BIG SISTER
Written by Little Sister Deborah Vogt
For Big Sister Naomi Vogt
Creative Team for Cultch 2020 premiere:
Playwright: Deborah Vogt
Performer/Creator: Naomi Vogt
Director/Dramaturg: Jamie King
Set Designer: Magnolia Cairns
Lighting Design: Taylor Janzen
Sound Design: CJ McGillivray
Set Mentor: Jenn Stewart
The Story:
Big Sister is a comedy about the relationship between two sisters and what happens when one of them changes. It is the true story of older sister/actor Naomi’s 70 pound weight loss, written through the perspective of younger sibling/writer Deborah. Big Sister explores a world of evil siblings, fat shaming, and unlikely collaboration.
A one-woman comedy about sisters.
Past Shows:
Workshop Production: Vancouver Fringe Festival: Sept 6-16, 2018
Workshop Touring: Theatre on the Edge Festival: July 19-20, 2019
Old Red Lion Theatre: October 14th, 2019.
Premiere: The Cultch: February 19-29, 2020
*SOLD OUT RUN*
Nominated for Best New Play (Jessie Richardson Awards)
The Buzz:
“What sets apart the Vogts’ Vancouver Fringe-born piece is the innovative way the sisters upend the notion of a two-hander. Naomi confesses all her feelings and memories through her sibling’s perspective—interjecting her own truth when it contradicts the story being told.”
-Janet Smith, The Georgia Straight
"Most intriguingly, Big Sister considers how we construct our identities in reaction to those around us, including our siblings, and by filling the spaces they leave vacant."
-Colin Thomas, Fresh Sheet
“Big Sister is bold, brave, and beautiful as it explores the relationship between two sisters who are not close, and how the process of creating this show has brought them together. It digs deep into their experiences with beauty standards and expectations through personal stories, anecdotes, and secrets shared with the audience.”
-Katie Gartlan-Close, Vancouver Presents
MORE REVIEWS:
"These are people with complicated relationships to fatness itself, and though the script communicates a desire to interrogate beauty standards and society’s hatred of and erasure of fat bodies, it ultimately reveals that the Vogt sisters... are still working on divesting themselves of their own internalized fat hatred."
-Andrea Warner, The Georgia Straight
“The question the play poses is one that is relevant today when physical appearance is so front and centre: how much does the amount of time, money and worry about how we look impact our lives and personalities?”
-Christine Pilgrim, Vancouver Presents
“Deborah remains silent but is obviously, actively Naomi’s foil, competition, nemesis and double. Their complex relationship is as much the crux of this fascinating piece as the fat shaming and female attractiveness that Naomi addresses.”
-Jerry Wasserman, Vancouver Sun
“In a conversational, one woman show written by one sister and read/performed by the other, Big Sister leads you to ask yourself these questions. Although a comedy, it's probable that you may shed a tear as these performers expose their unabashed thoughts and feelings of and for each other and leave you with the final question… do you really know your sibling?”
-Karen Roller, Theatre Addicts
“What results is an authentic, vulnerable performance that was deeply moving. The performance unfolds as a conversation between sisters, and between playwright and performer, allowing for an exploration of the delicate balance of affection and resentment that is at the heart of many sibling relationships.”
-Laura Anne Harris, PRISM international
Production Photos:
Previews & Top Pics:
Naomi Vogt speaks with Stephen Quinn about her play “BIG Sister" which she co-wrote with her sister that debuts at the Cultch - CBC Early Edition
BIG Sister siblings Naomi and Deborah Vogt talk about weight, women, and sisterhood - Georgia Straight
Live dangerously—10 shows to take a chance on at this year’s Vancouver Fringe Festival - Inside Vancouver
20 shows not to miss at this year’s Vancouver Fringe Festival - Vancouver Presents
Fringe Mixes Drama, Comedy - Jewish Independent
Promotional and Production Pictures courtesy of Reznek Creative