Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jade Theriault. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, Jade thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Has your work ever been misunderstood or mischaracterized?

My whole act is a misunderstanding. It thrives on antiquated preconceived notions of the role someone like me would be most likely to play. And the joke is built in. I don’t have to force it because I’m already wearing the suit. So it’s like a background hiss behind every joke that I tell. So I’m free to drive my wheelchair as far from it as I please and the farther I go, the funnier it is. I don’t have to talk about what I look like, it’s already doing the work.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I’m a Bay Area-based stand-up comedian who combines provocative thought with moving furniture. I’m a regular at Alameda Comedy Club, The Punchline, Cobbs Comedy Club, Tommy T’s, and the San Jose Improv where I opened for Jesus Trejo. Festival credits include SF Sketchfest, The Art of Female Comedy Festival (Wichita, KS), Palm Springs International Comedy Festival and the Westside Comedy Festival in Santa Monica, where I was honored for Best Joke of the Night. I starred in Malic Almaya’s “RUN!” (2018), featured in Jeff Giordano’s “Romantic Chorus” (2021), and was on an episode of MTV Decoded (2018). Most recently, I featured in Troma’s “Divide & Conquer” (2021). From 2019-2021, I clowned seasonally under the famed SF drag queen Peaches Christ.
I conceived of my act in a sweaty high school piano closet, anticipating a ride home on a smaller yellow bus. This led to a 13 year exploration of comedy, visual art, music, and feelings.
On April 5-6, 2024, I’m featuring for Amy Silverberg and recording my debut comedy album at Alameda Comedy Club. This will be the most challenging journey I’ve ever embarked on in my stand-up career.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I think something non-creatives don’t understand is that if you are truly passionate about something, pursuing it stops becoming a choice. There’s a dichotomy in my relationship with performance. On the one hand, I’m free to be my own boss and build my act exactly how I want. My worth is determined by the masses, not some individual or corporation. On the other hand, I’m limited by my own ineptitude. A 9 to 5 would be my parent, giving me structure, expectations, and responsibilities that are repetitive and intentional. Instead, I’m a creative entrepreneur which makes me an orphan and I have to play games with myself to make car payments. You can dive deeper without a life jacket, but then you don’t have a life jacket. I’ve spent countless sleep hours wondering whether I should just toss it all, put my college degree to use, and live a nuclear life. It’d be so much easier and I’d probably be physically healthier. But I don’t know who I’d be if I didn’t give %100 to my craft. Life wouldn’t make sense. A weird ego death. So as much as that part of me wants out, I really don’t have a choice. I have to do this.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I try to stay in the present as much as possible. I’m at a point where I’ve written enough material over the years to finally record an album. This is a huge task and I feel ready. Right now, I’m driven by the opportunity to immortalize my work into something tangible. Nothing more righteous than that. I’ll be recording the album on April 5-6 at Alameda Comedy Club and featuring for Amy Silverberg.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.jadetheriault.com
• Instagram: thepaintedjade
• Facebook: thepaintedjade
• Youtube: thepaintedjade

Image Credits
Jody Lyon Taylor Boone Malic Almaya