For actor Duane Shabazz, landing the lead in a production of “Fat Ham” in his hometown was hard earned.
The 27-year-old Detroit native auditioned in Pittsburgh, then San Diego to portray Juicy before being cast in the Detroit Public Theatre’s production of the play.
“It’s very much a full circle moment for me doing this play, but also being able to work with the Detroit Public Theatre,” said Shabazz, who got his start as a teen, acting at Detroit’s Mosaic Youth Theatre. “It’s a great feeling.”
“Fat Ham,” which made its Broadway debut last year, is now playing at DPT through Nov. 3. The play, written by James Ijames, is a reimagining of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” The story follows Juicy, a Black, queer, college student who longs to escape his southern town and his family’s barbecue business.
The production kicks off the 10th anniversary season for the Midtown venue, which will include a holiday cabaret and plays “Soft Target,” and “Confederates,” with the latter written by DPT Executive Artistic Producer Dominique Morisseau.
In addition to the performances, DPT is hosting several events throughout the year to celebrate the milestone like DJ parties on the second Thursday of every show and a 10th anniversary gala next May.
Shabazz said he likes playing Juicy because he can relate to the character. In the play, Juicy wears all-black and performs karaoke to Radiohead’s “Creep.” Growing up, Shabazz listened to rock band Three Days Grace and painted his nails black.
“What I love a lot about this story is that it’s about a guy who’s expressing himself authentically, but it’s not the normal way a guy from the hood would express himself,” he said. “We never hear about the kid that’s from the hood, but you would never know he’s from that environment based on how he acts.”
A spotlight on city talent
DPT was founded in 2015 by Courtney Burkett, Sarah Clare Corporandy and Sarah Winkler, with a goal of shining a light on Detroit’s smaller theaters and actors, Winkler told BridgeDetroit.
Winkler said all of DPT’s founders worked in the city’s professional theater scene before DPT was created, but there wasn’t a lot of attention paid to their work.
“I like to think that we’ve played a small part in getting more of a spotlight onto the work of the theater artists and the wonderful theaters with whom we share the city – we did it all together as a theater community.
“We share artists, we share our technicians, we share information and resources,” she said. “There’s much more knowledge in the general public about the theater scene in this region than there was before.”
Winkler, who serves as producing artistic director for DPT, said there’s multiple factors in deciding which plays will be showcased each season. The team is often catching shows across the country or receiving suggestions from friends and artists who share scripts with them.
Last year, Winkler and Burkett went to New York to see “Fat Ham,” in support of their friend Saheem Ali, who made his Broadway directorial debut. They both fell in love with the production.
“Both of us, when we saw the show said, ‘We have to bring this show home to Detroit. Detroit will love this play and will love this story,’” Winkler said.
Meanwhile, DPT’s Holiday Cabaret, which runs from Nov. 29 to Dec. 22, was created by Burkett last year. The company was only planning to perform it once, but the show received so many positive reviews from attendees that they decided to bring it back. Winkler describes the cabaret as something you’ll see on HBO because it can get “a little saucy.”
“It’s not a typical holiday cabaret,” she said. “It’s got some classics in it, but it really delves into some of the difficulties of the holidays, that people can feel more lonely, that there’s grieving during the holidays, too. But there’s also so much joy and lightness.”
Morisseau’s play, “Confederates,” runs Feb. 6 to March 16. The story follows two Black women living in America 160 years apart: Sara, an enslaved woman who is preparing herself to fight for the Union during the Civil War, and Sandra, a political science professor at an esteemed university fighting institutional racism. The play will be directed by playwright, poet and Detroit native Goldie E. Patrick.
The last show of the season will be the premiere of Emily Kaczmarek’s play “Soft Target,” running April 30 to June 7. The show is about a nine-year-old girl who has survived a school shooting. The play takes place entirely in her bedroom, featuring only the girl and her toys–a diary, an American Girl doll, a stuffed penguin, and a weighted support bunny.
“They (the toys) cannot figure out what has happened to so drastically change the behavior of their beloved little girl,” Winkler said. “And for a good part of the play, they are trying to solve that mystery and once they have solved it, there is nothing in their vocabulary of pure love and support and imagination that could have prepared them for the kind of horror that she has experienced.”
With Winkler, Burkett, Corporandy and Morisseau also being mothers, “Soft Target” affected them in a personal way.
“As artists, sometimes we feel fairly impotent around big societal issues and we felt like here is a work of art that can open up dialog and that can open up paths of healing,” Winkler said. “It is an extraordinary, extraordinary piece of theater.”
Finding the relatability in “Fat Ham”
Shabazz, who began acting as a teenager, went off to Western Michigan University after high school. Eventually he went to New York to study in the graduate acting program at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
Last summer, he was featured in the ensemble production of Malvolio at the Harlem Classic Theatre.
Shabazz said playing Juicy has prompted him to figure out the character’s traumas, his triggers and the kind of music he might like. One thing he’s not focusing on though is Juicy’s sexual orientation, as Shabazz doesn’t want the character to come off as a stereotype.
“I feel like if I was to play a sexuality, I’m not doing justice to the story or the community or this character,” he said. “I want to give an honest portrayal that people can say, ‘Oh, I relate with this material’ no matter if they’re gay or straight.”
Niki Rochelle also seeks to find the relatability in her “Fat Ham” character, Tedra.
Even though Tedra is complex and doesn’t always make the right decisions, she has a deep love for Juicy, and Rochelle wanted to make sure she humanized her.
“How I describe Tedra is, she is lit, she’s loving, she’s codependent on romantic relationships and she’s codependent on her son,” she said. “I wanted her to be more human so different people coming in could say, ‘Oh, I know someone like her’ or, ‘Wow, I see her in myself.’”
And Rochelle is enjoying acting alongside her stage son. The Detroit actress, dancer and singer said she and Shabazz hit it off right away.
“He told me the other day after the show, ‘I’m really glad you’re playing my mom.’ And I was like, ‘Oh my baby!’” Rochelle said. “We take care of each other on stage and have a lot of fun playing with the dynamics of that relationship.”
10th anniversary schedule
- Fat Ham: Sept. 26-Nov. 3, 2024
- DPT’s Holiday Cabaret: Nov. 29-Dec. 22, 2024
- Confederates: Feb. 6-March 16, 2025
- Soft Target: April 30-June 7, 2025
- Tickets can be purchased online at detroitpublictheatre.org. General admission is $49 and $25 on Thursday performances.
DPT is located at 3960 Third Avenue in Detroit. For ticket information, call 313-974-7918 or email boxoffice@detroitpublictheatre.org.