There’s a method to the madness, as Hamlet himself might say, in the collaboration between Island City Stage, Brévo Theatre and Miami’s GableStage’s production of James Ijames’s (pronounced Iamz) 2022 Pulitzer prize-winning play, “Fat Ham.”
The show ran on Broadway in 2023 and tells the story of Hamlet, if he were a Southern, Black, gay man in his 20s named Juicy from North Carolina. The Court of the Danish king transforms into a Southern backyard barbecue where the Shakespearean themes of love, betrayal, murder and revenge percolate.
This is the first time the three theater companies have collaborated, thanks to a $250,000 grant from the Fort Lauderdale-based Warten Foundation, which supports LGBTQ+ organizations and causes.
Andy Rogow, artistic director of Island City Stage, says when he brought the idea to the Warten Foundation, whom the company had partnered with in the past, they were interested in the project.
"‘Fat Ham’ exemplifies the issues that The Warten Foundation supports,” says Rogow. “They were excited about the partnership and how the production would expand the diversity of the communities being served and promote the three regional theaters.”
At the time, Brévo Theatre was producing ”Brothers Size” at Island City Stage, and Rogow thought they would be the perfect partner to produce “Fat Ham.” Coincidentally, Bari Newport, the artistic director of GableStage, had acquired the rights to the show, and the three companies decided to join forces.
The show, produced by Brévo Theatre, opened at Island City Stage on April 3 and runs through Sunday, May 4 and will move to GableStage where it plays from Friday, May 16 through Sunday, June 15.
“Great writers write great characters,” says Rogow, and the play, he describes as “laugh-out-loud funny, explores great characters within an African-American family.”
One of those memorable characters is the lead character of Juicy, played by Haitian-born, Miami-based actor, Henry Cadet.
In his first professional starring role, the 26-year-old actor says he performed in college and high school productions and was active in children's theater.
Encouraged to become a professional actor by his high school drama teacher, Oswaldo Quintana, at Felix Varela High School in Kendall, his first role was as Radames in “Aida.”
“It's a great honor to be chosen to play Juicy,” says Cadet, who earned his BFA at New World School of the Arts in 2023.
He admits to being intimidated by the star quality of the cast.
The play stars seasoned actor Toddra Brunson as Rabby, who was last seen in “Caroline, or Change” at Coral Gables Actors’ Playhouse, and Melvin Huffnagle, who played Shawn in “King James” and August Wilson in last season's “How I Learned What I Learned” at GableStage. The veteran New York actor plays Rev./Papa.
South Florida native Cassidy Joseph (Opal) played Emmie in “Caroline, or Change” at Actors’ Playhouse and Miami native Denzel McCausland’s (Larry) most recent credits include Happiness in “Thoughts of a Colored Man” (The Roxy Regional Theatre in Clarksville, Tenn).
Mikhael Mendoza (Tio) provided the voice of Audrey II in “Little Shop of Horrors” (Loxen Productions) and has worked with Miami-based Fantasy Theatre Factory.
Broadway actor and Ovation Award nominee, April Nixon, whose Broadway and national tour credits include “Damn Yankees” (opposite Jerry Lewis) and “The Dancer's Life” (opposite Chita Rivera) plays Tedra. Playing Juicy, a gay character, presents some challenges for Cadet, who is straight and feels a responsibility to portray the character with sensitivity.
“I want to represent him properly,” he says. “I don't want to play him as a caricature or stereotype.”
T.M. Pride, producing artistic director for Brévo Theatre and director of “Fat Ham,” sees a message in the story and the complexity of the characters.
“The characters are seeking to be brave, find joy and live their lives,” he says. “These themes resonate in our (Black) community and also with a larger audience.”
He particularly likes the transformation the character of Larry (played by Denzel McCausland) undergoes, who looks inward to find his truth.
“Find the joy and the laughter,” he says he coached the actor. “Find your authentic self; look inside and be brave.”
And while some people might not envision a Shakespeare play unfolding in an African-American backyard barbecue, Pride does not see a dichotomy and wants to bring topical theater to his audience.
“In a political climate where certain groups are silenced and marginalized, the play highlights issues we need to talk about,” says Pride.
Mounting the play as a collaboration involved a few challenges, including the casting, creating a multifunctional set that works on both stages of different sizes, and creating the special “magic” effects, including a ghost.
“As much as it was a challenge, it was more fun pulling the production together,” says Pride. “We have a fabulous design team.”
As a way to engage the community, the three theater companies are hosting community engagement events, such as, “Who’s Invited to the Cookout?” on Saturday, April 19 at Island City Stage, “Ham It Up” on Sunday, April 20 and Sunday, May 4 at Island City Stage and on Sunday, June 15 at GableStage, “Who Made the Potato Salad?” on Sunday, April 27 at Island City Stage and on Sunday, May 25 at GableStage and “Can We Talk? A Ham-plified Conversation” on Friday, May 23 at GableStage, moderated by Matt Anderson, executive director of Mosaic Miami.
Despite the humorous names, (“everyone wants to know who made the potato salad,” says Pride), the topics are to inform and get people talking.
“Community engagement is a big part of what Brévo Theatre does,” he says. “It’s important to cultivate art for a conscious community and to have art conscious conversations.”
Pride invites people to come to the show as if they were coming to an informal backyard barbecue.
“Wear your shorts, T-shirts, and sandals and come to have a good time,” he says.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Island City Stage presents “Fat Ham”
WHERE: Island City Stage, 2304 N. Dixie Hwy., Wilton Manors
WHEN: 7 p.m., Thursday, 8 p.m., Friday, 2 and 8 p.m., Saturday, 5 p.m., Sunday. Opens Thursday, April 3 through Sunday, May 4.
TICKETS: $43 and $48
INFORMATION: (954) 928-9800 or islandcitystage.org.
This story was produced by Broward Arts Journalism Alliance (BAJA), an independent journalism program of the Broward County Cultural Division. Visit ArtsCalendar.com for more stories about the arts in South Florida.
