Fat Pig Monologue

The Carroll Players performed the American play, Fat Pig, by playwright Neil LaBute, at Carroll University’s Otteson Studio Theatre, on Saturday, October 24, 2015. Two performances were scheduled (2:00 PM and 7:00 PM), and I attended the earlier show. The simple romantic relationship plot of “boy-meets-girl and they fall in love” cleverly twisted into comedic satire, as “the girl” is a pretty, plus-size librarian and “the boy” is a handsome, physically-fit professional man living in a big city. The play’s director, Ryan Albrechtson, theatre arts major senior, captured the plot’s irony. Fat Pig was inspired, to some extent, by LaBute’s experimentation with the Atkins low carb diet and weight loss plan...losing approximately 60-pounds to

However, the actor portraying Carter, the self-absorbed best friend of Tom Carter, played the prime antagonist to perfection. This guy deeply believes only slender and trim women are attractive; therefore, he, without any type of self-imposed censorship, openly and freely offers his feelings and criticism of Helen, as he cannot relate to anyone being able to love someone who is obese. Carter constantly teases Tom about his affair with Helen. However, in one of the acts, Carter admits to Tom how he made a scene where he belittled his mother due to her obesity; and, he conveys that beneath all of his rudeness he is an unhappy and dissatisfied guy. In fact, Carter is the one who gives Tom the best advice, “Do what you want. If you like this girl, then don't listen to a goddamn word anybody says” (Bradford paragraph

As the play progresses, however, it becomes obvious that Tom deliberating chooses not to introduce Helen to his friends/co-workers; and, it seems apparent that he would be embarrassed to have these people know that he is seeing someone who is overweight. In fact, their dates appear to be secretive in nature. Tom’s own self-consciousness comes to the forefront at the company picnic (final scene). Now, there is no doubt that Tom is embarrassed by Helen’s weight...especially after seeing and speaking with Jeannie, dressed in a bikini, who tells him that she is now dating Carter. Tom is confronted with the sad fact that “appearances” mean too much to him. Therefore, there is no happy ending to this play. Tom is too paranoid and worried about what other people think, and apparently cannot “grow a backbone” and ignore any criticism, and put Helen’s feelings before his character