Jan 13, 2006  |  By: PATRICK FOLLIARD  | COMMENTS     

IT'S TRUE THAT in love opposites often do attract, but when that difference is a disparity in hotness can romance possibly prevail? 

With “Fat Pig,” famed playwright Neil LaBute (though probably more famous for the movie versions of "In the Company of Men" and "Your Friends & Neighbors") explores that query when Tom (Tyler Pierce), an in-shape, calorie-counting young professional falls hard for Helen (Kate Debelack), a very overweight young librarian.

Though not entirely unpredictable, LaBute’s conclusions are drawn with a mixture of evil humor and uneasy poignancy in his 2004 off-Broadway hit now making its regional premiere as part of Studio Theatre’s “LaBute Festival.”

The pair meet cute in a crowded restaurant. Working on her third slice of pizza, Helen offers Tom a spot at her café table. She flirts and teases about his light lunch. Tom is intrigued by this game and seemingly comfortable woman.

Overlooking her girth, he asks to see her again. A budding friendship grows into a dating situation.

From the start, Helen requests that Tom be truthful with her. Together the couple acknowledge that Tom is a work in progress, and in areas of honesty and forthrightness, he needs improvement: not too auspicious a beginning.

SMARTLY DIRECTED BY Paul Mullins, this intensely interesting 90-minute play unfolds as a series of scenes alternating between moments in Tom’s modern, hard-edged office (designed by Debra Booth) and his dates with Helen (a sushi restaurant, her bed), culminating with a company beach party.

At work Tom spars with wise-ass pal Carter (Jason Odell Williams), an avowed "hefty hater" to the core. Despite (or probably because) an expressed regret for having been unkind to his own fat mother of whom he was ashamed, Carter is merciless when it comes to Helen.

Like Anita to Maria in “West Side Story,” Carter strongly advises Tom to stick to his own kind — in other words, a girl who doesn’t sport plus sizes. According to Carter’s well thought out philosophy, fat women date fat and/or bald men. A young, successful guy with a full mane of dark hair and a flat stomach like Tom would be foolish to lavish his charms on a big girl like Helen, no matter how sweet her disposition.

Ever the instigator, sadistic Carter sweet talks a photo of Helen out of Tom’s hand and disseminates it throughout the office. With the identity of his mystery woman out, Tom says he cares for Helen and isn’t interested in what his peers think.

MORE HOSTILITY AT the office comes from the slim blonde and scorned person of Jeannie (Anne Bowles), Tom’s very recent ex who toils just down the hall in accounting. In frequent angry visits to Tom’s desk, Jeannie loudly relays her dismay that he would prefer a “fat bitch” to her, and goes so far as to suggest that Tom is simply seeing Helen to be offensive to her.

As Helen and Tom continue to date, mostly spending time at her place having sex and watching war movies, she begins to feel isolated, suspicious that Tom is hiding their relationship from the world. Her self-possessed posture is slowly folding.

In the title role, Debelack is excellent. Her pleading eyes and eager-to-please smile belie her character’s confident air. The rest of the cast is equally good.

In the final heart wrenching, well-acted scene on the beach, Helen is especially vulnerable. Clad in a carefully chosen red bandanna-patterned one piece, her size is made abundantly clear. It’s uncomfortable to see her compared to the fit Tom and Jeannie. Slowly but surely, the audience knows what’s coming. It’s here, of all places, where Tom finally decides to get honest.

While the play deals with a heterosexual relationship, easy parallels are drawn between size issues in the rest of society, including the notoriously body-conscious gay community.