A Cultch and Neworld Co-Presentation in association with Rumble Theatre
Fat Joke
Written and performed by Cheyenne Rouleau
Neworld Theatre (Vancouver)
World Premiere
About
the Performance
An unfiltered, hilarious interrogation of fatphobia.
A mixture of stand-up comedy, storytelling, and fact-blasting, Fat Joke puts fatphobia under the spotlight. Drawing upon personal experience and research, comedian, actor, and writer Cheyenne Rouleau dissects this often-untalked-about topic with eviscerating wit. Think: Nanette by Hannah Gadsby meets Inside by Bo Burnham.
This one-person show invites us to confront assumptions. It’s all the stuff people don’t feel comfortable talking about turned into a comedy show!
“As a fat person, I never thought of myself as ‘sexy.’ Society never allowed me to be. So I got funny.”—Cheyenne Rouleau
- Recommended for ages 16+
- Content Warning: This show contains significant discussion of fatphobia and diet culture. Additionally, it contains sensitive themes, including depictions of child predators and mentions of abortions, complicated pregnancies, cannibalism, misogyny, slavery, eugenics, racism, systemic oppression, and sexual assault. And it's really funny. Promise.
The Femme Festival is made possible with the support of Charlotte and Sonya Wall Arts Fund
Cheyenne Rouleau; Photo by Sewari Campillo
Show
Credits
Written and performed by Cheyenne Rouleau
Directed by Chelsea Haberlin
Dramaturgy by Jiv Parasram
Set Design by Jennifer Stewart
Assistant to the Set Designer: Naju Ururahy
Sound Design by Mary Jane Coomber
Lighting & Projection Design by Andie Lloyd
Costume Design by Jessie Jade Churchill
Stage Management by Jasmin Sandhu
Community Development Consultant: Layla Cameron
Accessibility Consultant: Siobhan Barker
Community Outreach Coordinator: Alexa Fraser
Production Manager: Raes Calvert
Technical Director: Jamie Sweeney
Assistant Technical Director: Brianna Bernard
Neworld Theatre Credits
Artistic Director: Chelsea Haberlin
Managing Director: Alen Dominguez
Producer: Raes Calvert
Community Engagement Manager: Angelica Schwartz
Artistic Associate: Christine Quintana
Resident Technician: Brianna Bernard
Video Editor: Pedro Augusto Meza
Fat Joke was made possible with the support of the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival, the Province of British Columbia, the Canada Council for the Arts, and our community partner KDocsFF.
We would love to thank the Heavy Hitters, Melanie Yeats, Dani Fecko, GNW (Leigh, Kyle and John), Rokko Fabrics, The Cultch, Rumble Theatre, Isobel Bemrose-Fetter, Heather Glasgow, Janice Morris (KDocsFF), Mikenzie Page, Jesse Ray, and Christine Quintana.
The Cultch stage crew are members of Local 118 of IATSE.
Message from the Playwright
I’m not funny because I’m fat, I’m funny because my parents got divorced. That’s just science.
What started as a 10-minute PowerPoint presentation on Fatphobia meant to educate some shitty coworkers at my shitty office job has somehow turned into this. I’m so grateful to Chelsea for encouraging me to go down the rabbit hole of stories, facts, and introspection that has become Fat Joke, made possible by an enthusiastic producing team at Neworld, and made comprehensible by a hilarious and astute dramaturg, Jiv.
If there is one thing I’ve figured out from writing this play it’s that fatness is simultaneously incredibly important and completely irrelevant. And comedy is simultaneously incredibly unimportant and completely relevant.
—Cheyenne Rouleau
About Neworld Theatre
We create, produce and tour plays and performances that explore who we are through different perspectives, privileges, and lived experiences. We challenge existing systems of oppression by telling stories that are as complicated and contradictory as the world we live in.
neworldtheatre.com
Facebook: facebook.com/neworldtheatre
Instagram: @neworldtheatre
About Rumble Theatre
Rumble creates, presents, and produces contemporary performance. Working in a decentralized collective model, Rumble is committed to prioritizing projects and initiatives that utilize art to expand collective imagination, collaboration, and build a deeper understanding of relationality and community.
rumble.org
Facebook: facebook.com/rumbleproductions
Instagram: @RumbleTheatre
Staff List
Jivesh Parasram – Artistic Director
Jarin Schexnider – Managing Director (on parental leave)
Angie Descalzi – Artistic Producer
Maria Zarrillo – Interim Managing Director/Managing Producer
Anna Brew – Tent Project Manager
Jack Goodison – Technical Director
Resident Artists 23-24 season
Brandon Wint – Artist-in-Residence
Aki Yaghoubi – Artist-in-Residence
Nora Vision – Emerging Artist-in-Residence
Garvin Chan – Emerging Artist-in-Residence
Thank yous
Playwright Theatre Centre, Heidi Taylor and Davey Calderon.
