City Theatre To Present Pulitzer Prize-Winning FAT HAM By James Ijames

City Theatre has announced the fourth show of its 2023/2024 season, Fat Ham by James Ijames, a co-production with TheatreSquared in Fayetteville, AR.

The play had its digital world premiere at the Wilma Theater in Philadelphia in 2021, made its off-Broadway  debut in 2022 at New York's Public Theater and transferred to Broadway in 2013 after receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews. The play won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the Broadway production was nominated for five Tony Awards, including “Best Play.”

A modern revamp of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Fat Ham follows Juicy, a queer, pensive, young Black man finding his way in the world when the ghost of his father demands Juicy avenges his murder. Set at the family cookout, this “hilarious yet profound tragedy smothered in comedy” (The New York Times) examines love, loss, and a particular set of daddy issues.  

“I am beyond thrilled to helm the much-anticipated Pittsburgh premiere of Fat Ham. This decadent play contains the elements that makes contemporary theater not only a place for entertainment, but healing; it's raw, visceral, funny, and fabulous,” said Director Monteze Freeland. “Partnering with our friends at TheatreSquared deliberately expands City Theatre's national reach and will allow our beloved local artists the opportunity to share their talents with the Fayetteville community and beyond. We hope to see you at the cookout!”

The cast includes: Brandon Foxworth, Maria Becoates-Bey, Khalil Kain (Pipeline & Clyde's at City Theatre), Elexa Hanner, LaTrea Rembert, Linda Haston, and Jordan Williams. The creative team includes scenic and media design by Sasha Schwartz, costume design by Alexis Chaney, lighting design by John D. Alexander, sound design by Howard Patterson, and dramaturgy by Dexter Singleton. Taylor K. Meszaros will serve as the production stage manager.

For this production, City Theatre is excited to collaborate with several community organizations including Alumni Theater Company, True T Pittsburgh, Steel Smiling, and 1Hood Media.

The production is supported, in part, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.

FAT HAM

by James Ijames

Directed by Monteze Freeland

A co-production with TheatreSquared (Fayetteville, AR) 

This uproariously funny, Pulitzer Prize-winning new play comes to City Theatre straight from Broadway! A modern revamp of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Fat Ham follows Juicy, a queer, pensive, young Black man finding his way in the world when the ghost of his father demands Juicy avenges his murder. Set at the family cookout, this “hilarious yet profound tragedy smothered in comedy” (The New York Times) examines love, loss, and a particular set of daddy issues.

March 2 – 24 

• Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. 
• Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. and/or 7:00 p.m. 
• Thursdays and Fridays at 8:00 p.m. 
• Saturdays at 1:00 p.m. and/or 5:30 p.m.
• Sundays at 2:00 p.m. or 7:00 p.m. 

For a complete listing of show times, please visit CityTheatreCompany.org or call 412-431-2489 (CITY).

SPECIAL EVENTS AND ACCESSIBLE PERFORMANCES: 

• Post Show Talk Back: Sunday, March 10 and 17, 2024 at 2:00pm 
• Greenroom: Art and an Afterparty: Friday, March 15, 2024
• Pay What You Want/Open Captioning Performance: Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 1:00pm
• ASL Interpreted/Open Captioning Performance: Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at 7:00pm
• Audio Description/Open Captioning Performance: Sunday, March 24, 2024 at 2:00pm

Tickets

412.431.CITY (2489) or CityTheatreCompany.org

Tickets start at $29 

• Pick-Your-Price Previews: March 2 - 7, 2024
• Pay What You Want Performance: Saturday, March 16, 2024 at 1:00pm

City Theatre Main Stage
1300 Bingham Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15203 (South Side) 
Port Authority bus routes: 48, 51, 54, 81, 83 

Patron parking is available in the lot across from the City Theatre entrance (1317 Bingham Street) for $10, subject to availability. 

ABOUT THE ARTISTS:

James Ijames (Playwright) is a Pulitzer Prize winning playwright, a director and educator. James' plays have been produced by Flashpoint Theater Company, Orbiter 3, Theatre Horizon, Wilma Theatre, Theatre Exile, Azuka Theatre (Philadelphia, PA), The National Black Theatre, JACK, The Public Theater (NYC), Hudson Valley Shakespeare Theater, Steppenwolf Theatre, Definition Theatre, Timeline Theater (Chicago IL) Shotgun Players (Berkeley, CA) and have received development with PlayPenn New Play Conference, The Lark, Playwright's Horizon, Clubbed Thumb, Villanova Theater, Wilma Theater, Azuka Theatre and Victory Garden. 

