The Pulitzer Prize-winning play is a Black and queer spin on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. by Joe Streckert Hamlet can be a lot of things: A sad boy who can’t make up his mind. A philosopher plumbing the mysteries of the human condition . A guy with some really weird feelings about his mom. Simba from The Lion King. In Fat Ham, playwright James Ijames reimagined the prince of Denmark as Juicy, a queer Black southern kid who’s studying to work in HR. Instead of a gloomy Danish castle, the action takes place at a backyard cookout, celebrating the marriage of Juicy’s mother and uncle. Laertes has become Larry, Ophelia is Opal, and Horatio is Juicy’s friend Tio. Fat Ham debuted in Philadelphia in 2021, originating as a digital production during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. It then moved on to an Off-Broadway production, an extended Broadway run that netted five Tony nominations, and productions by the Oregon Shakespeare Festival and the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, among others. In 2022, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. This spring, Fat Ham makes its Portland debut as a co-production between Portland Center Stage (PCS) and Portland Playhouse. Far from the first collaboration for either company, PCS has previously partnered with local production company Boom Arts and Playhouse has co-produced shows with St. Paul’s Penumbra Theater and Passinart, a historically Black theater company in Portland. But this collaboration is different. “For us this feels like we’re leveling up,” says Charles Grant, Playhouse producing director and director of Fat Ham. “In many of our co-pro situations we are the larger theater.” This production formalizes relationships that already existed between the two theater companies. “There’s a longtime and rich dialogue between artists and artistic staff at both theaters,” says Marissa Wolf, PCS artistic director. “There’s a lot of shared programming interests and values alignment. We’re always seeing each other’s work.” For instance, prior to his time at Playhouse, Grant acted in and was assistant director for multiple PCS productions. PCS and Playhouse collaborated on the casting and design of Fat Ham. Both theaters are pouring money into the production, and both will benefit from ticket sales. For some new talent, this project is a debut at both theaters at the same time. According to Grant and Wolf, choosing Fat Ham for their collaboration was a mutual decision that meshed well with the strengths of both theaters. “We’ve found great success at PCS in adaptations,” says Wolf. “That’s been a really exciting way to introduce audiences to new voices, new lenses and perspectives on classic, well-known pieces.” For Grant, selecting Fat Ham is also consistent with Playhouse’s mission to acknowledge Black voices. “For us as Portland Playhouse, being in the King neighborhood, being in the former Mount Sinai Baptist Church,” says Grant, “every time we’re season planning we always want to be intentional about representing the very neighborhood we exist in. I like to say that it’s a historically and presently Black neighborhood. It’s one of the places where you can walk around in Portland and see people like me.” Grant’s history with Shakespeare is one of self-discovery. “When I was in high school, I looked at Shakespeare and I was like ‘this isn’t a place for me.’ I was reading it, and it wasn’t connecting,” says Grant. “It wasn’t until I started to embody it and letting the text live inside of me that I thought ‘oh, not only is there something here for me, there’s something I can bring.’” Fat Ham is written in contemporary language, but Juicy uses Shakespeare’s words and his knowledge of Hamlet to meditate on his situation. “In the play, we get both modern text and Shakespearian soliloquy spread throughout the text,” says Grant. “There are moments where Juicy steps outside of his world and it’s Shakespeare’s text that lets him discover something new about himself and the world around him.” Grant characterizes soliloquies as the character’s way to “get the audience on his side,” about decisions he has to make and actions he must take. For Grant, Hamlet and Juicy torment themselves because they constantly put others first. “I think of Hamlet as a tortured people-pleaser,” says Grant. “Juicy can see the world around him in a different way. He wants to connect. He wants everyone to live their authentic journey. However… that comes at a cost to self.” In this co-production, Juicy is portrayed by Isaiah Reynolds, whose previous PCS credits include Sweeney Todd and Choir Boy. “He embodies that softness and that ease and wanting the best for everyone and wanting to see people as they are,” says Grant. Wolf and Grant are quick to point out that Fat Ham isn’t just a one-to-one retelling of Hamlet. It’s an adaptation, but not quite the same story. “Fat Ham draws from Hamlet, but ultimately—in the most full and profound way—refuses a tragic ending,” says Wolf. “What happens if we stand back up from death and choose love, celebration, and connection? And particularly choose Black and queer joy?” Grant is trying not to let Fat Ham’s high-profile runs in New York and Stratford-Upon-Avon get to him. “I’m definitely the artist that doesn’t like to take in too much of other productions beforehand,” he says. “As a director, I like to be able to listen to my own artistic voice and sensibilities and trust those instincts… I try to remind myself, and this group of artists, that it’s not going to do us any service if we try to copy and paste what’s been done.” Fat Ham plays on the main stage at the Armory, 128 NW 11th, April 19-May 17, $25-98, tickets and showtimes at pcs.org/fat-ham. ...read more read less