Theater News

Fat Ham Announces Full Cast for New York Premiere

Hamlet is reimagined as a juicy Southern college student.

Marcel Spears will star in Fat Ham at the Public Theater.
Marcel Spears will star in Fat Ham at the Public Theater.
(© Storn Santos)

Co-producers the Public Theater and National Black Theatre have announced the complete cast of James Ijames's Fat Ham, which will make its New York debut at the Public Theater on May 12 ahead of an official opening night May 26. Performances are scheduled through June 12.

The cast will include Nikki Crawford (Tedra), Chris Herbie Holland (Tio), Billy Eugene Jones (Rev/Papp), Adrianna Mitchell (Opal), Calvin Leon Smith (Larry), Benja Kay Thomas (Rabby), and Marcel Spears in the central role of Juicy.

According to a press description, "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."

Saheem Ali directs the production, which features scenic design by Maruti Evans, costume design by Dominique Fawn Hill, lighting design by Stacey Derosier, sound design by Mikaal Sulaiman, hair and wig design by Earon Chew Nealey, props by Claire M. Kavanah, illusions by Skylar Fox, fight direction by Lisa Kopitsky, and choreography by Darrell Moultrie.

Featured In This Story

Fat Ham

Closed: July 17, 2022