James is the 2011 F. Otto Haas Award for an Emerging Artist recipient, and two Barrymore Awards for Outstanding Direction of a Play for The Brothers Size with Simpatico Theatre Company and Gem of the Ocean with Arden Theatre. James is a 2015 Pew Fellow for Playwriting, the 2015 winner of the Terrance McNally New Play Award for WHITE, the 2015 Kesselring Honorable Mention Prize winner for ....Miz Martha, a 2017 recipient of the Whiting Award, a 2019 Kesselring Prize for Kill Move Paradise, a 2020 and 2022 Steinberg Prize and the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Drama recipient. James was a founding member of Orbiter 3, Philadelphia's first playwright producing collective. He received a B.A. in Drama from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA and a M.F.A. in Acting from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. James an Associate Professor of Theatre at Villanova University. He resides in South Philadelphia. 

MONTEZE FREELAND (Director) is a multi-disciplinary artist from Baltimore, MD whose talents include acting, directing, writing, producing and teaching. Monteze is the current Co-Artistic Director of City Theatre Company and was named City Paper's Person of the Year for Theatre in 2021, in addition to being named the Performer of the Year in 2017 by the Post-Gazette. Select directing credits include: The Santaland Diaries, The Young playwrights Festival ‘17 & ‘21, Claws Out: A Holiday Drag Musical, The Garbologists, and Clyde's (City Theatre Company); King Hedley II & Fences (Co-Director with Mark Clayton Southers), Savior Samuel, Miss Julie, Clarissa and John, Christmas Star and Poe's Last Night (Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre Company); I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings (Prime Stage Theater); Hairspray, Shrek, The Addams Family, and Freaky Friday (CLO Summer Academy); readings of Trouble in Mind and The Coffin Maker (Pittsburgh Public Theater).  Many thanks to the incredible cast, design team, community partners, and City Theatre staff. 

BRANDON FOXWORTH (Juicy) is a Queer minister, theatre artist and educator from Detroit,MI. He holds an MFA in Drama (UC Irvine) and BFA in Theatre Performance (Western Michigan University). Theatre credits include Sir Andrew Aguecheek in Twelfth Night (Lyric Rep Co.); Bono in Fences (Lyric Rep Co.); Joshua/Associate in The Christians (Farmers Alley Theatre); and Othello in Classic Couples Counseling (Theatre West Co.). Film credits include Nurse Hector in “Moving On” (Hulu). He is immensely honored to play Juicy and hopes folks leave inspired and changed from this rare but necessary story. (Matt 6:33) brandonfoxworth.com 

MARIA BECOATES-BEY (Tedra) is thrilled to be back on stage at the City Theatre. Previous credits include Intimate Apparel, Crowns, Constant Star, Spunk, and Woody Gutherie's American Song. Other credits include Vera Stark (Pittsburgh Playhouse); Doubt (Pittsburgh Irish & Classical Theatre); Don't Dress for Dinner (Mountain Playhouse); Hairspray, The Full Monty, Jesus Christ Superstar (Civic Light Opera); The Goodbye Girl; Litte Shop of Horrors, Boogie Wonderland 1st American Production, Beehive, Jesus Christ Superstar, and many more (Pittsburgh Musical Theatre). Television Series include “Banshee”. Film credits include “Anything's Possible”; “The Haunting Hours”; “Renegade Force”; and “Iron Maze.”  

Khalil Kain (Rev/Pap) is best known for his work in the urban classic film JUICE. The character of Raheem still resonates deeply in hoods all over the world. As the character Darnell in the sitcom GIRLFRIENDS, Khalil played Maya's husband for six seasons. Playing Pap/Rev in Fat Ham will mark Khalil Kain's third time on this stage having performed in City Theatre's production of Pipeline by Dominique Morisseau and Clyde's by Lynn Nottage. 

