perspective on humanity and life. And what seems to be fighting for the majority of the show, read to me as a way of helping each other find that new perspective. The show deals with coming of age, the openness of sexuality, being black at a young age dealing with elders who may not accept you for who you are. And the biggest thing I took away from it was that we’re all going through something. We’re all struggling to get somewhere and find peace in our lives, but sometimes we or others who are closest can be the ones that slow that journey down. Something very impactful about this show is that there were moments when they broke out of the modern day and would start reciting the text from Hamlet. At first, I was confused but then realized all of the text fit perfectly in what was going on, on stage. I walked out of this show with tears running down my face, but dying of laughter at the same time. This show is real, it’s raw, and it’s beautiful inside and out. Would highly recommend this show to anyone I cross paths with.