First Nations Voice

PAGE 10 APRIL 2016 The Winnipeg Comedy Festival turns 15 in 2016 with another impeccable line-up that showcases some of the funniest people around. There are plenty of indigenous comics on the bill, too, and a free comedy fest show called P.W.I. will feature them all in one place at one time. Performing While Indigenous – aka P.W.I. – takes place on Sunday, April 10 at 4:00pm at the Gas Station Arts Centre. It promises to be funny and insightful, with hosting by Rosanna Deerchild. She has been storytelling for more than 20 years, and can be heard on CBC Radio One's Unreserved, a show that shares stories, music and culture of Indigenous Canada. Craig Lauzon is an English/French and Anishnabeg actor, best known for CBC's Fool Canada and Royal Canadian Air Farce. He is an accomplished writer, having written for both theatre and television. In addition to performing at P.W.I., he hosts the Customs & Integration gala on April 8, and will appear at Best of the Fest. Gerry "The Big Bear" Barrett is stand-up comedian and Elvis Presley Tribute Artist, who has been featured on CBC Television, the Comedy Network and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network. He performed his comedy and Elvis show in Washington D.C. at an Inaugural Ball for Barack Obama and will be at P.W.I. at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival, too. Florence Spence is a stand-up comedian from York Factory Cree Nation able to transition the hardships of growing up with seven brothers and being a single parent of three into comedy gold. With almost no Aboriginal women comics to look up to, Florence is breaking down barriers with her real and raw material. See her at P.W.I. and other shows including the No Bro Show 3 on April 9. Chad Anderson first took to the stand-up comedy stage in 2008 and immediately fell into comedy's clutches. He has performed and toured across Canada, been a finalist in several comedy competitions, a n d is a veteran of the Winnipeg Comedy Scene. At the age of 28, Chad has been sober five years now and likes to use his experiences to entertain crowds. Paul Rabliauskas has years of experience in radio and television hosting, and a prolific and successful career as a stand-up comedian. He has been featured on CBC's The Debaters, and his charming, brash, and boisterous style makes him a fan favourite of many across Canada. Jaydon Ono is a Winnipeg-born Cree comedienne, currently "living" in Saskatoon. Jaydon entered the 2015 Winnipeg's Funniest Person With a Day Job where she advanced to the Wildcard finals. Since then, she has performed from powwow grounds to big city stages – and she's only 20 years old. Catch all these funny folks, and many others, at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival from April 3 to 10. Full schedule, performer info, and tickets are available at www. winnipegcomedyfestival.com. THIS WEEK ALBUM COVER ARTIST INFORMATION THIS WEEK ALBUM COVER ARTIST INFORMATION ENTERTAIMENT BEAT RoseAnna Schick. RAS Creative Jaydon Ono Chad Anderson Florence Spence

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