Cast & Company
Bios
Cheyenne Rouleau is an actor, director, writer, and producer from Burnaby BC. Their smash hit play, The After After Party, has garnished them multiple awards including The Georgia Straight’s Critic’s Choice Award, Pick of the Fringe, and the CULTCHivating the Fringe Award, as well as 5 stars across multiple national publications, and their play SUNRISE BETTIES, produced by ITSAZOO, premiered this past February at the Russian Hall, to an almost completely sold out run. Their recent acting appearances include Blockbuster (NBC) The Good Doctor (ABC ) and Grease: Rise of the Pink Ladies (paramount +)
Jenn Stewart is a multi-disciplinary theatre artist working on the unceded lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) peoples. Selected credits include: Selfie (Seizieme, set and costumes), Wet (Itsazoo, set), Kuroko (VACT, props), She Mami Wata… (Frank, set) and S’effondrent les vidéoclubs (Seizieme, set). She has been part of the stage management team at Bard on the Beach since 2013 and has worked in a variety of roles at Caravan Farm theatre. Jenn is excited for her first collaboration with the artists at Neworld. She studied at Studio 58 and UBC and is a member of CAEA and the ADC659. jenniferannstewart.com
Jasmin Sandhu (she/her) is a stage manager working & living on the traditional, unceded, and occupied territories of the Coast Salish peoples of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations. Select stage management credits; How Black Mothers Say I Love You (ASM, the frank theatre), Truth & Lies (Pi Theatre), Teenage Dick (ASM, ACTC), The Three Little Pigs (CTYP), Otosan (Little Onion Puppet Co.), Classic Country Roads (ASM, Chemainus Theatre Festival), NOW, WAVE/S, HORIZON/S, OVERTURE/S, Reveal + Tell & What If (ASM, Ballet BC), East Van Panto: Alice in Wonderland (ApSM, Theatre Replacement), No Child (ApSM, ACTC), It’s a Wonderful Life & Herringbone (ApSM, Patrick Street Productions), Next to Normal & The Nether (West Moon Theatre). Select other credits; Uninterrupted (VR Staging Manager, Canada Wild Arts Society) & Amélie the Musical (Production Manager, West Moon Theatre).
Mary Jane Coomber {they/them} is a collaborative music and sound artist who primarily works on the unceded, sovereign territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh people. Recent theatre collaborations include Hurricane Mona (Touchstone), How Black Mothers Say I Love You (Frank), The Tempest (Studio 58), Division Infinity Saves The World! (Neworld), Rubaboo (Grand/Arts Club), My Little Tomato (vAct/ZeeZee), Me Love Bingo (Arts Club), In My Day (ZeeZee), YAGA (Touchstone), To Perfection (Shameless Hussy), Kindred (Belfry), White Girls in Moccasins (Frank Theatre), Oz and Ladies & Gentlemen Boys & Girls (Carousel Theatre), and Beautiful Man (Pi Theatre). They are a member of ADC and graduate of the School of Contemporary Arts at SFU.
Jivesh (Jiv) Parasram is a multidisciplinary artist of Indo-Caribbean descent. He is the founding Artistic Producer of the (once less unfortunately titled) socio-political collective “Pandemic Theatre” which he runs with close collaborator Tom Arthur Davis, and the Artistic Director of Rumble Theatre. These days he is based primarily on the Unceded Coast Salish Territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, as well as the waterways of the Stol:o people – AKA Vancouver. Jiv has received numerous awards and nominations for his work both in terms of artistic output and community service over the years. He is a recipient of Two Harold Awards, a Herald Angel from the Edinburgh Festival, and the Toronto Arts Foundation Emerging Artist Award.
Chelsea Haberlin, BFA (UVic), MFA (UBC) has lived most of her life on the traditional and unceded territories of the Coast Salish people, specifically the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations and is honoured to call this gorgeous place her home. She is the Artistic Director of Neworld Theatre and Associate Artist with ITSAZOO Productions, a company she co-founded in 2006. As a director she has worked with: ITSAZOO Productions, Neworld Theatre, Arts Club Theatre, Firehall Arts Centre, Theatre SKAM, Pacific Theatre, Delinquent Theatre, Studio 58, and many more. Chelsea is forever searching for new ways to surprise and engage an audience and is particularly passionate about meaningful collaboration, immersive environments, community engagement, and reconciliation. She is the recipient of the Sydney J Risk award in directing, the Ray Michal award for outstanding body of work by an emerging director and a two-time winner and five-time Jessie Richardson Award nominee for Outstanding Direction. She is a member of the advisory committee for Balancing Act, sits on the boards of the Vancouver Creative Space Society, Creekview Housing Coop (where she is grateful to live!) and Aenigma Theatre.
