Little Fat Attitude and its Consequences in Aurora Theatre’s Fat Pig

Hefty Helen (Liliane Klein) in Neil LaBute’s play Fat Pig (directed by Barbara Damashek) at Aurora Theatre in Berkeley recalls how she was bullied in school because of her weight. Perhaps, with the next generation of medically obese children entering the national school system, the problem will eventually go away on its own. As it stands now, “big-boned” people are still considered “different” in cities like New York and San Francisco (or Berkeley) where the majority of playwrights reside and work, and where the locals still go see plays other than their neighborhood church Nativity/Passion shows. Helen is forced to deal with her “relationship with food” problem and to suffer abuse precisely because she lives in “A big city near the ocean,” however, in a much more forgiving inland environment she would have never met Tom (Jud Williford) – her first true love – an office paper pusher who watches his spinach and opportunistically sleeps with a coworker. The playwright insists that his story is about human weakness, and that the central character whose weakness is being studied here is Tom. He is torn between his strong sexual desire for Helen and his weak opposition to peer pressure. The latter is provided right at his workplace by his cynical cubicle friend Carter (Peter Ruocco) and his semi-former lover, accountant Jeannie (Alexandra Creighton). Both of them attack his dating choice for different reasons, and despite the fact that he finds Helen not only physically attractive, but rather smart, witty, and a kindred spirit with tastes similar to his own, he seems to listen too carefully to his co-workers mean remarks. Here the viewers are supposed to suspend their disbelief. Their own life experience might tell them that people do not easily sway away from those who readily provide sexual satisfaction and emotional comfort, but then there would be no play. Onstage, Tom is telling his lover that he could spend all day in her bed, just hanging out, watching old movies, and being comfortable, but the viewers are clued on his reluctance to bring Helen out in the open and introduce her to his judgmental friends. Eventually, though, he would be forced to do that… As was the case with all previous plays by LaBute, Fat Pig enjoyed such success with Aurora viewers that its run has been extended through Sunday, Dec. 13. Don’t miss the chance to see it and be the judge yourself. 2081 Addison Street, Berkeley. Tickets by phone 510-843-4822 or at auroratheatre.org. Photo courtesy Aurora Theatre.