Adrianne Chalepah
Comedian
Raised on the Kiowa/Comanche/Apache (KCA) reservation in Oklahoma, Adrianne Chalepah (she/her/they/them) was suspended from public school for being a class clown.
After landing at Riverside Indian School in Anadarko, Oklahoma, she put her energy in a leadership role in the school’s “Close-Up” program, wherein she traveled to Washington, D.C. every year. Upon graduation, she enrolled at Fort Lewis College in Durango, Colorado, where she entered the world of stand-up comedy. She graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor’s Degree in Mass Communications and Indigenous Studies. After college, Chalepah met her mentors 49 Laughs Comedy, and she was asked to join them on tour in 2010.
During a decade plus of professional stage experience, highlights include opening a campaign event for First Lady Michelle Obama, and co-founding the indigenous femme comedy troupe, Ladies of Native Comedy. She began acting in college, starting with her boyfriend’s music videos, wherein she played a zombie, and fully committed. Since then, she’s been lucky to be featured on many projects, including Peacock’s new hit show, Rutherford Falls.
She’s a published author with the release of Funny Girl, an anthology of women comics and writers; she wrote the final chapter of the book. She is currently studying at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, NM for an MFA in Screenwriting. Adrianne Chalepah is an enrolled member of the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma and a member of the Apache Tribe of Oklahoma. Chalepah is the direct descendant of Set’tainte (White Bear) and Tsa-Toke (Hunting Horse), who famously defeated Kit Carson in the First Battle of Adobe Wall in 1864, and she never lets anyone forget. You can stream her performances on Hulu, Netflix, Amazon, and Peacock.
Photo by Darklisted Photography.