Indigenous Sask. comedians tour home province before heading to Hollywood gig

A group of Indigenous comedians are sharing their humour with shows in Saskatoon and Regina this weekend before jetting off to Hollywood.

No Reservations! An Uncensored Comedy Showcase Tour! features eight comedians from across Saskatchewan who will be going to Palm Springs, Calif., and Los Angeles next week on a tour with help from a grant from SK Arts. 

Dakota Ray Hebert is the host with Afrin Sarca, Annie Brass, Cheyenna Sapp, Danny Knight, Derek Yee, Drea Omer, Ryan Moccasin and Shawn Cuthand performing. 

Yee, who is Cree-Métis from Swift Current, Sask., has performed at Yuk Yuk's and in the Just For Laughs Saskatoon showcase.

He said when he started his standup career he noticed lots of talent in the Saskatchewan comedy scene, but it flew under the radar.

"I hear a lot of rhetoric where people are [saying] in order to be successful as a standup you need to be in Vancouver or Toronto."

But he said many of the comedians travelling to California have performed at Just For Laughs comedy shows and have had spots in television shows in Canada.

Yee said the province is rich in Indigenous talent.

"I think we've got really good stories to tell ... I think our culture is worth sharing and I think we have definitely been overlooked in the past," he said.

Brass, a standup comedian from Kawacatoose First Nation, said she is excited to show an American audience what Indigenous comedians have to offer from Saskatchewan. 

For Indigenous people, Brass said comedy is one of our strengths.

"I think we're seen as a very stoic bunch of people, that we rarely smile, it's the way that we're portrayed," she said.

"However, Indigenous people love to laugh. We laugh to get through life, by laughing."

Brass said she was grateful for the support from SK Arts as people may not understand how much work goes on behind the scenes of comedy tours.

"Without that kind of funding we wouldn't be able to do this," she said. 

Moccasin, who is from Saulteaux First Nation and based in Saskatoon, said their show in Prince Albert on Thursday had a good audience reaction and good reviews.

"It's always amazing to see the audience not only engaged but hearing clapping and stuff like that," he said.

"It's going to be interesting how American audiences react to our Canadian kind of comedy."

Philip Adams, a program consultant for SK Arts, said SK Arts "very rarely" gives grants to comedians but that's becoming more common.

"Sask Arts is funding comedians, magicians, drag shows because we see this as fulfilling ... what the artists want and need to do," he said. 

Adams said this particular group of artists bring a lot to the stage and are hilarious. 

"There's a sense of humour that is there and that they can share with similar folks in the United States," he said.

"I think that's just an extraordinary export."

The group performs in Saskatoon Friday and Regina on Saturday.