Thespian Thoughts – Fat Pig – Theatre Review by Sandro Monetti
FAT PIG: “Plus sized entertainment.”
Theatre Review by SANDRO MONETTI
FAT PIG
This unconventional love story about body image and peer pressure is sometimes harsh and brutal but often quite brilliant.
It follows an athletic young executive, Tom, who falls for a witty overweight librarian, Helen, but is ashamed to be seen out with her in
public.
When his douechebag work colleague Carter discovers who he’s dating, the merciless mocking begins. Meanwhile Tom’s skinny ex-girlfriend
Jeannie feels outraged and insulted by his new choice of romantic partner.
The savage dialogue of writer Neil La Bute is superb and Nick Stabile as mean guy Carter delivers all the best lines with relish. Kirsten
Kollener never hits a wrong note as jilted Jeannie and director Alexis Jacknow sets a fast and furious pace until the final scene, which drags to a predictable conclusion.
Deidra Edwards is perfect, utterly real and entertaining as plus sized Helen, so much so that you wish she would set her sights higher than Tom, whom Jonthan Bray plays as an indecisive, spineless nerd.
The play works well for the most part by holding up a mirror to modern behavior – and showing it’s not that pretty a picture.
FAT PIG
Written by Neil La Bute
Directed by Alexis Jacknow
At Hudson Mainstage Theater, 6539 Santa Monica Boulevard,
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Fridays and Saturdays at 8pm, Sundays at 7pm until June 1
Tickets $30 from 323-960-7788 or www.plays411.com/fatpig
CAST
Deidra Edwards as Helen
Jonathan Bray as Tom
Nick Stabile as Carter
Kirsten Kollender as Jeannie
Producer – Racquel Lehrman
Set Design – Hazel Kuang
Lighting Design – Donny Jackson
Sound Design – Chris Rummel
Costume Design – Lucy Pollak
Publicist – Lucy Pollak
Thespian Thoughts is a theatre review article on Actors Entertainment, a channel on the Actors Podcast Network, a Pepper Jay Production.
