Any notion that beauty lies within is quickly disproved in Fat Pig, a play about an average boy who falls in love with a not-so-average girl. Tom’s love for Helen is tempered when his friends and coworkers ridicule him for dating a woman who is conspicuously overweight. Engaged in a socially faux-pas relationship, Tom must decide whether it is a battle worth fighting.
“Playing Tom has allowed me to re-examine past relationships and evaluate whether my own choices were really based on what I felt or what I thought others might think,” says Tim Diamond, who attended Dawson College in Westmount.
Director Joe Garque also attended Dawson and selected Fat Pig because he believes the message of acknowledging difference is relevant in today’s socially diverse societies. The play does not purport to offer any solutions, but rather brings the issue of difference to the forefront for audience members to examine.
“In spite of the new world acceptance that includes gay relationships, equal rights and religious freedoms, many people still cling to conventional and archaic mindsets,” says Garque. “People can be scared of ‘different.’”
For actress Emma Lanza, playing Helen was a cathartic experience, a lesson on accepting and finding comfort in her appearance. She admits that when growing up, fitting in was no easy task.
“I went to Westmount High, and wasn’t particularly popular and unfortunately my size had something to do with it,” says Lanza. “Being Helen is not something you go into lightly because your body is being picked apart, but it’s opened my eyes and made me more confident.”
Questioning what is beautiful in a society saturated with Hollywood ideals of perfection provides no clear-cut answer. When personal desires and societal expectations conflict, Fat Pig serves as a reminder to address stereotypes and snap judgments. With emotionally captivating performances, instances of comedic relief, and a candid storyline, the play is anticipated to expand Montreal theater-going audiences.
Will Tom’s affection for Helen prevail or demonstrate yet another instance that love is truly not blind, in a world where image is everything?
· Fat Pig plays at Theatre Ste. Catherine, 264 Ste. Catherine St. East, from Sept. 8 to 18. Tickets are $17 regular, $15 students/seniors, and $13 groups. Two-for-one: Sat. matinee Sept. 11 only, and Tuesday, Sept. 14 Reservations: 514 284-3939 or www.throughline.ca
