For one night only on August 29, Essential Theatre presents Bridget McCarthy’s Fat Juliet.
A hopeful and painfully comic journey through love, loss, loneliness, purity culture, religious trauma, eating disorders and the death of a parent.
Audience Advisories: contains references to many challenging themes, including racism, loss of a parent, purity culture, and sexual assault. For a complete and specific content note, click here.
The performance runs approximately 70 minutes with no intermission.
Performance Schedule
One performance only!
Thursday, August 29, 7:30pm
From the Artist:
I couldn’t be more stoked! This play is a time capsule that I wrote nearly 10 years ago. I am excited to explore it again within this new world.
In The Press
“McCarthy’s energy and verve as a performer are fierce…She is funny and confrontational and her confidence inspires us…” — Keith Waits, Theatre Critic, Arts-Louisville.com”
Audience response:
What a Night of Laughter and Tears with Fat Juliet by Bridget McCarthy.
Tonight, Essential Theatre hosted a sold-out performance of Bridget McCarthy’s one-woman show, Fat Juliet as part of our silver anniversary festival and it was nothing short of spectacular.
For one night only, McCarthy took us on a poignant rollercoaster personal journey that was both hilariously comic and deeply moving.
Through her powerful storytelling, she navigated themes of love, loss, loneliness, and the complexities of purity culture, religious trauma, and eating disorders. Her portrayal of these heavy subjects was interwoven with moments of levity, creating a delicate balance that had the audience both laughing out loud and wiping away tears.
The emotional depth she brought to the stage was matched only by her ability to connect with every person in the room, making it an unforgettable experience.
Cast:
Bridget McCarthy
Artistic Team:
Playwright: Bridget McCarthy
Director: Lauren Morris
Assistant Director: Alejandra Ruiz
Dramaturg: Joey Davila
Meet the Playwright: Bridget McCarthy
Bridget is a multi-hyphenate theatre maker and currently serves as the Engagement and Education Director at Stage Door Theatre. Previous favorite credits include: Peter and the Starcatcher, Circle Mirror Transformation, Midsummer…Dream (Stage Door Theatre), Henry V, Much Ado about Nothing, Hamlet (Atlanta Shakespeare Company), The Little Prince (Synchronicity Theatre), Matilda (OnStage Atlanta). As a therapist and trauma informed theatre maker, Bridget has worked at the intersection of theatre and mental health with dozens of institutions and universities, including Shakespeare and Company, Alliance Theatre, Geva Theatre, Ensemble Theatre, Shakespeare Behind Bars, and many more. She has also worked with transformative justice focused nonprofits like Recovery Rising, Justice Arts Coalition, Connecticut Department of Corrections, Georgia Department of Corrections, and New Haven Housing Authority as an applied theatre facilitator creating original pieces of community engagement theatre. Finally, her solo show, Fat Juliet, has toured nationally and features Bridget’s love of stand up comedy, Shakespeare, and AC/DC.
In 2021, Bridget partnered with trauma therapist Amanda Edwards to pioneer the role of Mental Health Coordinator, co-founding the Association of Mental Health Coordinators. MHC is a new helping profession within the performing arts supporting responsible and compelling portrayal of mental health and challenging or traumatic themes. This includes individualized training, dramaturgy, assessment, cultural intervention, choreography, and crisis management. Within this role, Bridget has worked with Netflix, PassionFlix, Discovery, and many independent and student film projects as their inaugural Mental Health Coordinator.
Bridget holds a BA in Theatre and Spanish from Hope College, an MS in Clinical Counseling from New England College, and (as of summer 20204) is a candidate in Doctor of Behavioral Health program at Arizona State University. Additionally, Bridget holds certifications as a Trauma and Resilience Trainer (CTRT), a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist (CCTS), and is a Certified Mental Health First Aid instructor with the National Council for Behavioural Health. In 2020, they were recognized by Young Nonprofit Professionals of Atlanta as a member of their “30 Under 30” Cohort, and in 2024 named one of American Theatre Magazine’s “Theatre Workers to Watch”.
Outside of work, Bridget fills her life with hiking, stand up comedy, competitive powerlifting, farmers markets, and as a part-time personal assistant to her rescue pittie (Oberon). Connect at BridgetMcCarthy.net or @bridgetmccarthyishere on Instagram.
Content Note:
This play is about growing up and includes adult language, the acknowledgement of sexual acts,
This play contains mention of:
- Purity Culture
- Brief mention of sexual assault
- Brief mention of physical abuse of a minor
- Systemic racism and individual beliefs of white supremacy
This play contains DESCRIPTIONS OF:
- Death of a parent
- Religious Trauma
- Eating Disorders (with description of exercise based purging)
This play contains general themes of hope, love, loneliness, and family.
