Fat Pig

Fat Pig premiered Off-Broadway at the Lucille Lortel Theatre in an MCC Theater production on November 23, 2004, in previews, officially on December 15. Directed by Jo Bonney, the cast was as follows: Ashlie Atkinson (Helen), Andrew McCarthy (Carter), Jeremy Piven (Tom), Keri Russell (Jeannie) (in her stage debut).[1][2] This production was hailed as a provocative comedy that made the audience think. David Amsden said in New York Magazine,

"You emerge from his plays either praising him for the metaphoric slap in the face or wishing you knew where he lived, so you can hunt down the bastard and deliver a literal slap of your own. The guy is doing something right, in short... His cruel wit and chronicles of immoral moralizers have made him, arguably, the most legitimately provocative and polarizing playwright at work today."[2]

The play was showcased during the Labute Festival at the Studio Theatre in Washington D.C. The play featured Tyler Pierce as Tom. Kate Debelack played the role of Helen.[3]

The play opened at Teatro Alcázar in Madrid in January 2006. Directed by Tamzin Townsend and with Luis Merlo as Tom, Teté Delgado as Helen, Iñaki Miramón and Lidia Otón.

The play made its West Coast Bay Area production in San Jose, at City Lights Theatre Company of San Jose, under the direction of Tom Gough, its former Artistic Director.[4][5] It held a successful run, opening from January 25, 2007, to February 25, 2007, and received high praise.[6]

The play made its New England debut in Boston from March 16, 2007, to April 7, 2007, at the Boston Center for the Arts by the SpeakEasy Stage Company. The cast included James Ryen (Tom), Liliane Klein (Helen), Michael Daniel Anderson (Carter), and Laura Latreille (Jeannie).[7]

The Los Angeles premiere was May 11, 2007, at the Geffen Playhouse's Audrey Skirball-Kenis Theater, with a cast including Kirsten Vangsness as Helen, Scott Wolf as Tom, Chris Pine as Carter, and Andrea Anders as Jeannie.[8] The play, originally scheduled to run until June 10, 2007, was extended to July 1, 2007, with a new cast: original New York cast member Ashlie Atkinson as Helen, Joseph Sikora as Tom, Jon Bernthal as Carter, and Jamie Ray Newman as Jeannie.[8][9]

Its United Kingdom premiere runs from May 27, 2008, at the Trafalgar Studios, London, with a cast including Ella Smith as Helen, Robert Webb as Tom, Kris Marshall as Carter and Joanna Page as Jeannie.

In August, it was announced that both Marshall and Webb would be stepping down from their roles and be replaced by Kevin Bishop and Nicholas Burns, respectively.[10] Also announced later in the same month was that Page would be stepping down from her role and would be replaced by Kelly Brook and Katie Kerr would replace Ella Smith in October 2008.[11]

On September 11, 2008, the play was shown at the Comedy Theatre.

The Colombia premiere was on March 31 at the Teatro Nacional La Castellana in Bogota, with the cast Constanza Hernández as Helena, Fabián Mendoza as Tommy, Tatiana Rentería as Julia and Juan Sebastián Aragón. Directed by Mario Morgan. http://www.teatronacional.com.co/

The play made its East Bay Area premiere in Berkeley, CA at the Aurora Theatre Company. Previews began on October 30, 2009, and opening night was November 5, 2009.[12] The play was directed by Barbara Damashek and featured Boston cast member Liliane Klein as Helen, Jud Williford as Tom, Peter Ruocco as Carter, and Alexandra Creighton as Jeannie. Originally scheduled to run through December 6, 2009, the play was extended one week through December 13, 2009.[13]

The production was hailed by SF Chronicle drama critic Robert Hurwitt, who wrote, "This is LaBute at the best of his bad-boy sensitive mode."[14] Arielle Little wrote in The Daily Californian:

"Playwright Neil LaBute's "Fat Pig"... is an alternately rude and heartwarming play with sweet moments, insults, and profanity. It is an all-out assault on the image-obsessed, morally craven culture that the current generation constantly is bombarded with and often embraces. And it is so good it is almost painful to watch. It is, in short, the type of theater we need to be seeing."[15]

Theatre Horizon produced the play from April 9 - May 1, 2010. It was directed by Matthew Decker and featured Ed Renninger as Tom, Melissa Joy Hart as Helen, Paul Felder as Carter, and Erin Mulgrew as Jeannie.

As of April 2010, the show is currently staged in Mexico City at the Teatro Fernando Soler, in Spanish, with the title "Gorda" (literally, 'fat woman'). The play is set in Mexico.[16]

The show is staged in São Paulo at Teatro Procópio Ferreira. It premiered in the four of March 2010, and it's being produced until the end of May.[17] The play is titled "Gorda" (literally 'Fat Woman'). It is directed by the Argentinian Daniel Veronese, which also staged this version of the play for two years in Buenos Aires, Argentina.[17]

The play is set in Brazil, with the characters' names adapted accordingly. Helen (played by Fabiana Karla) became Helena; Tom became Tony (played by Michel Bercovitch, nominated for the Shell award for his performance in this play).[18] Carter, played by Mouhamed Harchouf became Caco and Jeannie became Joana played by Flávia Rubim. This same play was previously presented in Rio de Janeiro with the same cast.

Fat Pig made its Asian premiere at Hong Kong Cultural Centre Studio from August 20, 2010, to August 29, 2010. It was translated by Chong Mui-Ngam and directed by Wong Long-Bun. Four young local actors were cast in the lead roles.[19]

Plutonium Playhouse's production ran November 18–21, 2010, as part of its Sex Festival program.[20] The play was directed by Natasha MacLellan, and starred Michael McPhee as Tom, Jessica Barry as Helen, Matthew Lumley as Carter and Stacy Smith as Jeannie. McPhee, Barry, and Lumley were all nominated for Robert Merritt Awards for the well-received production.[21]

Josh Hamilton as Tom, HeatherJane Rolff as Helen, Dane Cook as Carter, and Julia Stiles as Jeannie was scheduled to star in a production at the Belasco Theatre on April 12, 2011, in previews and officially on April 26, 2011. This would have marked the Broadway directorial debut of Labute as well.[22][23] However, before the show began it was postponed for financial reasons, with intent to reschedule it for the 2011-12 season instead.[24]

In February 2013, Melbourne production company Lab Kelpie Productions announced it would produce the play from October 8–20, 2013, at Chapel Off Chapel in Melbourne. Daniel Frederiksen has been attached to direct with Lyall Brooks and Lulu McClatchy in the title roles of Tom and Helen.