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Fat Ham

By James Ijames
Directed by Elizabeth Carter
March 11 – June 27, 2025 Thomas Theatre

A Southern-fried take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet

In James Ijames’s sizzling cookout comedy, the grill isn’t the only thing turning up the heat. This deliciously funny play follows Juicy, a queer Black kid living in the South. When the ghost of his dead father appears at a family BBQ demanding revenge for his murder, Juicy must grapple with the decision to heed his phantom father’s advice or remain true to himself. The 2022 Pulitzer Prize–winning riff on Shakespeare’s Hamlet is directed by Elizabeth Carter, the 2021 SDCF Lloyd Richards New Futures Resident Artist and the assistant director of OSF’s 2022 production of August Wilson’s How I Learned What I Learned.

"Fat Ham" is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. www.concordtheatricals.com
Tickets!
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Prices start at $36

 
Suitability Suggestions
A comedic adaptation of Hamlet, this 2022 Pulitzer Prize–winning play about family drama at a barbeque/wedding reception includes discussions of pornography, sex, and masturbation. Profanity and the “n-word” (spoken by characters of color) are used in dialogue. Violence is discussed, including murder, and a character is punched in the stomach onstage. Due to the mature content in the play, it may be best suited to high school ages and up.
Accessibility
The Thomas Theatre is outfitted with an elevator to the theatre level.

The Oregon Shakespeare Festival is committed to accessibility. We recognize the needs of persons with disabilities and strive to make our facilities and productions accessible to all. Please visit our Accessibility page for details about 2024 programs and services as they develop.

Creative Team

Cast

* Member of Actors' Equity Association (AEA)
** AEA Professional Theatre Intern

Understudies

Thomas Theater seating chart.

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  • 2025 Information coming soon!

OSF's 2025 Season