\ud83c\udfad NEW! Sacramento Theatre Newsletter<\/p>\n
True to its dedication to introducing quality, thought-provoking theatre, Capital Stage is now boasting the Pulitzer-Prize winning James Ijames play, Fat Ham. Under Anthony D\u2019Juan\u2019s direction, the characters seem like a family: messy, familiar, and with all the complications shared history brings. Beautiful chemistry abounds, even when the content is difficult.<\/p>\n
\ud83c\udfad NEW! Sacramento Theatre Newsletter<\/p>\n
Fat Ham is Hamlet for the modern urbanite. We trade a Danish castle for a Southern backyard and a vengeful Danish prince for a queer HR major. Juicy is today\u2019s Hamlet, a young man who is wrestling with feelings of guilt, loyalty, and belonging. He\u2019s approached by his father\u2019s ghost, who encourages Juicy to avenge his death at the hands of his brother, Rev. Rev has wasted no time in marrying Juicy\u2019s mother and taking over the family barbecue business. The emotional weight of the piece comes as Juicy grapples whether filial duty overrides staying true to his identity, and whether he can escape the bonds of violence that have spanned generations.<\/p>\n
D\u2019Juan has assembled a cohesive cast, most of whom are returning Capital Stage favorites. James Simpson is Juicy, bringing sensitivity and self-doubt to the forefront, particularly in his relatable karaoke performance of Radiohead\u2019s \u201cCreep.\u201d His mother, Tedra, is played by Brooklynn T. Solomon. It\u2019s a role that doesn\u2019t align with her powerful presence, but she inhabits it believably and beautifully. We all know a woman like Tedra or have been a woman like Tedra, so she elicits compassion and understanding. Brandon Rubin is her hastily-wed spouse (and the ghost of Pap), Rev, who doesn\u2019t need any vengeance wrought upon him to self-destruct. He\u2019s good at being bad\u2026too good, and we love to hate him. Xzavier Beacham is Tio, Juicy\u2019s very own Horatio, although he\u2019s more of a Yorick in theory. Fool, jester, and surprising harbinger of peace, he\u2019s also a comedic voice of reason who brings everyone together. Rounding out the cast are the family unit of Opal (Kali Honeywood), Larry (Tarig Elsiddig), and Rabby (Sen\u00e9 Goss), equally dysfunctional friends of Juicy and Co. who have their own secrets and damaging familial expectations.<\/p>\n
Like the family\u2019s barbecue, the meat of this show is substantial and satisfying. It takes the bones of a classic and adds seasoning for a contemporary audience, inviting hope that patterns can be changed. Family recipes should be passed down through generations; family trauma can stay in the past. <\/p>\n
Fat Ham plays at Capital Stage through April 19th. More information and tickets may be found online at Capstage.org, by telephone at (916) 995-5464, or in person at the Box Office at 2215 J Street in Sacramento.<\/p>\n
Photo: James Simpson and Brandon Rubin by Charr Crail<\/p>\n
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Reader Reviews<\/p>\n
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