Art@IU (Corpo)Realities March 22-23, 2013 Lee Norvelle Theatre&Drama Center

Society and the medical communities are obsessed with fear and panic over the so-called “Obesity Epidemic.” The reality is that the majority of American Women are overweight, yet we have become marginalized and invisible. As a fat activist and performance artist, I aim to change public awareness and opinion about what it means to be a fat woman living in a society that discriminates against the fat body. “Corpo”ral Punishment is a live feminist protest performance based on my short film entitled Results May Vary– a visceral, visual metaphor illustrating the futility of dieting. The piece features three players. Fat Woman, ( Brenda Oelbaum), Dresser (Amanda Nicole Rogers nee Moyer) and Mirror ( Gabriela Sincich) Dresser assists Fat Woman in applying pages of a Diet Book to her body using paper-mache, in a literal and physical attempt to transform herself. The Dresser is always positive, the mirror reflects back the Fat Woman’s emotions and that of society. As the Fat Woman is being covered with the paper-mache, each player will take turns approaching the Audience: Fat Woman for outside opinions, The Dresser for agreement, and finally the Mirror allowing the viewers to see themselves. Do they judge themselves? Are they judging others and how they look? How does it feel to have their own critical eyes turned back on themselves?