Tom, played by Trey Tycer, is put in a tight spot when his on-off girlfriend Jeannie,
played by Kayla Hill, discovers he’s fallen in love with someone else.
The Lion's Roar / Emily Stephan
 

“Fat Pig,” a play by Neil LaBute, chronicles the romance between a young professional, Tom and a librarian, Helen. Though the two characters are deeply enamored of each other, their relationship is put into jeopardy when Tom’s colleagues give him a hard time due to Helen’s heavy size.

The director of the production, Veronica Gutierrez, is not new to the world of theater. Having made her directorial debut last fall, Gutierrez is returning to the position. However, this time she has a personal connection to the play.

“I was approached by the faculty and asked if I would like to direct again,” said Gutierrez. “They gave me some time to come up with a few different shows, so what ended up happening was I came up with some plays, ‘Fat Pig’ being among those, and they felt strongly about the vision that I had for it, so it was inevitable that it would be what I put on. Many things drew me to it. Besides the writing and how natural it is, it speaks to me on a personal level from Helen’s stand point on love and just how difficult it is for women when there’s such a high standard for what women are supposed to look like.”

Though this is not her first time directing, this production provided Gutierrez with several new challenges.

“I directed around this time last year for the first time. It was difficult, but also exhilarating,” said Gutierrez. “It’s much more difficult this time around. It’s also been a learning experience for me because I’ve only done comedy, and this is more of a serio-comedy. The play has funny moments and it’s witty, but it touches on such a sensitive subject matter.”

There are occasions in the theatre where roles meant for actors of a certain gender are altered due to the needs of the production. For ‘Fat Pig,’ Gutierrez had one of the supporting characters changed from a heterosexual male to a lesbian.

“It’s been tough having Carter as a female when the role is written for a male,” said Gutierrez. “The person who stood out the most for this role was Jaimee Rome, and I had to have her. I was worried about having Carter as a lesbian, whether it would read well, but it ended up being the most natural thing. You would never guess Carter is supposed to be male if you haven’t read the script.”

In general, the cast of the production comes from different levels of experience in the theater, not all of it involving acting.

“I have four actors, two who are well-seasoned on the stage, one who was with us last year and now at LSU, and a first-time debuting actress as Helen, who had previously been on the stage management side of production,” said Gutierrez. “So they’re all from different levels of acting and having an elevated standard as well is intimidating for me, a relatively new director.”

Gutierrez hopes the show will inspire heightened tolerance and understanding in the audience.

“If there was one thing I would want them to take away, it would be to be more accepting,” said Gutierrez. “Someone else’s love life or personal life shouldn’t be interrupted just because it makes you uncomfortable. Tom genuinely loves this woman and she clearly loves him back without question, and to see that he can be swayed by the words of his colleagues who tell him not to ‘settle’ for someone who’s not conventionally attractive is completely disturbing to me. Are you happy? Then that’s all you need.”

‘Fat Pig’ runs from Tuesday to Friday this week. Each show starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Vonnie Borden Theatre in D Vickers.

Helen, played by Lydia Caballero, is the intelligent and witty woman
who wins Tom's attention.
The Lion's Roar / Emily Stephan