Vulnerable and Realistic, HEAVY Explores Obesity in the US
Chorus of Fools co-founder, playwright, and performer Eric Satterfield presents his latest play, Heavy, an exploration of obesity and the myriad social, economsic, physical, and mental health considerations that accompany the subject. Directed and performed with frank honesty and awareness of the potentially triggering material, the play mostly succeeds, with strong characters and raw, honest emotions drawing the audience into the story.
At the encouragement of his concerned but loving daughter Aidy, Leo, a seriously overweight, middle-aged widower, shows up for his first Overeaters Anonymous meeting – and he’s immediately underwhelmed by the group and the celery stick snacks. Just as he’s planning to sneak out, Gabby, a vivacious woman about his age, walks in and stirs up sensations that Leo hasn’t felt since before his wife’s death. The two sneak out of the meeting for ice cream and begin a heady romance. Despite objections from Aidy and Gabby’s mother, the couple’s relationship quickly turns serious. Until Leo’s habit of snooping into other people’s phone messages collides with Gabby’s side-hustle during a weekend getaway and Leo abandons Gabby at the hotel. When Leo’s health takes a turn for the worse, Aidy and Gabby are left to mend fences and pick up the pieces, ensuring the play ends on a kind and hopeful note.
Director Nikki Pilato guides the story with a fearless but sensitive approach to the themes presented, helping the performers to create fully realized and believable characters rather than leaning into stereotypes and tropes. Satterfield and LaWanda Jackson, as Leo and Gabby, are a well-matched and complimentary pair, and the performers’ willingness to delve into uncomfortable situations and raw emotions adds depth and relatability to their characters. Satterfield’s often over-accommodating, lost puppy tendencies are smartly countered by Jackson’s confidence, take-charge attitude and open, friendly personality, ensuring that neither character becomes a plus-sized caricature. Moira Healy shows Aidy’s growth and deepening understanding, transitioning from a critical teen to an empathetic and kind young adult in a very believable personal arc. Rhonda Cropp is, frankly, terrifying as the judgmental, chain-smoking Mama, demeaning and criticizing her children in ways that stick with Gabby well beyond her mother’s last breath. Andre Eslamian rounds out the cast as Chad, Gabby’s nurturing and sympathetic brother. A gay man with his own painful memories of Mama, he provides unconditional love and support to his adoptive sister Gabby, as well as playing other minor characters, in a limited but genuine and warm performance.
Satterfield’s script, like the performances, is earnest and filled with details that help us understand and empathize with the central characters as individuals. The issue is that there’s too much tell and not enough show in the two act play. The audience spends too much time watching monologues that could be scenes, which can be exhausting. During several monologues other characters relevant to the dialogue stand in tableau or appear in projected video that could become scenes. Satterfield does a good job of developing action while progressing the story in Mama and Chad’s scenes, creating circumstances and conversations that Pilato and the cast can bring to life. Why then pull us out of the show with Gabby, Leo, and even Aidy delivering long monologues? With a bit of editing and dialogue, these moments can be better scenes. The other consideration, particularly with a show like Heavy, is that the monologues begin to feel a bit preachy rather than adding depth and nuance to the controversial subject of obesity in the United States.
Chorus of Fools is to be commended for its commitment to developing new, relevant work such as Heavy. The show’s simple but effective set design and proximity to the audience create a sense of intimacy for Satterfield’s drama, which, while flawed, is topical, compelling, and deeply personal. Mature audiences who appreciate shows that offer a realistic take on contemporary issues will appreciate the resonant and well-portrayed story – a round of thoughtful edits may improve the script by adding energy and action, which may also help the insightful play reach a broader audience. Vulnerable and realistic, HEAVY explores obesity in the US
