This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click
here.
Our June member drive is live: protect this resource!
Right now, we need your help during our short June member drive to keep the local news you read here every day going. This has been a challenging year, but with your help, we can get one step closer to closing our budget gap. Today, put a dollar value on the trustworthy reporting you rely on all year long. We can't hold those in power accountable and uplift voices from the community without your partnership.
'Miracle of the Pigs' photo by kpe II via LAist flickr pool
'Miracle of the Pigs' photo by kpe II via LAist flickr pool What does society really think when a fit, good-looking guy dates a heavy-set woman? Neil Labute certainly lets the audience know in his play Fat Pig, running tonight and tomorrow at 8 pm at the Repertory East Playhouse in Newhall.
It’s a boy-meets-girl story with a twist: comedy and light romance laced with vitriol. Tom (Shane Stevens) is the typical white-collar worker who falls for Helen (Joy Nash), though she’s far far removed from a size 6. He loves how Helen's comfortable with herself, accepting her own--and his--flaws.
But alas, the words “happily ever after”aren’t in Labute’s vernacular. Tom and Helen have the odds stacked against them, and are constantly reminded of this by his venomous co-workers. Carter (Tyler Brooks) is Labute’s archetypical misogynist who taunts Tom every chance he gets. Jeannie’s (Leslie Connelly) the scorned ex-girlfriend who unleashes her fury with choice four-letter words. She can’t understand why Tom finds Helen so attractive, when she’s ... fat.
Helen realizes that Tom keeps her away from his friends, and questions why. But she knows even when he gives her a non-answer. In the play's heart-wrenching ending scene, well-played by the leads, Helen offers to change for him, leading to an ending that isn't unexpected.
The production’s one major fault was its awkward staging and set design. The last scene takes place on a beach, and it’s distracting to see a desk, table and bed directly behind the leads. Maybe a black screen instead? But that aside, Fat Pig is worth the trip to the SCV. It makes us uncomfortable because as a society, we can be so damn judgmental, can’t we? (Like how many douchebags do you pick out in a crowded bar on Saturday night?)
And that's one of the marks of a good play: It makes us think far beyond the surface.
Fat Pig Rep East Playhouse 24266 Main St., Newhall Tonight and tomorrow at 8 pm
Every two years, Desert X presents site-specific outdoor installations throughout the Coachella Valley. Two Los Angeles artists have new work on display.