ELEXA LINDSAY HANNER (Opal) was born and raised in Pittsburgh. Joining this production has been life changing in the best of ways.She holds a BFA in Musical Theater from Penn State University '21 .Past credits include: The Pittsburgh Public Theater - A Midsummer Night's Dream In Harlem (Production Understudy), Pittsburgh Playwrights Theatre - The Double V (Annie Culver), Pyramid Builders (Maya / Satya), Jitney (Rena), Pittsburgh CLO's Gallery Of Heroes – The Boy From Troy (Rosa Parks / Chicken Ursula), and The Alumni Theater Company - Professional Ensemble & Young Artists Choreographer. Elexa is also committed to leading the youth through theater, choreography, and teaching dance. Along with teaching dance, she is also a professional dancer with Staycee Pearl's Dance Project & Soy Sos. She would like to thank City Theater, Staycee Pearl, and The Alumni Theater Company for giving her a chance to grow within her artistic journey throughout the past year. She is also thankful for everyone else that supports and loves her! IG: elexawithane

LATREA REMBERT (Larry) is thrilled to be making his debut with City Theatre!  Originally from Cincinnati, LaTrea is a multi-disciplinary artist, choreographer, and teacher here in Pittsburgh.  He currently serves on faculty at The CLO Academy, The Alloy School, Pittsburgh Musical Theater, and has been an adjunct professor in modern and jazz dance at Point Park University.  LaTrea is also a senior company dancer with the STAYCEE PEARL dance project & Soy Sos, where he has been for the past 10 seasons.  Recent/favorite theater credits include: The Devil Is A Lie (Dogg, World Premiere) with Quantum Theater; Once On This Island, Kinky Boots, The Wizard of Oz (Palace Guard),and Spamilton: An American Parody with The Pittsburgh CLO; The Scottsboro Boys, Wig Out!, Choir Boy with The REP; and Dreamgirls (Jimmy Early) with Pittsburgh Musical Theater. 

LINDA HASTON (Rabby) is a AEA actress, singer, teaching artist and director.  She has directed and/or performed on the stages of local theatre companies which include Off the Wall Theater, Quantum, Bricolage, New Horizon, The Public Theatre, PICT, Arcade Comedy Theatre and Prime Stage Theatre.   She recently performed at City Theatre in the 2023 Momentum series and last year directed 4 plays for the Young Playwright Series. She performed in 2005-2006 season with Crowns and Lynn Nottage's Intimate Apparel.  She has performed her acclaimed one woman show Mother Lode written by Virginia Wall Gruenert, Artistic Director of Off the Wall Theatre Productions in Rep and in 2018 performed it in New York and in June of 2023 performed it in Reykjavik, Iceland.  She is the Education Director for Prime Stage Theatre. 

JORDAN WILLIAMS (Tio) is extremely excited to be making his City Theatre debut. Jordan was raised in Los Angeles, California and earned his B.F.A in Journalism and Public Relations (Tougaloo College). Most recently, Jordan earned his Acting M.F.A from the University of Arkansas. Jordan's credits include: Arkansas Shakespeare Festival: Much Ado About Nothing (Claudio), The Tempest (Ferdinand), New Stage Theatre: Sweat (Chris). Check out Jordan at comedy clubs like the World Famous Comedy Store in Hollywood.

Founded in 1975, City Theatre is in its 49th season as Pittsburgh's home for bold new plays.  City Theatre's mission is to provide an artistic home for the development and production of contemporary plays that engage and challenge a diverse audience. Its vision is to be the best mid-sized theater in America. Organizational core values are: Community; Collaboration; Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Accessibility; and Creativity. With a full-time staff numbering 25 and an annual average operating budget of $3.4 million, City Theatre is the largest performing arts organization not located in Pittsburgh's downtown Cultural District and is a constituent and core member of the League of Resident Theaters (LORT), Theatre Communications Group (TCG), and the National New Play Network (NNPN). In August 2021, City Theatre announced a re-structuring of the artistic director position, elevating current staff members Clare Drobot and Monteze Freeland to Co-Artistic Directors with Marc Masterson, who had held the title of singular artistic director since 2018. The trio join Managing Director James McNeel as co-leaders of the organization. It is governed by a board of 16 community volunteers (David Betts, board president).

City Theatre has received significant general operating support and/or recent Covid emergency funding from the Allegheny Foundation, Allegheny Regional Asset District (RAD), Benter Foundation, The Heinz Endowments, Hillman Family Foundations, Richard King Mellon Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Opportunity Fund, The Pittsburgh Foundation, Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development, the Shubert Foundation, U.S. Small Business Administration, and two anonymous funders.

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