“Theatre Guild's 'Fat Pig' confronts notions of beauty - Dayton Daily News” plus 1 more

Theatre Guild's 'Fat Pig' confronts notions of beauty - Dayton Daily News

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By Meredith Moss, Staff Writer Updated 6:47 PM Thursday, February 17, 2011

DAYTON — "Fat pig" is just one of many slurs directed at Helen Bond — both behind her back and to her face.

"You get used to it," Helen assures Tom, the attractive young man she's just met at a lunch counter in the city.

But it's pretty obvious — both from the characters in the Dayton Theatre Guild's current production and from those who deal with issues of weight in real life — that no one ever gets used to the ugly name-calling.

Playwright Neil LaBute, who's had his own issues with weight, will direct "Fat Pig" on Broadway in April. It's part of his Beauty Trilogy that, according to local director Fran Pesche, deals with our culture's obsession with physical appearance and the conflict that ensues when the person we love doesn't meet society's definition of what's beautiful.

"The play deals with the negativity surrounding obesity in an age where thinness is idealized as beautiful," says Pesch. "When peers and society shun the object of our affection, are we strong enough to stand up for what we believe in?"

In the play, Tom falls for a bright, sexy and clever young woman who also happens to be plus-sized. Dating her isn't so simple when his friends and co-workers are continually chastising him about her weight. Can Tom come to terms with his own preconceptions of good looks? Does size matter?

Wendi Williams, who plays the female lead in the show, has been seen in a number of area productions at the Dayton Theatre Guild, Dayton Playhouse and Playhouse South. She's the public affairs coordinator for Cox Media Group Ohio and has been a morning anchor on WHIO Radio. She loves her character of Helen.

"She's very similar to me in many ways," says Williams. "She's confident and very funny and comfortable in her skin. She realizes she may not look like everyone else but has as much to offer as any other person."

In her own experience, Williams says that while people may be perfectly polite, they often tend to look at you differently when you're overweight. She and Helen differ, she adds, in that Helen is constantly making self-deprecating jokes about her weight, something Williams doesn't do.

"It's a defense mechanism," Williams says. "She's so afraid of people destroying her from the outside that what she doesn't get is that she's destroying herself from the inside."

An actress since the age of 15, Williams says living in the Miami Valley has allowed her — as a plus-size woman — to play a wide variety of roles, including romantic leads. That probably wouldn't have happened, she adds, in cities like New York or Los Angeles.

Like most American women, Williams says she's always been conscious of her weight.

"I look back now on college and high school and I was thin and didn't realize it," she says now. "I always thought I was heavy."

What can others gain from seeing "Fat Pig?"

"I want our audiences to be moved and to feel like they've learned something," Williams says. "I want them to feel uncomfortable because they'll see themselves in each character. We've all said or thought something about someone based on their appearance. I've done it, too. I think Helen does it, too."

In an ideal world, says Pesch, everyone would experience acceptance by others, fulfilling the human need to belong and fit in.

The play, she says, challenges all of us to think about what we can do to change society's concept of what's ideal and also asks us to think about how much we're willing to sacrifice to remain true to our own ideals.

"Health considerations aside, what I hope that women (and men) who are obese take away from this play is that although some might not view them as beautiful, they need to be true to themselves, to accept who they are," says Pesch. "Any change that affects their appearance should be a personal choice not dictated by society."

And the lesson for the audience?

"That alienating groups of people by appearance and causing them to be ashamed of who they are is cruel and ignorant."

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2440 or mmoss@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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Sideshow: The changing face of beauty - Philadelphia Daily News

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Posted on Thu, Feb. 17, 2011

Americans, it seems, are evolving. Even our concept of beauty has changed, says Allure magazine, citing a new survey. Of the 2,000 women and men surveyed, 85 percent said increased diversity has changed what people consider beautiful, and 64 percent said women of mixed race represent the epitome of beauty.

In '91, the mag found that Christie Brinkley's blond, slim, blue-eyed look was considered the ideal all-American beauty. Today, Angelina Jolie's combination of dark hair, pronounced features, and curvy body is the beauty benchmark.

Allure says 70 percent of women who want to change their hair color say they want it darker, and 74 percent of those surveyed said a curvier body type is more appealing now than it was 10 years ago. Which celebs are held up as ideals of beauty? Males include Brad Pitt, George Clooney, Tom Cruise, and Denzel Washington. Females, Halle Berry, Megan Fox, Beyoncé, and Jennifer Lopez.

Not crazy about working out

Speaking of beauty, Modern Family star Sofia Vergara doesn't enjoy the work it takes to keep her figure in check.

"I'm not crazy about working out. I do it because of my health and because I think I need to now that I'm aging," the 38-year-old native of Colombia tells People.

SV, who is shooting ads for Diet Pepsi, has a revolutionary attitude toward eating - moderation. "I have a sweet tooth so I have to control that, but on weekends, I eat whatever I want," she says. "My motto is, everything in moderation."

Cinema for Peace awards

Sean Penn and James Cameron were honored at the Cinema for Peace Gala 2011 in Berlin on Monday night.

Cameron was honored for his documentary short, A Message From Pandora, about an Avatar-ish battle between indigenous communities in Brazil and Big Corp. over the pending construction of what would be the world's third-largest hydroelectric dam in the Brazilian Amazon.

Penn was honored for his humanitarian work after the 2010 earthquake in Haiti.

Frankie Muniz, ex-child star, charged

Citing a police report, TMZ says former child star Frankie Muniz, 25, was apprehended Friday in Phoenix after an intense fight with gf Elycia Turnbow over the couple's "prior relationships."

Seems Muniz grabbed a handgun and put it to his head. He allegedly punched Turnbow and threw her against a wall. Both were charged with disorderly conduct.

A Muniz rep told UsMagazine.com Tuesday there was no gun. Muniz, the rep adds, "was not suicidal. [Turnbow] was not assaulted. They have been together since the incident."

Muniz starred in the TV series Malcolm in the Middle.

How 'bout the circus?

Alec Baldwin wants more space to breathe. He wants a chance to try his many talents in other fields. "I really do want to do other things," the actor tells Extra reporter and former Philly TV anchor Jerry Penacoli.

"I've been doing this nonstop for 32 years. . . . I'm one of those people, I've just worked and worked nonstop. And I would like to try something else for a while."

What's Alec's dream job? He says he'd consider a Keith Olbermann-ian job as a political commentator - or politics itself.

Asked about reports that Donald Trump may run for president, Alec said, "I don't think we need people to run the government like a business," adding, "I know Donald. He's a fun guy."

Lust, love, reproduction, divorce . . .

Tonya Harding's lawyer tells People that the 40-year-old former skating star is expecting her first child with husband Joseph Price

In their first appearance since announcing their divorce, Ashlee Simpson, 26, Pete Wentz, 31, and their child, Bronx, had lunch Monday at the Beverly Hills Hotel. Secret Sources tell People the meal was totally uneventful.

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Health and Beauty

Thursday, February 17, 2011