Durango Comedy & Events - Bad Indian: All-Indigenous Stand-Up Show, July 24 in Durango CO

'Bad Indian' An all Indigenous Stand Up Comedy Showcase @ The Durango Arts Center Friday July 24th; Featuring Joshua Emerson, Ann Joli and Jadrien Long

BAD INDIAN
AN ALL INDIGENOUS
STAND UP COMEDY SHOW
@ DURANGO ARTS CENTER

The Bad Indian Showcase is an acclaimed Native American comedy production created and produced by Joshua Emerson to amplify Indigenous humor and storytelling. The showcase gained national prominence with high-profile credits at major festivals, most notably being featured at the 2024 Netflix Is a Joke Fest and SF Sketchfest. Also staged at venues like Denver’s Bug Theater, the showcase continues to tour nationally as a premier platform for Native comedic talent.

Beyond its status as a premier comedy tour, the Bad Indian Showcase serves as a cultural platform bridging the gap between traditional Indigenous storytelling and modern stand-up. Joshua Emerson launched the project to counter the "noticeable absence" of Native humor in the professional circuit, transforming the showcase into a space where Indigenous comics can tackle heavy themes: such as high suicide rates, the grief of losing a parent, and complex identity tropes.

Through a lens of healing and "beautiful chaos", the show's success at major venues prove that Native humor is not only resilient but essential to the contemporary American arts landscape. Emerson has expressed his intent to keep the showcase running indefinitely, continuing to tour it across North America to ensure that Native stories are told with the authenticity and "vulnerable" power they deserve.

SECURE SEATS EARLY!
THIS SHOW IS ONE NIGHT ONLY.

WITH DENVER'S HILARIOUS:
JOSHUA EMERSON
+ DENVER COMICS TBA!

& INCREDIBLE LOCAL COMICS
ANN JOLI
JADRIEN LONG

GET TICKETS

START: 7:00PM
DOORS: 6:30PM
$25 • 18+

FRI, JULY 24TH, 2026
DURANGO ARTS CENTER

ABOUT
JOSHUA
EMERSON:

Originally starting his comedy career in Durango, Joshua Emerson is a Diné (Navajo) stand-up comedian, writer, actor, and community leader based in Denver, Colorado. As a founding member of the production company DeadRoom Comedy and the Co-Chair of the Denver American Indian Commission, he is a prominent voice in the Indigenous creative landscape. His professional credits include receiving the 2023 Mayor’s Award for Excellence in Arts & Culture and being named one of Westword’s Five Artists to Watch in 2025.

Emerson’s work spans various media, from his role as a regular contributor for CityCast Denver and writing credits highlighted by the lead role in the film Finding the Funny, and the creation of the award-winning Dead Inside, which earned the Audience Choice Award at the 2021 Denver Fringe Festival.

JOSHUA'S WEBSITE
JOSHUA'S INSTA

DURANGO ARTS
CENTER (DAC)

"DAC is a multi-faceted hub for community arts that hosts and promotes contemporary visual and performing arts, arts education, dynamic exhibits, and the annual Durango Autumn Arts Festival along historic E. 2nd Avenue. Over the years, DAC has built its reputation as a local arts industry leader and has been working diligently to ensure that the arts continue to thrive in the Four Corners region and beyond."

802 E. 2ND AVE
DURANGO CO, 81301

970-259-2606
info@durangoarts.org
DAC WEBSITE

*THIS SHOW IS RATED 18+ DUE TO MATURE THEMES AND LANGUAGE. MINORS MAY ATTEND IF ACCOMPANIED BY A PARENT OR GUARDIAN. PLEASE NOTE, THE CONTENT IS INTENDED FOR ADULT AUDIENCES. PARENTAL DISCRETION ADVISED.