Upintheair Theatre Presents Scarlet Chen's

Citizen Chen blends stand-up and true storytelling into a comedy of culture whiplash and daily low-key panic: language fails, border anxiety, small-town awkwardness, and rebuilding a life in Canada—one misunderstanding at a time. Fast, sharp, and weirdly tender, it’s big laughs with real moments underneath (no lectures, I promise). Come for the comedy, stay for the truth I didn’t mean to say out loud.

Scarlet Chen – creator/performer

PAST CRITICAL REVIEWS for Citizen Chen

Series Creator & Writer: Dream Raider (Original series produced by HBO Asia)

Winner: First Place, UCLAx Feature Screenplay Competition (Co-writer, Fortune Springs)

Core Artist & Filmmaker: Messages on Doors (The Fox Queen)

Co-Playwright & Performer: Percolate, a sold-out site-immersive production (Pacific Coast Stage Co. / Nanaimo Fringe Festival)

Successful Producer: Produced and hosted a series of consistently sold-out stand-up comedy showcases across Vancouver Island

Critical Pull Quotations & Star Ratings 

“Will engage its audiences with poignant, intelligent writing.” — Tamara McCarthy (Award-winning Director, testimonial regarding Citizen Chen)

“Scarlet! You are awesome!” — Maria Bamford (Legendary Comedian & Netflix’s Lady Dynamite, personal note)

“A real opportunity to see something unique” — The Discourse (regarding Percolate)

“The kind of show that reshapes expectations for what a procedural can be.”

— Screen Rant (regarding Dream Raider)

Citizen Chen - Preshow Access Notes & Synopsis

Citizen Chen - Self Image Description written and voiced by Scarlet Chen