If you are a fan of classic Shakespeare, this may not be your cup of tea. But, if you enjoy a creative reinvention of The Bard’s works, be sure and catch “Fat Ham,” playing at SF Playhouse through April 19.
Written by James Ijames and winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, “Fat Ham” transports Hamlet to a backyard barbecue in North Carolina where a Black family celebrates a recent wedding. True to Shakespeare, the widowed mother has married her husband’s brother with her less-than-happy son in attendance.
But in Ijames’ version, the son is a gay Southern college kid dealing with his own issues of identity while the family owns a popular barbecue business in lieu of its status as royalty. The play uses humor and sexuality to defuse situations, so rather than covered with bodies at the end (e.g. “Hamlet”), the stage for “Fat Ham” transforms into a dance hall full of joy.
The son, Juicy, does quote “Hamlet” from time to time but thanks to Ijames’ clever writing, it doesn’t seem out of place. The ghost when he first appears at the beginning of the play, however, is difficult to accept. But once accustomed to Ijames’ version of magic realism, a ghostly visage appearing out of a tool shed wearing a glittery white tuxedo covered with a picnic tablecloth doesn’t seem so weird!
Under director Margo Hall’s astute guidance, all the performers create realistic, multi-leveled characters. The tension between them on stage as well as their underlying love and joy is palatable.
Devin A. Cunningham gives a sensitive and complex portrayal of Juicy. He and Samuel Ademola (wonderful as Larry) have a particularly poignant scene together.
Nicely navigating the dual role of the father’s ghost and Juicy’s uncle, Ron Chapman has the difficult task of trying to be taken seriously as the often-humorous ghost and creating a bully of an uncle.
Jenn Stephens brings lots of sex appeal to Juicy’s mother Tedra, nicely tempered with love for her son and her own loneliness.
Adding their own youthful energy and sexuality to the mix are Jordan Covington as Tio, and Courtney Gabrielle Williams as Opal, Juicy’s friends and confidants.
Phaedra Tillery-Boughton as Opal and Larry’s mother completes the cast.
The one thing marring the performance was the sound. I didn’t see any microphones so I’m not sure if it was amplified sound that needed adjustment in the higher levels or if some of the performers just needed to enunciate and bring down their pitch when excited. Either way, it was a shame to miss some of the dialogue.
Nina Ball’s painstakingly detailed backyard set complete with trampoline transforms into a glittering runway for the finale. The consummate professional, Ball always goes above and beyond. When I was in “Rabbit Hole,” Ball included pictures and knickknacks on walls leading to the stage that were special for the actors. The audience couldn’t see her extra steps, but they were much appreciated by those of us making entrances.
Stephanie Johnson’s gorgeous lighting design brought out the best of Ball’s set with Lee Garber-Patel’s fabulous costumes transforming the characters from reality to a magical place.
For tickets, call 415-677-9596 or go to sfplayhouse.org. SF Playhouse is located at 450 Post St.
Walnut Creek: If you’re the gambling type, why not roll the dice with Center Rep’s next production “The Unfair Advantage”? This unique night of theater features an intimate look at the world of card cheating.
Part performance, part tutorial, the theatrical evening exposes many of the best card tricks and illusions. Only 35 seats per performance are available.
Created and performed by Harry Milas, “The Unfair Advantage” has been enjoying a sold out, two-month run at San Diego’s La Jolla Playhouse. It runs at Walnut Creek’s Lesher Center on 1601 Civic Drive from April 29 through May 11. Call 925- 943-7469 or go to centerrep.org.
Berkeley: If you haven’t seen Yasmina Reza’s “Art” at Shotgun Players, you have additional performance options. The company, located at 1901 Ashby Ave., just announced it has extended the run through April 12 with an added 2 p.m. matinee on that day in addition to its 8 p.m. show. For tickets, call 510-841-6500 ext. 303 or go to shotgunplayers.org.
Also in Berkeley: You also have a few more shows for Central Works’ “Push/Pull.” The original work has been extended through April 6 at Berkeley City Club on 2315 Durant Ave. Call 510-558-1381 or go to centralworks.org.
More in Berkeley: The San Francisco Bay Area’s 21V choral ensemble, under the direction of Dr. Martin Benvenuto, presents “Promise & Peril” April 5 at 4 p.m. at the Berkeley Hillside Club on 2286 Cedar St.
The concert features a combination of music, texts and a panel discussion shedding light on labor disparities, AI’s ethical implications and addressing global childhood inequalities. For more information, go to 21vchoir.org.
Reach Sally Hogarty at sallyhogarty@gmail.com, and read more of her reviews online at eastbaytimes.com/author/sally-hogarty.