Pulitzer Prize-Winning FAT HAM Makes Its Chicago Premiere This Weekend

The barbeque begins! With an all-Chicago cast led by Trumane Alston, previews begin this weekend for the Chicago-premiere of James Ijames's Pulitzer Prize-winning, five-time Tony Award-nominated play Fat Ham.

Directed by Tyrone Phillips—Founding Artistic Director of Chicago's famed Definition Theatre, who co-produces Fat Ham with the Goodman—the cast also features Sheldon Brown, E. Faye Butler, Ronald L. Conner, Victor Musoni, Ireon Roach and Anji White.

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 coming-of-age story. 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. 

A host of special events for the production include: Pride Night (January 14—SOLD OUT); Play on Words Conversation with Poet Jyreika Guest (January 15), a multi-talented artist who shares her unique voice and creative journey in penning a poem inspired by the play; Drinks and Discussion: Conversation with Definition Theatre (January 24) featuring a panel of the talented Black creatives behind the Chicago-premiere production exploring the unique experiences and perspectives of Black queer artists; Black Affinity Night (February 7) celebrates the richness of Black culture and community at a special pre-show reception and conversation, followed by the evening performance.

James Ijames is a Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award nominated playwright, director and educator. Ijames' 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. Ijames 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. Ijames 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, the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Drama recipient and a 2023 Tony nominee for Best Play for Fat Ham. James was a founding member of Orbiter 3, Philadelphia's first playwright producing collective. He received a BA in Drama from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA and a MFA in Acting from Temple University in Philadelphia, PA. James is an Associate Professor of Theatre at Villanova University. He resides in South Philadelphia. 

Tyrone Phillips is a first generation Jamaican-American artist, Founding Artistic Director of Chicago's Definition Theatre and a proud member of the NAACP, SAG-AFTRA and SDC. Recipient of the 2022 Alumni Association Award for Diversity & Inclusion, he is an honors graduate of the Fine and Applied Arts college at the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) and has studied abroad at Shakespeare's Globe. Tyrone is currently leading a capital campaign for the development of Definition's new theater, community center and entrepreneur incubator in Woodlawn. Past directing and associate directing credits include: Purpose (Steppenwolf Theatre), Twelfth Night, I,Cinna (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Fairview (Jeff Nomination), Byhalia, Mississippi (Jeff Nomination), Dutchman (Definition Theatre), An Octoroon (Goodman Theatre/Definition Theatre) and The MLK Project (Writers Theatre). Regional: The Royale (American Players Theatre) and The Tale of Despereaux (Old Globe, Berkeley Rep). Off–Broadway: Trevor, the Musical. Awards and Honorable Mention: Arts Midwest's Peter Capell Award for Midwestern Creativity & Entrepreneurship (2022) and Newcity Stage Hall of Fame (2024).  

Full Company of Fat Ham (in alphabetical order)By James IjamesDirected by Tyrone Phillips
Trumane Alston…JuicySheldon Brown…LarryE. Faye Butler…RabbyRonald L. Conner…Rev/PapVictor Musoni…TioIreon Roach…OpalAnji White…Tedra

Understudies for this production include Blake Hamilton Currie, Marquise De'Jahn, TayLar, Joseph Primes and Jazzy Rush.

Fat Ham appears January 11 – February 23 (opening night, Tuesday, January 21 at 7pm, is sold out). Tickets ($25 - $85; subject to change) are on sale November 1 at GoodmanTheatre.org/Ham or by phone at 312.443.3800. Goodman Theatre is grateful for the support of ITW (Corporate Sponsor Partner) and the Elizabeth Morse Charitable Trust (Lead Sponsor of IDEAA Programming).

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