4th Wall Theatre Reimagines Hamlet with FAT HAM

At first glance, FAT HAM seems like a contemporary reworking of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, complete with a ghostly father and a call for revenge. But in the hands of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright James Ijames, and now Houston’s 4th Wall Theatre, this story becomes something far more urgent, joyful, and unexpectedly transformative.

“FAT HAM is the story of Hamlet transposed, transformed, and evolved into a Black Southern family in North Carolina,” says director Derek Charles Livingston. “And on the day of a barbecue where we see that Juicy’s mother has married his uncle, it becomes a jumping-off point for us to explore issues within Southern Black culture around masculinity, religion, family legacy—and barbecue.”

The play’s barbecue setting is key. Castles and court politics are replaced with folding chairs, family dynamics, and the kind of lived-in intimacy that feels instantly recognizable, especially for Southern audiences, regardless of race. As actor Tyler Ray Lewis explains, the play “really speaks to love, queerness, and acceptance. I think that everyone will be able to connect with the story.”

But FAT HAM is not just a reinterpretation of a classic. It’s a recalibration. “For me, it’s not an adaptation of Hamlet. It’s a reimagining,” Lewis states. “The audiences come in expecting an adaptation, but it takes a completely different turn. At the end of the story, the characters choose happiness. They choose love.”

That shift from revenge to self-determination is at the heart of the piece. Livingston describes it as an “evolution,” one that asks deeper questions about identity, inheritance, and agency. “Are there things in that legacy that we can break away from to become ourselves, to be true to ourselves?”

In this play, Juicy (the character patterned off of Hamlet) doesn’t just wrestle with fate. He resists it. “I don’t want to be trapped in this cycle of violence. I want something better and different for myself,” Livingston says, quoting a pivotal moment in the play.

That ethos ripples through every character. “At the end, they all choose to do what they want to do,” Lewis explains.

While the play is filled with sharp and irreverent humor that’s often rooted in family dynamics, it never loses sight of its emotional core. “Let it be a comedy when it needs to be, and a drama when it must be,” Livingston says, describing the production’s tonal balance.

Ultimately, FAT HAM is a celebration of identity, of chosen paths, and of the radical act of self-love. “Loving ourselves is a revolutionary act,” Livingston declares. And for Houston audiences, that message hits close to home.

“I want Houston audiences to see themselves in someone in the show,” Lewis adds.

Derek Charles Livingston’s Take on Directing an Evolving Classic

For Derek Charles Livingston, FAT HAM represents both a professional and deeply personal opportunity. A longtime admirer of Shakespeare, he was immediately drawn to the play’s bold reinterpretation of a familiar text. “I love when we take Shakespeare and look at him through a modern lens,” he says. “This is a quintessentially modern take. It’s more of an evolution than an adaptation.”

That idea of evolution extends beyond the script and into the production itself. Working within 4th Wall’s intimate space with a thrust stage (meaning there is seating on three sides of the stage), Livingston has focused on creating a world that feels both immediate and expansive. “It’s making sure that the key moments are available to the audience while still trying to have dynamic staging,” he explains.

Central to his vision is a rebalancing of Juicy’s emotional life. “Juicy can live in sadness,” he says, “but can also live in fight, self-assertion, and joy.” That intentional shift, supported by Ijames’ text, reframes the character and the story as one rooted in possibility rather than inevitability.

In the rehearsal room, Livingston has prioritized clarity of voice and emotional truth, particularly for the women in the play. He points to Juicy’s mother, Tedra, as a key example, emphasizing the moments when she speaks to many women’s experiences. “I really want to make sure that the audience heard them for a truth and heard them in their truth.”

Bringing FAT HAM to Houston also carries broader cultural significance. Livingston sees the production as part of a larger effort to expand whose stories are told, and where. “FAT HAM was going to happen in Houston this season,” he reveals. And while 4th Wall Theatre secured the rights before Stages could, Livingston says, “I appreciate the trust that Jennifer Dean has given in me to bring about this production.”

For him, the play’s impact lies in its refusal to explain itself. “James Ijames is not trying to explain any sort of Black experience. He’s just letting it be,” Livingston notes. That allows Houston’s theater companies to strive to showcase “the greater, beautiful mosaic (as I like to say) of the human experience.” And FAT HAM finds its own power in that unapologetic, specific, and deeply human space.

Tyler Ray Lewis Finds Freedom in Their Role

Tyler Ray Lewis is no stranger to breaking barriers. As a Black nonbinary plus-size performer who uses they/them pronouns, Lewis has built a career defined by bold choices and deeply felt performances, including making history as the first nonbinary actor to play Becky in Waitress. Known for their work in productions like Frozen at Theatre Under The Stars, Lewis brings both vocal power and emotional authenticity to every role.

In FAT HAM, that authenticity is deeply personal. “Juicy and I are so parallel that it’s not even funny,” Lewis says. Raised in a small Texas town, they understand firsthand the pressures that Juicy faces. “I know what it’s like,” they explain, describing the expectations they pushed against to choose a life in the arts. “I chose to do what brings me joy and love and happiness, unapologetically.”

That connection brings both depth and challenge to the role. “The show is so emotionally taxing for Juicy and for myself,” Lewis says. “I have to be very cognizant about leaving Juicy at the theater.”

To build the character, Lewis draws directly from their lived experience. “I approach it like it’s my normal life,” they say, pointing to family gatherings that mirror the play’s barbecue setting. That grounded approach allows Lewis to fully explore the play’s central themes, particularly around identity and belonging. “It’s about relationships, especially as it pertains to queerness in the Black community.”

Over time, their understanding of the story has deepened. “I’ve come to have an empathy and understanding for Pap’s and Rev’s generational traumas,” they say, reflecting on the complexity of the relationships at the play’s core.

For Lewis, the role ultimately becomes a vehicle for connection. “There are so many people who may be experiencing what Juicy has gone through, who can see themselves and relate to that.” And, in Houston, that connection feels especially meaningful. “I think that it’s important for people to experience that story,” they add.

In FAT HAM, it’s not just Juicy who is choosing a different ending. Lewis showing audiences that they can, too.

What: James Ijames’ FAT HAM
When: May 1–23, 2026
Where: 4th Wall Theatre, 1824 Spring Street
Info: 4thwalltheatreco.com