Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy meets Southern heat in Fat Ham, the next bold offering from GableStage, opening Friday, May 16 at 8 p.m. and running through June 15 at the intimate theater space at the Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables.

Playwright James Ijames reimagines Hamlet as a modern Black Southern barbecue, blending Shakespearean tragedy with queer identity, family trauma, and sharp humor. Set not in a Danish castle but in a North Carolina backyard, Fat Ham centers on Juicy, a young, queer Black man grappling with grief, generational violence, and self-discovery—all while flipping burgers and facing his father’s ghost.

As the family gathers to celebrate a wedding (or mourn a legacy), Juicy is caught between inherited anger and the possibility of radical love. With nods to disco, drag, and the enduring tension between duty and desire, Fat Ham is a revelatory blend of catharsis and comedy.

Critics have called it “hilarious yet profound” (The New York Times), and GableStage promises an electric production filled with biting dialogue, emotional depth, and unexpected joy.

Directed by Tatyana-Marie Carlo, the production features a cast of local and national talent, and continues the theater’s tradition of bringing award-winning contemporary plays to South Florida audiences.

Tickets are available at gablestage.org, with evening and matinee performances through mid-June.