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S2 E7

Episode 7

Season 2 Episode 7

"Fat Ham: Food for My Soul"

In this seventh Episode of Public Square 2.0, the re-launch of The Public Theater’s podcast, Public Square, we take a look at James Ijames' Pulitzer Prize-winning play, FAT HAM. After its wildly successful onstage premiere at The Public Theater in 2022, Fat Ham transferred to Broadway with its entire cast from The Public, where it is currently running and has been nominated for several Tony Awards. Host Garlia Cornelia Jones speaks with Saheem Ali (Director), Marcel Spears (Juicy), Nikki Crawford (Tedra), and Benja K. Thomas (Rabby) to talk about the Hamlet-inspired production.

Executive Producer: Garlia Cornelia Jones, Director - Innovation and New Media

Creative Producer: John Sloan III, Ghostlight Productions
Audio Producer: Justin K. Sloan, Ghostlight Productions
Assistant Producer: Emily White - New Media Associate

Graphics by Tam Shell, Art Director - Brand Studio

Music Credits:

"Baby I'm Stuck In a Cone " by Ge Filter Fish, Artlist.io
"Latte" by Sunny Fruit, Artlist.io
"Belong to You" by Denitia,  Artlist.io
"This Is the Life" by Yuval Maayan, Artlist.io
"Beatrix" by Notize, Artlist.io

 Transcript by 3Play

Episode 7 Transcript

GUESTS.

Image of Saheem Ali

Saheem Ali

Director

Image of Marcel Spears

Marcel Spears

Juicy

Image of Nikki Crawford

Nikki Crawford

Tedra

Image of Benja K. Thomas

Benja K. Thomas

Rabby

PODCAST TEAM.

Image of Garlia Cornelia Jones

Garlia Cornelia Jones

Executive Producer/Host

Garlia is a writer, producer, photographer and mother from Detroit, MI.  In 2008, Garlia founded Blackboard Plays, a monthly series devoted to Black Playwrights.  She is one of the founding producers of Harlem9, OBIE Award winners for, “48Hours in…™Harlem”.  Her Essays and articles have appeared in "The New York Times", "The Washington Post”, "Salon.com" and “American Theatre”.  Her work as a playwright has been supported by the cell, The Fire This Time Festival and #24viralmonologues.   She was a guest artist at Wayne State University 2020-2021, where she also taught a Playwrighting Workshop for MFA Actors.   She worked on an MA in African American and African Diaspora studies at Indiana University before coming to New York for her MFA in Playwrighting which she earned at The New School for Drama. Garlia is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.  She is the Producing Director of PAAL, where she also received one of their first childcare grants in 2019. Finally, Garlia was a Line Producer at The Public Theater, working on: “Socrates”, “Much Ado About Nothing”, (filmed for Great Performances on PBS), “Mojada”,  “for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enough, “Coal Country”, “The Visitor”.  She was also the Line Producer for Mobile Unit’s Summer of Joy, Shakespeare: Call and Response - August 2021.  Garlia was the Co-Creative Producer of #ToBeBlack, released on Juneteenth 2020 and Co-Producer of “Forward Together” a Virtual event, in support of The Public.  During the Fall of 2020, Garlia was the co-developer and Curator of the #Saytheirnames projection installation.  In April 2022, Garlia was promoted to the first ever Director of Innovation and New Media at The Public.  Outside of New York, Garlia is the Senior Creative Producer for the Obsidian Theatre Festival in Detroit, MI. Finally, she is the Executive Producer of the Black Motherhood and Parenting New Play Festival (#BMPFest), a festival focused on the stories of Black families from Black artists with families.  #BMPFest just completed its 2nd year!

Image of John Sloan III

John Sloan III

Creative Producer/Video Editor/Co-Script Writer

is a Detroit based arts professional and community organizer.  Sloan is the lead organizer for Black Lives Matter Detroit, and Director of Operations, The Detroit Safety Team. BFA, Musical Theatre Performance, The University of Michigan. Sloan spent over fourteen years working in New York, LA, several regional theatres, and on the national tour of Disney’s The Lion King.  He is the Founding CEO/Artistic Director of GhostLight Creative Productions, and Producing Artistic Director of The Obsidian Theatre Festival, a Detroit based festival focusing on Black stories, now in its 3rd year. He serves as the Film Producer for the Black Motherhood and Parenting New Play Festival.  Recent Composer and Lyricist credits include Hastings Street and #24viralmonologues. Recent Director Credits: Gem of the Ocean, Detroit Repertory Theatre., Passing Strange, Detroit Public Theatre and Flint Rep, New Works Festival 2023.

