Sketches of Minnesota: Civic Community Comedy Revue

The Minnesota Humanities Center (MHC) and Danger Boat Productions would appreciate the opportunity to talk about our upcoming Sketches of Minnesota special events: the second annual “Sketches of Minnesota: Civic Community Comedy Revue”. Sketches of Minnesota is a traveling program designed to increase understanding and encourage conversations among people who might not know each other or have differing viewpoints, by bringing neighbors together over a shared meal and improvisational comedy. These kinds of conversations are more crucial now than ever, and we think that the program can facilitate essential healing within our Minnesota communities.

Please help us share and amplify this tour and join us for the second annual Sketches of Minnesota: Civic Community Comedy Revue.

Minneapolis – Tuesday, March 10 – 7:00pm to 8:30pm (doors open at 6:30pm) Luminary Arts Center
Minneapolis – Wednesday, March 11 – 7:00pm to 8:30pm (doors open at 6:30pm) Luminary Arts Center
Rochester – Friday, March 13 – 7:00pm to 8:30pm (doors open at 6:30pm) Rochester Civic Theatre

Through an epic partnership established in 2024, MHC and the comedy team at Danger Boat Productions spent late summer and most of fall traveling to communities across Minnesota. They’ve taken stories from each town and put them into a hilarious sketch comedy revue. It’s like going along on the year-long Sketches of Minnesota road trip, but you get to enjoy the highlights from the comfort of a theater seat…without the backseat driving.

Imagine the joys of a 9-city road trip. Braham (try the pie!). Edge of the Wilderness (literally). Fergus Falls. Fosston. Minneapolis. New Ulm. Otter Tail County (no actual otters were observed). Rochester. Rosemount. Now, imagine going along on that trip with some of the funniest people in Minnesota, and without the bugs on your windshield, unplanned road construction, backseat driving, or GPS failures. And the whole thing takes less than 90 minutes.

This fully scripted show – unlike the typical Sketches shows which are entirely free-form improvisational comedy – will take you on a journey to the nine communities across Minnesota from our 2025 tour. We will deep dive into the foundation of Sketches of Minnesota performances: what makes us different and what makes us alike.

About Sketches of Minnesota

Co-produced by MHC and Danger Boat Productions, Sketches of Minnesota was hosted by 10 communities across the state in 2024. The performers learned directly from residents what makes their community great, what people get wrong about it, what divisions concern them, and what they imagine for the future when they work collectively with their neighbors. In each town, the Danger Boat troupe listened in on dinner conversations and then brought the stories and ideas to the stage. After the show, MHC facilitated a discussion to find out what stood out, what made them laugh, what gave them pause, and what surprised them. Consistently, the final theme for the events is a positive message: we have more similarities than we know, and these conversations lead to a greater willingness to listen to one another.

About the Minnesota Humanities Center

MHC, an affiliate to the National Endowment for the Humanities, was founded as an independent non-profit organization in 1971. MHC strengthens our society by promoting the humanities and increasing shared understanding of our collective pasts. MHC creates a wide variety of humanities programming in collaboration with individuals, creators, scholars, and organizations to build a more curious, inclusive, and connected society. MHC has a long history as a grantmaking organization and operates a full-service event center in a historic building in St. Paul. More information is available at mnhum.org.

About Danger Boat Productions

Danger Boat Productions is a Minnesota-based comedy and creative engagement company that uses improvisation, storytelling, and live performance to help people make sense of complicated ideas and one another. Founded by improvisers and civic facilitators, Danger Boat creates original comedy shows, participatory events, and workshops that blend humor with listening, curiosity, and care. Their work spans theaters, community spaces, conferences, classrooms, and public forums, with projects designed to foster connection across differences and invite audiences into meaningful conversation. Best known for programs like Sketches of Minnesota and The Theater of Public Policy, Danger Boat Productions partners with civic institutions, nonprofits, universities, and communities to explore public issues through comedy that is thoughtful, accessible, and deeply human.