Dr. Layla Cameron (they/them) is an academic and filmmaker whose research and creative projects are grounded in queer cultural studies and fat studies. Layla is currently a Lecturer in the Department of Gender, Women and Sexuality Studies at the University of British Columbia – Okanagan, and in the School of Communication at Simon Fraser University. Their first film, Fat Hiking Club, was completed in 2018, and they are currently working on a second film, Baby Weight, with the BC and Yukon Studio of the National Film Board of Canada. Layla also produces and directs the fatten podcast. You can read more about Layla and their work at www.laylacameron.com.
Andie Lloyd is a queer interdisciplinary artist and community advocate, currently based on unceded Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Territories. She works as a lighting designer and media artist, and is a co-founder of HK House 香港屋 (@hkhouseofficial), a local non-profit dedicated to the love and preservation of Hong Kong culture. Some notable design involvements include: SmartSmart (SpiderwebShow) — Digital Design, Residuals(住み・墨) (Shion Skye Carter) — Lighting Design, Peace Country (rice & beans theatre) — Projection Design, Happy Valley/馬照跑．舞照跳 (rice & beans theatre) — Projection Design, Clean/Espejos (Neworld Theatre) — Surtitle Design. Andie is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada. GFHG SDGM.
Jessie Jade Churchill has been working as a costumes artist since 2012, where she designed “Dia De Los Muertos” for Luchagore Productions, all while enrolled within the Costuming for Stage & Screen program at Capilano University. Since then, she’s worked on many weird and wild projects in a multitude of roles and fields from Haunt to Stage and Screen. In Design, Assistant Design, Breakdown FX, and Build most notably. They are currently running the Breakdown team on Superman and Lois. Jessie Jade is most at home getting her hands dirty and coming up with creative solutions to whatever challenges arise! They’re stoked to be working on such a meaningful, fun project with some truly badass folks!
Siobhan Barker (They/Them) is a Nationally recognized bilingual disability justice and equity consultant also sought as a Public Speaker, Community Engagement Organizer, Writer, Facilitator, Performer, Poet, Singer and Storyteller. As a non-binary person of mixed ancestry, living with disability, they recognize and value the many intersectionalities that contribute to furthering decolonization practices. Siobhan’s community and artistic work explores relational justice in many forms and extends into wellness practices, body liberation, and accessibility audits with a racial justice lens. They have toured various regions performing and public speaking to raise awareness and stimulate discussion within diverse communities. Siobhan has developed and implemented community engagement programs and projects focussed on equity, parity, disability justice and anti-colonialist practice, guiding capacity building, professional development, education initiatives and stakeholder development through a social justice framework.
Alexa Fraser (they/them) is a performer, director, designer, producer and facilitator who creates and lives on the unceded and occupied territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations colonially known as “Vancouver, British Columbia”. They are co-founder of theatrecorps, a design based contemporary theatre company with Matthew Winter. Alexa is a self-identified plus sized queer artist and proud performer, producer and historian within “Vancouver’s” burlesque and cabaret scenes. They are a graduate of Simon Fraser School for the Contemporary Arts, holding a BFA in Theatre Performance (2018). They are artistic director and founder of Juicy Gems, an all fat and plus sized cabaret collective, that was recently featured and became an award winning group at Fatlesque Northwest (Seattle, 2024). Recent theatre work includes: Divine Figures (Neworld Theatre, 2023), Blood Wedding: A Trans Fantasia (Angelica Schwartz, 2023), sᴜᴘᴇʀ ʜᴇᴀᴠʏ Pop III 𝕯𝖊𝖆𝖙𝖍꧂°¤𖦹,¸.•*☆ (Jarin Schexnider, 2023), Archive (The Darlings, 2023), Gestural Symphony No.1 (theatrecorps, 2022), Are You Watching? (Eve Middleton- Meyer, 2021), New Societies (Summerworks, In The Soil, Kick & Push, rEvolver, SFU SCA 2019-2023), Juicy Gems (2021), Richmond Maritime Festival Featured Storyteller (2020), The Democratic Set (Back to Back Theatre, PuSh Festival 2020), These Violent Delights (Cole Lewis, SummerWorks Festival, 2017).
Alexa’s other interests reside in researching and sharing “Vancouver” nightlife and sex work history, collecting vintage cabaret and playboy ephemera as well as watching the sun set on the Salish Sea/Fraser River in their former neighborhood in “Richmond, B.C”.
You can check out their technicolour world of wonder at alexanmfraser.com