Image of Justin K. Sloan

Justin K. Sloan

Audio Producer

(don't forget the K.) is a Brooklyn based Post Audio Mixer & Sound Designer with over a decade of experience in multiple formats.  Originally from Metro Detroit & with a background in music recording, video editing, and producing, he understands the full post-production process and works to create high quality mixes that enhance and guide the visual content.  Some recent work includes, The Obsidian Theatre Festival (2022), Turning Tables w/ Robin Roberts (S2, Disney+), Firebrand ('23 Short Film), PublicSquare2.0 Podcast ('23 The Public Theater NYC) www.JustinKSloan.com

Image of Emily White

Emily White

Assistant Producer

is currently the Editorial Manager at New York City Center. New work dramaturgy: Coal Country (The Public Theater); Little Black Book; White Rose: the Musical; Poupelle of Chimney Town the Musical; Van Gogh; etc. Production dramaturgy: Pippin (Reagle Music Theatre), HAIR (New Rep); Kiss of the Spider Woman (Lyric Stage); In the Heights (Wheelock Family Theater); Cabaret, Barnum, The Wild Party (Moonbox Productions); The Roaring Girl (Theater Row); NOMI (Theater on Fire). Her writing is published on HowlRound Theatre Commons. Member, Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas. Awards: LMDA/KCACTF Dramaturgy Regional and Program Note Awards. BA, Emerson College.

PODCAST TEAM.

Image of Garlia Cornelia Jones

Garlia Cornelia Jones

Executive Producer/Host

Garlia is a writer, producer, photographer and mother from Detroit, MI.  In 2008, Garlia founded Blackboard Plays, a monthly series devoted to Black Playwrights.  She is one of the founding producers of Harlem9, OBIE Award winners for, “48Hours in…™Harlem”.  Her Essays and articles have appeared in "The New York Times", "The Washington Post”, "Salon.com" and “American Theatre”.  Her work as a playwright has been supported by the cell, The Fire This Time Festival and #24viralmonologues.   She was a guest artist at Wayne State University 2020-2021, where she also taught a Playwrighting Workshop for MFA Actors.   She worked on an MA in African American and African Diaspora studies at Indiana University before coming to New York for her MFA in Playwrighting which she earned at The New School for Drama. Garlia is a member of the Dramatists Guild of America.  She is the Producing Director of PAAL, where she also received one of their first childcare grants in 2019. Finally, Garlia was a Line Producer at The Public Theater, working on: “Socrates”, “Much Ado About Nothing”, (filmed for Great Performances on PBS), “Mojada”,  “for colored girls who have considered suicide when the rainbow is enough, “Coal Country”, “The Visitor”.  She was also the Line Producer for Mobile Unit’s Summer of Joy, Shakespeare: Call and Response - August 2021.  Garlia was the Co-Creative Producer of #ToBeBlack, released on Juneteenth 2020 and Co-Producer of “Forward Together” a Virtual event, in support of The Public.  During the Fall of 2020, Garlia was the co-developer and Curator of the #Saytheirnames projection installation.  In April 2022, Garlia was promoted to the first ever Director of Innovation and New Media at The Public.  Outside of New York, Garlia is the Senior Creative Producer for the Obsidian Theatre Festival in Detroit, MI. Finally, she is the Executive Producer of the Black Motherhood and Parenting New Play Festival (#BMPFest), a festival focused on the stories of Black families from Black artists with families.  #BMPFest just completed its 2nd year!

Image of John Sloan III

John Sloan III

Creative Producer/Video Editor/Co-Script Writer

is a Detroit based arts professional and community organizer.  Sloan is the lead organizer for Black Lives Matter Detroit, and Director of Operations, The Detroit Safety Team. BFA, Musical Theatre Performance, The University of Michigan. Sloan spent over fourteen years working in New York, LA, several regional theatres, and on the national tour of Disney’s The Lion King.  He is the Founding CEO/Artistic Director of GhostLight Creative Productions, and Producing Artistic Director of The Obsidian Theatre Festival, a Detroit based festival focusing on Black stories, now in its 3rd year. He serves as the Film Producer for the Black Motherhood and Parenting New Play Festival.  Recent Composer and Lyricist credits include Hastings Street and #24viralmonologues. Recent Director Credits: Gem of the Ocean, Detroit Repertory Theatre., Passing Strange, Detroit Public Theatre and Flint Rep, New Works Festival 2023.

Image of Justin K. Sloan

Justin K. Sloan

Audio Producer

(don't forget the K.) is a Brooklyn based Post Audio Mixer & Sound Designer with over a decade of experience in multiple formats.  Originally from Metro Detroit & with a background in music recording, video editing, and producing, he understands the full post-production process and works to create high quality mixes that enhance and guide the visual content.  Some recent work includes, The Obsidian Theatre Festival (2022), Turning Tables w/ Robin Roberts (S2, Disney+), Firebrand ('23 Short Film), PublicSquare2.0 Podcast ('23 The Public Theater NYC) www.JustinKSloan.com

Image of Emily White

Emily White

Assistant Producer

is currently the Editorial Manager at New York City Center. New work dramaturgy: Coal Country (The Public Theater); Little Black Book; White Rose: the Musical; Poupelle of Chimney Town the Musical; Van Gogh; etc. Production dramaturgy: Pippin (Reagle Music Theatre), HAIR (New Rep); Kiss of the Spider Woman (Lyric Stage); In the Heights (Wheelock Family Theater); Cabaret, Barnum, The Wild Party (Moonbox Productions); The Roaring Girl (Theater Row); NOMI (Theater on Fire). Her writing is published on HowlRound Theatre Commons. Member, Literary Managers and Dramaturgs of the Americas. Awards: LMDA/KCACTF Dramaturgy Regional and Program Note Awards. BA, Emerson College.