Jar of Fat

by Seayoung Yim

Synopsis: In a fantastical fairytale world, two Korean American sisters are deemed too fat to fit in their family grave. Will the sisters’ close bond survive under the pressure of their community and fretful parents, who will spare no effort to get them tinier? Jar of Fat is an absurdist comedy that explores desire, ugliness, and beauty.

Content warning: fat shaming, fatphobia, body dysmorphia, and emotional...

Synopsis: In a fantastical fairytale world, two Korean American sisters are deemed too fat to fit in their family grave. Will the sisters’ close bond survive under the pressure of their community and fretful parents, who will spare no effort to get them tinier? Jar of Fat is an absurdist comedy that explores desire, ugliness, and beauty.

Content warning: fat shaming, fatphobia, body dysmorphia, and emotional and physical violence.

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Jar of Fat

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  • Mario Gomez: Jar of Fat by Seayoung Yim
    “

    Jar of Fat is a modern fairytale that addresses body image issues and fat phobia in our society. And while it does it from a specific cultural lens, its themes are so universal and resonant that it transcends any barriers. Jar of Fat is also a very funny, very weird, very poignant play that keeps us engaged through serious issues while still being a biting satire on unfettered capitalism, beauty standards, and organized religion. I keep thinking about it because of how it combines all of this and engages us in the process.

    Jar of Fat is a modern fairytale that addresses body image issues and fat phobia in our society. And while it does it from a specific cultural lens, its themes are so universal and resonant that it transcends any barriers. Jar of Fat is also a very funny, very weird, very poignant play that keeps us engaged through serious issues while still being a biting satire on unfettered capitalism, beauty standards, and organized religion. I keep thinking about it because of how it combines all of this and engages us in the process.

    ”
  • Brian Dang: Jar of Fat by Seayoung Yim
    “

    This play reminded me of why realism does not always tell the whole truth of our bodies -- in this absurdist comedy that weaves and expands into the interior lives of so many including toast and swans (!!!), the emotional toll of the violences (intimate and structural) the characters undergo felt so visceral and lived. And still in this play is room for gore and to laugh and scream and root for the sisters and hold each other a bit closer.

    This play reminded me of why realism does not always tell the whole truth of our bodies -- in this absurdist comedy that weaves and expands into the interior lives of so many including toast and swans (!!!), the emotional toll of the violences (intimate and structural) the characters undergo felt so visceral and lived. And still in this play is room for gore and to laugh and scream and root for the sisters and hold each other a bit closer.

    ”
  • Abraham Johnson: Jar of Fat by Seayoung Yim
    “

    I saw this play back in the 2020 Writing is Live Festival and 2 years later I'm still thinking about it. Heartbreaking, hilarious, brutal, campy, and fun. Watching Abilene and Clementine wrestle with the world around them until they turn towards each other? Wow. What's even more impressive is how much tension in this play is driven from a place of love-- violent love, absolutely-- but love that paints the world of the play with colors and textures that feel wholly unique. I don't know any other plays like this. I love this script dearly.

    I saw this play back in the 2020 Writing is Live Festival and 2 years later I'm still thinking about it. Heartbreaking, hilarious, brutal, campy, and fun. Watching Abilene and Clementine wrestle with the world around them until they turn towards each other? Wow. What's even more impressive is how much tension in this play is driven from a place of love-- violent love, absolutely-- but love that paints the world of the play with colors and textures that feel wholly unique. I don't know any other plays like this. I love this script dearly.

    ”
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