Fat Ham | Cleveland Play House | 216-400-7000 (2025)

February 1 - 23, 2025, Allen Theatre

written by James Ijames
directed by Nathan Henry

Advisory: Mature adult language, sexual and descriptive language, stage haze/fog, flashing light effects, violence, alcohol consumption, drug use, body dysmorphia, homophobic and racial slurs. Recommended for ages 14+.

Mell-Vonti Bowens, Jr.

(Larry) Graduate of Baldwin Wallace Universities BFA Acting Program. Recently appeared as Tham the Brave in North: the Musical in the 12 city West Coast National Tour and in Little Shop of Horrors as Audrey II at The Garden Theatre in Winter Garden, Florida. Mell-Vonti’s Cleveland credits include; Lucas more

Ananias J. Dixon

(Juicy) is an actor, director, coach, arts educator, Education Content Production Coordinator at Playhouse Square and Co-founder and executive Director of DOC Studios. Theater credits include: Sweat, Two trains Running, and Lyon’s Den (Pittsburgh Public Theatre); Kill Move Paradice, Skeleton Crew, Sunset Baby, The Effect, An Octoroon (Dobama Theatre); more

Tanesha Gary

(Tedra) (she/her) is excited to make her Cleveland Play House debut with this production. She’s a Chicago native that resides in NY. She’s an actor, musician, recording artist and lover of life. Some of her theatre credits are Caroline, or Change at Eugene O’Neill Theatre, La Cage Aux Folles more

Shunté Lofton

(Opal) is very excited to be returning to Cleveland Play House! She is a recent graduate of the CWRU/CPH MFA Acting Program. Her previous Cleveland credits include: Jane Bennet (Pride and Prejudice), Countess Johanna Von Strack (Amadeus), Prospera (The Tempest), Lucrece (The Liar), Death (Everybody), and F (Passage). more

Paul Oakley Stovall

(Pap/Rev) is making his Cleveland Play House debut. Broadway: A Strange Loop (co-producer; Tony award). Tours: Hamilton (1st National; George Washington), Rent, Once on this Island. Regional: Twelfth Night (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre; Malvolio; Je nomination), Angels in America I and II (KC Rep; Belize; dir. David Cromer), Goodman, Steppenwolf, more

Brenden Peifer

(Tio) is thrilled to make his Cleveland Play House debut in this production of Fat Ham. He has been a regular on Pittsburgh regional stages, and most recently appeared in Skeleton Crew (Dez) and American Buffalo (Bobby) at barebones productions. At the Pittsburgh Public Theatre, credits include A more

Mariama Whyte

(Rabby) is very excited to return to Cleveland Play House in?Fat Ham. A multi-hyphenate artist, Mariama’s CPH credits include appearances in Light it Up!, The Amen Corner, The Price of the Ticket, The Nolan Williams Project, In The Groove and Over The Top, and Inspiring Resolutions. She has performed more

Brianna Miller

(U/S Opal) graduated from Earlham College with a Bachelor's in Theatre Arts in 2021. Since then she has made appearances on several regional stages. Some of her favorite roles include Gwendolyn in The Importance of Being Earnest (Santa Cruz Shakespeare), Camae in The Mountaintop (Uptown Performing Arts Center), Millie more

Mary-Francis R. Miller

(U/S Tedra and Rabby) is an actor, vocalist, musician, and proud Cleveland native. Mary-Francis was a member of the Cleveland Orchestra Chorus and Chamber Chorus. Performance credits include the Karamu House production of Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida, the Cleveland Public Theatre productions of Fire on the Water more

Geoff Short

(U/S Pap/Rev) Geoff is thrilled to be working with the Fat Ham team, his first show at CPH since coming back home to Cleveland after directing and performing in South Florida for the past 10 years. He last appeared as Mitch Mahoney in Cain Park’s 2024 production of The more

Marvis Stevens

(U/S Juicy, Larry) (he/they) is a junior BWMT from Maple Grove, Minnesota, and is extremely excited to be joining the cast of Fat Ham. He has been performing in musicals, showcases, plays, and more for the past six years. Recently, he’s been featured as Mr. Black (The Wild Party), more

Nathan Henry

(Director) has worked as a professional director, producer, and actor for over 20 years. Notable director credits include?the regional premiere of James Ijames’?Kill Move Paradise?at Dobama Theatre;?the world premiere of Nina Domingue’s?The Absolutely Amazing and True Adventures of Miss Joan Southgate?at Cleveland Public Theatre; the Cleveland professional premiere of more

Shaun Motley

(Scenic Designer) Shaun is very excited to work at Cleveland Play House and work with director, Nathan Lilly on Fat Ham. Some of his theater credits include The Jonah People world premiere at Nashville Symphony; Nina Simone: Four Women (KC Rep and Milwaukee Rep); Seven Guitars (Milwaukee Rep and more

Yvonne L. Miranda

(Costume Designer) is excited to make her debut at Cleveland Play House. A United States Marine Corps war veteran who hales from the state of Texas & now resides in Chicago, IL. She is a nominee of the 2022 Helen Hayes Award for Best Costume Design for her work more

Erica Lauren Maholmes

(Lighting Designer) (she/her) is a Kansas City-based USA829 lighting designer. She recently designed Pride and Prejudice and was a Lighting Apprentice at CPH for the 2019/2020 Season (Into The Breeches, Pipeline, Clue, Merchant of Venice, Getting Near To Baby, Every Brilliant Thing, A Christmas Story). She made her Broadway more

Derek A. Graham

(Sound Designer) (he/him) is a sound designer, audio engineer, and composer based in Raleigh, NC. Recent CPH credits include What the Constitution Means to Me (Sound Designer) and Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein (Composer); Recent regional designs include TYT 5 (Sacred Fools Theater Company); Fat Ham; They Do Not Know Harlem more

Rueben D. Echoles

(Wig Designer) (he/him) Rueben is an accomplished playwright, director, choreographer, illustrator, costume and wig designer. He has had the pleasure of working with many theater companies across the country and in the Chicagoland area such as ETA, Black Ensemble, Mmpact, Congo Square, Refuge, Porchlight Music Theater, Drury Lane Oakbrook, more

Jailyn Sherrell Harris

(Associate Director and Choreographer) is a Cleveland native, graduated from Bowling Green State University with a BA in Theatre and a minor in Dance. She has performed in film, festivals, arenas, and theaters across Northeast Ohio, with credits at Dobama Theatre, Ohio Shakespeare Festival, and Karamu House. Notably, she more

Nina Domingue

(Production Dramaturg & Intimacy Coordinator) is a Black Woman, Griot, Actor, Playwright, Director, Cultural Memory Worker, #NOLAGirl4Life, Teaching Artist, and Intimacy Advocate pursuing Choreographic certification, ever-becoming. She writes in the tradition of those women who explore the interior lives of Black women with love, curiosity, and wonder. Nina has more

Colleen Longshaw Jackson

(Musical Director) is no stranger to Cleveland Play House and is excited to be working on another show for the Allen Stage with an amazing group of artists. Colleen is currently the Chief Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Officer for the City of Shaker Heights. While doing this important work more