Play tackles obesity taboo

by Mathew C. Easterwood
Vanguard Staff Writer

October 9, 2006 —

"She's really fat."

"How's he gonna love something that looks like that...?"

"She seems a little obsessed with some things...like maybe Cheetos."

Those beginning lines offer a short summary of the theatre department's newest production, "Fat Pig."

Opening Friday, the play tells the tale of Tom, a business and fitness-oriented man in the city who falls for a no-nonsense, self-assured obese librarian named Helen.

Written by Neil Labute and directed by Janet Rubin, "Fat Pig" deals with the opinions of Tom's friends in regards to his relationship with Helen.

Portraying Tom is 21-year-old junior Chad Baker, who says the role carries with it an inherent challenge.

"Tom is trying so hard to be a good person that it's just obvious," Baker says. "It really makes him that much more of an ass."

Tom attempts to be a good human being against the likes of his co-workers Carter and Jeannie, played by 20-year-old junior Tyler Frank and 19-year-old sophomore Danielle Schoeny, respectively. The opening quotes were the lines of their characters.

"He's the most honest person in the play," Frank says of Carter. "He's horrible and rude, but he hits the nail on the head because he says what a lot of people think, which is so sad."

Rubin seems to agree with Frank's assessment, which is a big part of why she chose to do the show.

"This show deals with issues of concern for young people and people at large because society today is very concerned with body image and being attractive," she says. "That's what makes the show so real."

The actors have been rehearsing four or five days a week since the second week of classes, and they say they all feel a connection to their characters.

"These characters are so difficult because they are so realistic," Rubin says. "Yet it's more than that because so much of the characters personality comes from beneath the dialogue."

Alyssa Kindy, a 21-year-old junior, portrays Helen. For the part, she has to wear a suit that adds the appearance of 50 pounds to her physique.

"Putting on the suit makes me feel more self-conscious when Helen is completely comfortable with who she is," Kindy says. "That's been the most difficult thing for me."

Kindy also thinks that the challenge is what makes the part all the more important since real life has its own challenges too.

"It's important for people to know that this isn't a flashy play," she says. "It's real."

Schoeny agrees, saying, "People really are shallow and do care what everyone thinks of them, and people do get turned down in life because they're overweight."

It is because of this realism that Rubin has elected to do the show in the Black Box theatre, which seats only 81 people.

"The close nature of the text wants a much more intimate environment," Rubin says, "which is exactly what I wanted. I want the audience to be right there with these characters because of how real they are, and I don't want to give them room to disassociate."

It often seems that when the theatre department tackles socially relevant shows, the Black Box is the choice location. The smaller theatre offers a much more intimate feel in shows, and a show with such relevance about how people look and judge others seems to fit with the smaller environment.

"The audience will be uncomfortable at times," Rubin says, "which is how this show should make you feel. Let's be honest, how comfortable are we in our lives?”

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