"Fat
Bitch!" A
One Woman Comedy by Southsider Erica Watson
Makes
Chicago
Debut in Limited Thanksgiving Holiday
2009 Run
Produced by NBA Champion, Charlotte
Bobcats
Center,
Chicago
Native Nazr Mohammed; Featuring
Autographed Sport Items Charity Raffle
Erica Watson - "big, bold and beautiful" actor, comedian,
director and commentator for the Oxygen Network and BET - returns to her
hometown Chicago with the solo show "Fat
Bitch!" This five-night
only run is a funny yet thought-provoking look
at how society's obsession with weight, race and class have formed the way the
world views her shape, and includes her interactions with men, from the
boardroom to the bedroom. Written
and performed by Watson as a hybrid of theatre and stand-up, "Fat
Bitch!" explores how black women and their bodies have always been
subjected to admiration and ridicule, and shares images of "Mammy" and
"Hottentot Venus." The production runs about 90 minutes without intermission,
and is for ages 18 and up (some limited profanity in show).
Through personal vignettes,
anecdotes and video clips, "Fat Bitch!" also offers a humorous
and honest glimpse at the American "fat and sassy" black woman stereotype. How these media images have impacted
Watson's self-esteem are covered - from PETA's recent "Save the Whales"
billboard campaign aimed at overweight women, to the current national "war on
obesity" and the recent controversy surrounding President Obama's nomination of
a plus-sized black woman for Surgeon General. Watson is a Columbia College Chicago
graduate, with a BA in Film and TV (1998), and a MA in Media Management (2005).
Influenced by the quick wit of Whoopi Goldberg, the
blunt comedic observations of Wanda Sykes, and the larger-than-life confidence
of Mo'Nique, Watson (who is in the upcoming film "Precious" with Mo'Nique, as
well as 2006's "Dirty Laundry" with Loretta Devine) creates a universal point of
view yet offers a new voice in comedy.
"Fat Bitch!" has been workshopped at
New York's "The Tank;" first during the Black Comedy Experiment in March 2008,
then in May 2009, and a pre-Chicago run from October 7-10, 2009.
"Fat
Bitch!" is being produced by NBA
champion,
Charlotte
Bobcats
Center, and
Chicago native
Nazr Mohammed, who Watson has known
since elementary school, when they lived next door in
Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood (blocks from President Obama's
house). Autographed sports
memorabilia from Mohammed (to be announced later; likely to include apparel and
Bulls/Bobcats tickets) will be raffled off at each of the five "Fat
Bitch!" shows to benefit organizations dealing with young people and
self-esteem. Detailed bios are
below.
WHERE:
Chicago Center for the Performing Arts, 777 N. Green
St.,
Chicago (handicapped access)
Some street parking one block west
of Halsted (off Chicago
Ave.)
$8 parking lot directly across
Green
Street next to Thalia restaurant
CTA
Buses - #66 Chicago and #8 Halsted.
CTA El - Red Line Chicago/State; Brown Line
Chicago/Franklin; Blue Line
Chicago/Milwaukee/Ogden
WHEN:
Opens
Thursday, November 19,
2009,
8
p.m. (reception
following)
Closes on Saturday,
November 28, 2009
Five shows only - 8 p.m. on November 19,
20, 21, 27 and
28
TICKETS: Publish this number: 312-733-6000, CCPA Box Office (open 12 noon to 8 p.m. Wednesday - Friday, Saturday 10 a.m. - 8
p.m., and 12 noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday)
http://theaterland.thundertix.com/events/1022/performances
$15 for all regular performances
$10 advanced
tickets purchased online
$10 for students and seniors
(with ID)
BIOS:
Born and raised in
Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood, with a BA and MA from Columbia College
Chicago, Erica Watson is an actor,
stand-up comedian at clubs around the country, and film/television
director. She is a
St.
Thomas the
Apostle Elementary
School alum
(where Bryant Gumbel and Steve Allen attended), as well as with The Chicago
Children's Choir and The Merit School of Music. In 2009, she will appear in the
Oprah Winfrey/Lee Daniels film "Precious," following starring in the feature
film "Dirty Laundry." Watson is
currently featured in two Gracie Award-winning commercials that she wrote for
the Oxygen Network called "Tresstify" and "Kiss & Tell;" as well as gigs
with MSG-TV. She has also been
featured on NBC's "Last Comic Standing," and was a commentator and pundit for
five Black Entertainment (BET) specials, including "They Like Me: BET Awards
Nominee Special" and "Top 12 BET Award Show Moments" (both in June 2009);
"Countdown to 2009: BET Year in Review" (December 2008); "I Wanna Thank My
Momma: BET Awards Nominee Special" (June 2008); "The Evolution of Mary J. Blige"
(March 2008); and "The Evolution of Jay-Z" (April 2008). Additionally, Watson is a recurring
politics and pop culture panelist on the BETJ talk show "My Two Cents;" and
director of the reality TV Series "My Model Looks Better Than Your Model" on the
BETJ Network.
Producer Nazr Mohammed, a
Chicago native, developed his basketball talent at
Kenwood Academy, and is an 11-year NBA veteran. Currently, he is a center with the NBA's
Charlotte Bobcats, and was a member of the 2005 NBA World Champion San Antonio
Spurs. He has also played with the
Philadelphia 76er's, Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks, and Detroit
Pistons. He went on to play with the University of Kentucky's 1996 and 1998
championship teams, before becoming a first round draft pick in
1998.
INFO:
Erica Watson, www.ericawatson.com
www.erica-watson.blogspot.com
twitter.com/EricaWatson
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