Indigenous Comedy Crew Entertains Amid Pandemic
Comedians Adrianne Chalepah, Beef Archambault and Mylo Smith have been performing locally with events titled “Social Distance Comedy” and “Indigenous Comedy Show.” The performers have embraced social distancing and use of personal protective equipment at their events, but in a year beset by COVID-19, the group found itself canceling shows in Frazer Sept. 25 and Wolf Point Sept. 25-27. Despite the cancellations, the group’s performances were broadcast live on Rezkast Radio. The group also visited Saco, where they met with suicide prevention activists and at-risk students. The Frazer performance was sponsored by the National Native Children’s Trauma Center.
Donovan “Beef” Archambault is from Fort Belknap and lives in Billings. He is well known on the Fort Peck Reservation and emcees many events in the area, including powwows.
Comedian Adrianne Chalepah has performed with 49 Laughs Comedy and has been honored to open for former First Lady Michelle Obama. In 2019, she was featured in the Netflix series, Larry Charles’ Dangerous World of Comedy.
Mylo Smith is a sober Native comedian, event emcee and speaker. He told the Northern Plains Independent that he has also done outreach work in the area for suicide prevention and drug and alcohol treatment and recovery. He said a live broadcast is better than no performance at all, but he misses interactions with audience members.
“I like the old format,” said Smith. “You miss the energy of the crowds and picking on people. It’s just to laugh.”
Rezkast is owned and operated by Nakoa HeavyRunner and Adriann Ricker and broadcasts out of Poplar. It was launched in 2018 to serve the people and communities of the Fort Peck Reservation. Rezkast plays Native music from tribes throughout North America as well as a mix of modern and country music. For more information, visit rezkastradio.com.
