Is there fat in that? Most women (and some men) have wondered that to some degree during their lives, whether they are dieting, or just trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. For model and actress Ellen Domingos, it became an all-consuming obsession that nearly robbed her of her hopes, dreams and self-worth.

In the eyes of 8-year-old Domingos, a Portuguese-Irish girl growing up in Brunswick, the models alluringly staring back at her from magazines, ads and commercials had it all — beauty, glamour, fame and, most importantly, happiness. She longed to be just like them.

“Is There Fat in That?” chronicles her journey from small town girl to “super model” and actress in New York City. Written and performed by Domingos, the one-woman show cleverly weaves together stories from her life with songs primarily appropriated from a variety of Broadway musicals.

Domingos first debuted the production last February at the Good Theater. And, encouraged by a successful, sold-out run, she started fine-tuning the material, with plans of touring.

She is back once again at the Good Theater to try out her latest rendition of “Is There Fat in That?” and it’s well worth checking out. Domingos has refined the material, making subtle changes, reworking the song choices to further complement her stories and expanding on events to create an even more cohesive autobiography that is both entertaining and poignant.

A one-woman show about a woman trapped on a roller coaster of self-destructive behavior may not sound like a laughing matter. And, at the heart of the production, it isn’t. As the performance begins to wind down and Domingos shares with the audience heartbreaking, intimate details of her eating disorders, the audience can feel her pain as she recalls hitting rock bottom. And the weight of her message hangs in the air.

Domingos has persevered, though, and her wit and spunk burn bright in this production. The engaging performer has a knack of finding the humor in situations, and the audience can’t help but laugh as she recounts tales of crazy beauty pageant mothers and being kissed for the first time at age 14 by a 30-year-old gay man in “The Sound of Music.”

Domingos even manages to ruefully garner laughter with more serious stories such as lying about her heritage to get a modeling job as a Mexican model for a Latino magazine and ultimately getting fired from her job as a Levi Strauss model because she gained seven pounds, even though she could still zip up her size 4 jeans.

Through it all, the audience’s hearts go out to Domingos. She is a masterful storyteller, gifted performer, versatile vocalist and beautiful person — inside and out.

“Is There Fat in That?” provides a sobering reminder of the importance of accepting who you are. It also provides hope. Domingos, now 37, is once again perusing her dreams, but this time on her own terms. And, as she tells the audience at the close of the show, she once again feels like that 8-year-old girl from Brunswick. She’s happy now, and that’s enough.

As Domingos closes the show with “When You Wish Upon a Star” from Disney’s “Pinocchio,” audiences can’t help but agree!

April Boyle is a freelance writer from Casco. She can be contacted at:

aprilhboyle@yahoo.com