San Bernardino Valley College is hosting the taping of a groundbreaking comedy series that features Native American stand-up comedians and some of the biggest national names in stand-up comedy. Dubbed The First Nations Comedy Experience, the show is taped live on campus and syndicated nationally through First Nations Experience (FNX), the first and only TV channel exclusively devoted to Native American and World Indigenous content.
The live tapings are scheduled through April 2018 and are open to the public ($15 general admission; $10 students), with free parking available on the SBVC campus.
Hosted by Graham Elwood, a Los Angeles-area stand-up comedian and the show’s host, the show features comedians like Leah Mansfield, Craig Shoemaker, Nikki Glaser, Kevin Avery, and dozens more.
Nikki Glaser, a nationally-renowned comedian who has performed on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Conan, and Last Comic Standing, will be performing live on February 11, along with fellow comedians Larry Omaha, Jackie Keliiaa, and Graham Elwood.
“We did a special a few years back, and it was just a handful of us,” said Jim Ruel, a native Ojibwe comedian who is scheduled to take part in the show this season. “Now this is a whole series. And since then, there’s been a whole generation of [native] comics coming up, and they’re all going to get their shot.”