Aishé Keita's Talks 'Fat Ham' and More on The Day With Trae
Photos by Susan Fried
Aishé Keita joined Trae Holiday on a recent segment of The Day With Trae to discuss her career, her work, and "Fat Ham," a Pulitzer Prize-winning theatrical production created by James Ijame currently being presented at Seattle Repertory Theatre. With a passion for storytelling ingrained in her since childhood, Keita's journey as an actress and storyteller has been deeply influenced by her own father's storytelling.
"My father was a storyteller. He would always tell me stories," Keita said, reminiscing about the African storytelling her father told her growing up. "I was fascinated by it, and I got into my first play when I was in kindergarten, and I've literally been doing it ever since."
Since beginning her profession, Keita has consistently gravitated toward productions that spotlight pertinent social issues, prompting audiences to examine the world around them.
"I've always done productions that push that boundary, and especially with 'Fat Ham' right now, I think there's something that is so beautiful about us creating Black joy and being in spaces in community where we are joyous," Kieta said. "We are finding ourselves again, finding love within ourselves, love within our communities, transforming ourselves, wanting to reach higher, and wanting to become better within ourselves and our communities. I think 'Fat Ham' is asking that question, and that's what we're asking outside of the play, too."
"For 'Fat Ham,' a nod to Shakespeare's 'Hamlet,' Keita expressed appreciation for her cast mates, recognizing their unwavering commitment to infusing the production with a captivating energy.
"It is a blessing, and [from] the first day of rehearsal till now, we walk in and just offer. We're always offering. We're always just willing to step into the character and then surrender to the work [from] since the very beginning and with ease and with a breath, and with graciousness," Kieta. "We're always watching out for each other. That's what I really love about this cast."
In addition, Keita emphasized the immersive nature of the show, promising audiences an interactive experience.
"The other cast member is really the audience. We need the audience in the show because it provides us with information [as] to what is the next moment going to be. There's a lot of moments where we directly talk to the audience as well in this show," Kieta said. "So, it's always about pulling the audience in and engaging with each other and the audience. So the feedback we get, like the loud and the laughter, it's all welcomed. It's all so powerful and inspires our performances to go deeper."
Aside from her current performance at the Seattle Rep, Kieta is excited to be exploring other aspects of her career.
"I really am inspired about bringing our African storytelling, like what my father taught me, back to the children so that they know," Kieta said. You can just remember those stories, and you can just dance in the street because you know those stories. Your family knows those stories. You grew up knowing those stories, so I want to do what my father did and bring it back to the community."
To see Kieta and the rest of the cast in Seattle Rep's production of Fat Ham, which runs until May 12th, secure your tickets by clicking here!
To stay update on other productions like this happening in Seattle, tune into Trae every weekday at 11 a.m. on all Converge Media platforms and The Day With Trae YouTube Channel.
