Livin' Fat

David Lee Carter, the college-educated son of a Southern black family, is working his janitorial job at a bank when the bank is robbed. David snags a stack of cash during the chaos of the holdup. His god-fearing parents beg him to return the money and turn himself in. But his grandma, Big Mama, argues in favor of lavishing in their newfound wealth, proclaiming that “Livin’ fat is merely Black folks enjoying what the White folks been enjoyin’ all they lives.” Hijinks ensue as David tries to please his parents while still holding onto the bills.

The play was written by Mason as a 19-year-old and produced at Grambling State University in 1976. It received a production by Houston’s Ensemble Theatre in 2009.