Oregon Shakespeare Festival stages 2022 Pulitzer prize-winning play where the grill isn’t the only thing turning up the heat

Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony-nominated playwright James IJames’ “Fat Ham” is in the neighborhood, now playing in Oregon Shakespeare Festival’s Thomas Theatre.

The production gets down with great humor and dramatic plot points. It jokes around with itself. It’s sometimes raw, unnecessarily sexually explicit, self-effacing, boisterous and ultimately joyous. It is never dull. And it contains all the drama, Black ethos and spirited dialog that can be contained in a 90-plus-minute play. There are even some beautifully-drawn, poignant correlations between one of the play’s main characters, Juicy, and Shakespeare’s compromised, tragic youth, Prince Hamlet. 

This is not saying the play is perfect. Sometimes it’s a bit all over the place, but it’s an experience worth having. One of the reasons is its bussin’ cast, all in their element, full of energy, reaching for a fuller life. 

It all takes place at a backyard barbecue that has been arranged to celebrate a questionable marriage. This is about family tradition that’s about to crack heads with youths’ desire for autonomy, self-expression and independence. In the ensuing minutes we see this family’s inner lives break open. 

First, let me tell you about Juicy, played by Marshall W. Mabry IV. Mabry lives up to his character’s nickname. There is so much to him, but he’s still trying to find himself. 

“I don’t look in mirrors,” he says, “I’m afraid of what I might see.” 

Juicy is a young, queer Black youth who is caught between two worlds. On one hand he feels he has to deal with the cruel, conniving, uncle who has just married his mom, and whom he suspects has killed his father. On the other he reveals to a close friend, “I want to be soft.” And aye, there’s the rub. Like the Shakespearean character Hamlet, he sees his father’s ghost, who wants Juicy to avenge his death. He must decide if it is worth it, this act that is so contrary to who he is. In case you don’t remember, Hamlet had the same problem. Well, sort of. In this play the question is not if you’re going to be, but who you’re going to be.

Watch out! Here comes Juicy’s mama, Tedra (played by Lynnette R. Freeman), and she’s a force to be reckoned with. She’s just the right amount of sassy and sexy, running around in bangles and short-shorts with an attitude that could last you for days. She’s just married Juicy’s nasty uncle Pap, played menacingly by Aldo Billingslea. Together they put on a show that would have made the bard proud.

Christian Denzel Bufford as Larry, surprises everyone as a U.S. Marine who discovers his inner Rue Paul, much to the chagrin of Rabby (played by Shaunyce Omar), his Black, traditional, church-going mother, who expresses herself in royal pink and with resignation. Davied Morales as Tio, takes us on his high — a phantasmagorical “magical mystery tour;” one of the best, funniest (but definitely overworked) moments in the show. 

Saran Evelyn Bakari plays Larry’s sister Opal, a determined young woman who wants to counter her parents’ expectations. If you know “Hamlet,” you will recognize imprints from all the players. This is attributable to Director Elizabeth Carter’s expertise in bringing out the most revealing aspects of Shakespeare’s and IJames’ characters.

Scenic designer Collette Pollard’s South Carolina rear house, backyard setting replete with smoker and strung lights, is impressive. It works in this space. So does Samantha C. Jones’ imaginative and drag-worthy costumes. One can appreciate the efforts of the entire creative team.

There are some jubilant moments in this production and it’s refreshing to see characters who are not defined by their circumstances but ultimately connected by their desires and dreams.

Performances of OSF’s “Fat Ham” are scheduled to run through June 27, in the Thomas Theatre. Tickets start at $36. The OSF campus is located at 15 S. Pioneer St., Ashland. Showtimes, ticket prices and information available at osfashland.org or at 800-219-8161. Group discounts available.

Reach Ashland-based writer Lucie K. Scheuer at LucieScheuer19@gmail.com.