James Ijames’ play Fat Ham has been widely touted as a modern reinterpretation of Hamlet. But as Nashville Repertory Theatre and the Nashville Shakespeare Festival prepare to open their co-production of the Pulitzer Prize-winning play, director Mikael Burke says the piece goes well beyond the standard retelling, offering an artful critique of identity, generational trauma and liberation.
Transferring the Bard’s classic tragedy to the modern American South, the action follows Juicy — a young queer Black man who is forced to “grapple with his father’s ghost, family expectations and the cycle of violence that haunts them all.” But first he’s got to get through an awkward family cookout celebrating the marriage of his widowed mother and uncle-turned-stepfather — complete with barbecue and spontaneous karaoke.
“It’s just such a good script,” says Burke, an award-winning director, deviser and educator based in Chicago. “I always start by describing Fat Ham as a riff on Hamlet, just because I think we’re all pretty familiar with that story. But where Hamlet gives us this young man who vows to avenge his father’s murder and becomes totally consumed by that vengeance, Fat Ham goes a different direction. It looks at the idea of revenge, but then shows us that the best revenge comes not in perpetuating the violence, but in healing from it. It says, ‘I don’t have to take up your mantle — I’ll take up my own.’ And it celebrates that incredibly difficult task of choosing to be who you truly are, and becoming the best version of yourself — no matter what your family says.”
Despite such bold and powerful themes, Burke says Fat Ham is packed with big laughs and lyrical language.
“It’s so funny,” says Burke, who grew up in Nashville and is looking forward to having family and friends in the audience for Fat Ham. “But that’s what’s so great about James Ijames — he takes on these heavy subjects, but in a totally funny and honest way. As we meet this family, it’s clear that they love each other. But they’re also overbearing and mean, and they make fun and tease each other, so it’s hilarious to watch them square up. There’s so much humor and joy, but there are some really tender moments too. And then there are these delightful bits that are supremely theatrical. I’m excited for audiences to experience it all, and to go on that journey with us each night.”
Burke has assembled a marvelous cast, including Chicago actor Julian “joolz” Stroop as Juicy, along with local favorites Tamiko Robinson Steele, Bakari J. King, Candace-Omnira, Michael A. McAllister-Spurgeon, Persephone Felder-Fentress and Gerold Oliver.
“I’m so excited about this cast,” Burke says. “James Ijames has given us a perfect playground to work from. He’s written some really gorgeous prose and poetry, and I’m eager to see how these actors bring that to life. It’s an incredible piece of work, and I’m just thrilled to be able to do it here in Nashville.”
Jason Spelbring will replace longtime director Denice Hicks, who steps down in September
As the artistic director of Nashville Shakes, Jason Spelbring says he’s thrilled to be working with Nashville Rep on Fat Ham, noting that it’s been more than 20 years since the two companies last joined forces.
“We’re so happy to be doing this co-production with the Rep,” says Spelbring, who’s serving as the intimacy/fight director for Fat Ham. “I feel like it really speaks to the collaborative spirit of Nashville’s theater community. It’s not a new idea. We’ve certainly done co-productions before, including one with the Rep back in 2005 — when we teamed up for The Winter’s Tale in Centennial Park. But it’s been amazing to reignite this type of partnership with the Rep, especially with this particular play.”
Spelbring says it’s hard to imagine a more fitting project on which to collaborate, calling Fat Ham “a perfect blend” of Shakespearean themes and modern storytelling.
“What this piece does so beautifully is that it brings together the themes and ideas, and even the loose structure of a play that’s more than 400 years old, and places it right in the backyard of a modern American family living in the South. It’s so relatable, and the writing is just wonderful — witty and so full of heart. Gary C. Hoff’s scenic design is incredible, Melissa Durmon’s costumes are impeccable, and it’s all going to feel very intimate and immersive in the Johnson Theater. I think audiences are going to feel like they’re peering over the fence, as all this family drama and comedy unfolds. And what could be more Shakespearean than that?”
Ogemdi Ude’s 'Major,' coming to OZ Arts Feb. 12-14, 2026
More upcoming theater and dance performances:
Jan. 30-31: Agrupación Señor Serrano’s Birdie at OZ Arts
Feb. 12-14: Ogemdi Ude’s Major at OZ Arts
Feb. 21-22: Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at TPAC
Feb. 27-March 1: Nashville Ballet’s Swan Lake at TPAC
March 3-8: Suffs at TPAC
March 13-28: We Are the Tigers at Street Theatre Company
March 14: Complexions Contemporary Ballet at TPAC
March 26-28: Hiroaki Umeda’s assimilating and Moving State 1 at OZ Arts
Nashville Rep and Nashville Shakespeare Festival's co-production of 'Fat Ham' tops our highlights of the season's theater, art, dance, film and book events
