600-lb Man Finds Redemption in The Whale

Feb 26, 2018 —

600-lb Man Finds Redemption in The Whale

FCC Theatre’s Production Opens March 2

The Fresno City College Theatre Department presents The Whale, a play by Samuel D. Hunter, beginning Friday, March 2 and running two weekends in the FCC Theatre. The 2012 play is being directed by Charles Erven and features guest artist Brad Myers in the lead role.

The Whale, a play about redemption and reconciliation, will be performed March 2, 3, 8, 9, 10 at 7:30 p.m. and March 4, 9, 10 at 2:00 p.m. Tickets are $14 general, $12 students/staff/seniors and $8 each for groups. Purchase tickets in the Theatre Box Office: (559) 442-8221 or online at www.fresnocitycollege.edu/boxofficetickets

The story is about Charlie, a 600-pound man who is slowly eating himself to death. He’s a gay man who lost his partner many years ago and his grief has led him to this point. He decides he wants to reconnect with his daughter from a previous marriage who he hasn’t seen since she was a toddler. She comes to visit but it is not the happy reunion one might expect.

“There are a lot of issues about broken families, obesity, homosexuality, and religion,” says director Charles Erven. “There are powerful and emotional scenes of redemption and reconciliation. There’s a delicate kind of real quality to it that I think people will recognize,” he adds.

Brad Myers, a professor of theatre at California State University, Fresno, portrays Charlie. Erven says he asked Myers to be a part of the production because he know Myers “has a certain sensibility for the part, the way he approaches it, the way he understands it.” He says Myers has the technical acting skills needed in the part.

One standout feature will be Charlie’s costume, being constructed by costume designer Debra Erven. Making this “fat suit” was a challenge. It had to look real but has to be wearable. In order to keep the actor cool, Debra Erven added cooling packs. It takes two hours for Brad Myers to get into the costume.

There are five characters with one part being double cast:

Brad Myers (Charlie)

Claudio Laso (Elder Thomas)

Joshua Plowman (Elder Thomas)

Aleah Muniz (Liz)

Cat Evangelho (Ellie)

Bridget Manders Martin (Mary)

Ciara Montana (Ellie Understudy)

Award winning writer Samuel Hunter has had this play produced all over the world. It is his best produced play.

State Center Community College District

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