Meet the Cast of Fat Ham | PlayMakers Repertory Company

PlayMakers Repertory Company’s production of James Ijames’ Pulitzer Prize-winning play Fat Ham is hitting the stage soon and audiences can expect it to be as funny as it is profound. Inspired by Shakespeare’s classic tale of Hamlet, this comedy sheds light on generational trauma and identity. Bringing together this potluck of talent is a tasty combination of your PlayMakers resident favs and guest artists! Learn more about who’s who and what to expect.

James Ijames is a Pulitzer Prize-winning and Tony Award-nominated playwright, director, and educator. As the playwright of Fat Ham and a North Carolina native, James turns Shakespeare’s Hamlet, on its head and brings the show to a southern backyard cookout.

“There’s this real desire in me to take the parts of the classics and bring them closer to me in the way that the people look, in the way that people speak.”

At the helm of this production is returning guest director Jade King Carroll. Jade was last with us in 2015 for our production of Trouble in Mind by Alice Childress. Jade is the Producing Artistic Director for Chautauqua Theater Company and she is the winner of the Paul Green Award from the Estate of August Wilson.

“It’s so fun to go into something we all know, everybody has some assumption about what they know about Hamlet. I’m happy to investigate it.”

Heinley Gaspard, resident company member and Department of Dramatic Art’s Professional Actor Training Program (PATP) student takes on the role of Juicy. Much like Hamlet, Juicy is approached by his father’s ghost seeking revenge for his death by his brother—now married to his mother. This marks Heinley’s final production at PlayMakers as a PATP, he will graduate in May 2024.

Resident company member Samuel Ray Gates will be performing as Juicy’s ghostly father, Pap, and his uncle, Rev. In this reimaged version of the King of Denmark and Claudius, James Ijames highlights Pap’s past and Rev, besides being an actual killer like Hamlet’s Uncle Claudius, is also a killer barbecue.

Resident company member Kathryn Hunter-Williams will be performing as Rabby. Rabby is a Polonius-based character who is the mother of Opal and Larry – Ophelia and Laertes.

Rabby is sharp-witted, outspoken, and well-dressed. See below, costume designer Sabrina Guillaume-Bradshaw’s inspo board:

Guest actor Rasool Jahan joins us for another production this season as Tedra, Juicy’s mother. Tedra is based on Hamlet’s mother Gertrude. While Gertrude feels the pressure to comply with polite society in the royal court, Tedra is not bound by those rules; she is feisty and ready to party.

Jamar Jones, resident company member and Department of Dramatic Art’s Professional Actor Training Program (PATP) student will perform as Larry, brother to Opal and son to Rabby. Like in Hamlet, Larry (Laertes) is a soldier and holds a lot of anger due to his PTSD. Larry wants to be more soft like Juicy.

This marks Jamar’s final production at PlayMakers as a PATP, he will graduate in May 2024.

Nate John Mark, resident company member and first-year Department of Dramatic Art’s Professional Actor Training Program (PATP) student will perform as Tio, Juicy’s cousin, based on Horatio. Tio is carefree and zany and acts as Juicy’s confidante who will surely bring the audience more than a few laughs.

Mengwe Wapimewah, resident company member and first-year Department of Dramatic Art’s Professional Actor Training Program (PATP) student will perform as Opal. sister to Larry, daughter to Rabby, and friend to Juicy. Although Opal is based on Ophelia, no one is telling her to “get thee to a nunnery.” She is a headstrong and combative version, ready to take her life into her own hands.