A one-woman show thatB次元官网网址檚 equal parts stand-up comedy,  storytelling and fact-blasting social commentary, B次元官网网址淔at JokeB次元官网网址� sheds light on being overweight in a society that emphasizes size over substance.  

Get ready to get uncomfortable and get ready to laugh as Cheyenne Rouleau takes the stage on Friday Feb. 7 in Courtenay. Presented by the Sid Williams Theatre SocietyB次元官网网址檚 Blue Circle Series, B次元官网网址淔at JokeB次元官网网址� is an exploration of life as a fat person, told with wit and unflinching honesty.  

B次元官网网址淚t dissects my own personal journey navigating the world as a fat person from when I was a kid to  having my own child now, and how my fatness has intersected with all these important parts of my  life,B次元官网网址� Rouleau explains.  

That journey inspired a project with an unexpected origin. Before it became a theatrical production, B次元官网网址淔at  JokeB次元官网网址� was a PowerPoint presentation created for a workplace HR initiative at RouleauB次元官网网址檚 day job.  

B次元官网网址淚 was dealing with fatphobia at work, and I thought, B次元官网网址榃ell, this is an opportunity to talk about it,B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�  Rouleau shares. 

What began as a mix of myth-busting and advice for discussing bodies in professional spaces quickly transformed. Director and long-time friend Chelsea Haberlin saw the  potential in RouleauB次元官网网址檚 material and encouraged her to turn it into a full-length performance.  

Despite initial hesitancy, she trusted HaberlinB次元官网网址檚 instincts. B次元官网网址淚 thought, B次元官网网址極kay, if you think this can be  something, IB次元官网网址檓 willing to try.B次元官网网址橞次元官网网址�  

Thus began the transformation of the PowerPoint into a stage show, blending data with personal  narrative. By connecting the research to her own experiences, she found humour in unexpected places. 

B次元官网网址淣o matter how hard I tried to write something serious, it always ended up being funny,B次元官网网址� Rouleau admits.  

Creating B次元官网网址淔at JokeB次元官网网址� was a deeply collaborative process. Working with dramaturg Jiv Parasram and  director Haberlin, Rouleau sifted through 34 years of life to shape the show. 

B次元官网网址淛iv would ask me these loose, open-ended questions, and suddenly IB次元官网网址檇 be talking for 20 minutes about a story I hadnB次元官网网址檛 thought about in years.B次元官网网址�  

B次元官网网址淲hen I started writing the show, one thing I talked with Jiv about a lot was what I wanted people to  take away from the show. And, honestly, I want people to be able to have big feelings and have big  conversations on the way home.  

B次元官网网址淚 don't expect everybody to relate to the show. And I'm very clear that I don't speak for all fat people B次元官网网址�  this is my own experience. But I think people can glean a lot and have introspection into their own  experiences and their own relationships with their bodies. I want people to really feel those feelings,  have those big conversations with people that they love.B次元官网网址