“Fat Ham,” Pulitzer Prize-winning, five-time Tony-nominated play, begins January 11

A boisterous Southern cookout sets the scene for a Black, queer discovery of self and resilience in this Pulitzer Prize-winning, five-time Tony nominated “uproarious reimagining of Hamlet” (The New Yorker).

“This is what I was raised in: pig guts and bad choices.” As Juicy grapples with his identity and his family at a backyard barbecue, his father’s ghost shows up asking for revenge—on Juicy’s uncle, who has married his widowed mom—bringing his quest for joy and liberation to a screeching halt. 

James Ijames has reinvented Shakespeare’s masterpiece, creating what the New York Times hails as “a hilarious yet profound tragedy, smothered in comedy,” where the only death is the patriarchy. Tyrone Phillips, Founding Artistic Director of Chicago’s famed Definition Theatre, directs.

Definition Theatre celebrates stories created with, inspired by, and intended for people and communities of color. Through the act of making, Definition expands perspectives, stewards resources, and bridges the possibility found at the intersection of art, innovation, and education.

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James Ijames accepts the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for Drama from Columbia University President Lee Bollinger.

For more information about this upcoming Goodman Theatre production, visit goodmantheatre.org. 

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