The hub for all things Danger Boat, directly from our team.
Check here for updates on our work, answers to your questions, and interesting tidbits about all things improv! Can’t find what you’re looking for? Search below or email our team — we’ve got the answers!
In 2016, Danger Boat Productions tried something new: What would happen if improv comedy didn’t wait for people to come to the theater…
What if the theater came to them?
10 years later, Brandon Boat reflects on what we learned from “All St. Paul’s a Stage”—and what it means for anyone looking to bring entertainment into non-traditional spaces.
Every The Theater of Public Policy show hinges on the right topic and the right guest. Though it’s an improv show at heart, we take our comedy seriously.
To celebrate our 15th year of T2P2, we’re giving you a peek behind the curtain into what we think makes a good topic and guest.
When we’re hired for conferences and events, we’re often asked for our advice about panel composition. How many people should be part of the conversation?
Having been in the business for over a decade, we know what to look for when hiring good entertainers who would work well in a professional space. Here are 13 improv groups in the Twin Cities to consider if you’re looking to bring energy, humor and connection to your event.
Do you need to book Danger Boat six months ahead of time? No! In fact, historic data shows that most clients book us within 2 months of their event. But while we can swing quick turnarounds, reaching out early means we can avoid calendar conflicts and make sure your event is a success.
How and why did our staff triple over the last year and a half? Danger Boat co-founder Brandon Boat explains why we decided to hire a full-time team instead of contractors, how we determined which roles to hire, and what we've learned from the process.
Sketches of Minnesota starts with a simple invitation: come share a meal, tell stories about your community, and watch those stories become comedy.
But underneath that invitation is a larger belief. Communities need spaces where people can gather across differences, talk about what matters, and experience joy together.
To help explain how this project creates impact, we developed a Theory of Change for Sketches of Minnesota.
In the early years of Danger Boat, we would say yes to working with almost anyone that came knocking. More than a decade later, saying yes to everything is beyond our capacity and is not creatively sustainable.
We believe the best creative work comes from healthy, aligned partnerships. So, to ensure we're setting every project up for success, we’ve developed a client grading system. Here’s how it works.
In celebration of the return of The Theater of Public Policy, Danger Boat co-founder Tane Danger explains how The Theater of Public Policy shows start — with an onstage conversation — and why that’s important. Plus, get a taste of what T2P2 is like through a snippet of our 2020 show, “Making Sense of the Census.”
A great host does more than read a script. They welcome people into the experience, keep the agenda moving, manage transitions, adapt when things change, and help your audience feel like they are in capable hands.
But not every host is right for every event. Here are our tips on how to pick the right person to hold the mic at your conference, gala, or fundraiser.
Sketches of Minnesota is a community-inspired civic improv comedy tour created by Danger Boat Productions in partnership with the Minnesota Humanities Center. In 2025, we visited nine locations: Braham, New Ulm, Rochester, Kingfield, Rosemount, Fergus Falls, Bigfork, Fosston, and New York Mills.
We tried a bunch of different marketing methods to draw attendees to these shows. At each event, we placed paper surveys on the tables at our events and asked attendees to fill them out at the end. Here’s what we found.
Minnesota is known for its robust theater scene and burgers that ooze cheese. Avoid scalding your mouth and see an improv show instead!
Whether you’re looking for short-form games, experimental long-form, family-friendly comedy, or a late-night show, you’ll find plenty of places to see live improv across the state. There are dozens of venues that host a variety of different live theater or comedy shows, but here are 14 places where you can consistently see improv in Minnesota.
At Danger Boat Productions, we’ve always believed that improv is more than entertainment.
That idea is at the heart of a new research article in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, co-authored by Danger Boat co-founder Tane Danger, who also teaches improv to medical professionals as Artist in Residence at Mayo Clinic’s Dolores Jean Lavins Center for Humanities in Medicine.
The article, “Exploring the Promise of Improvisational Theatre Applications in Health Care,” reviews decades of research starting in 1973 on how improv is being used in healthcare settings. The authors screened 694 sources, reviewed 135 full-text articles, and selected 81 for analysis.
They saved you thousands of pages of reading — and we’re saving you even more by summarizing the article here!
For years, The Theater of Public Policy asked a slightly strange question: What if a serious civic conversation and an improv comedy show had a baby, and that baby cared deeply about zoning, taxes, public health, and democracy?
Between 2016 and 2019, we collected 422 audience surveys across 29 shows at the Bryant Lake Bowl in Minneapolis. We wanted to know if our “chocolate-covered broccoli” approach of mixing hard policy with unscripted humor actually worked.
The results were definitive.
When we finish an improv workshop, one of the most common questions from attendees is, “Where can I learn more?” While Danger Boat Productions offers workshops that focus on applying improv skills in the workplace and beyond, we don’t offer “Improv 101” classes geared towards performance. That’s why we’ve created this list to serve as a guide where you can learn more about what improv courses are available in Minnesota.
I’ll admit it: early in my career, I didn’t understand the importance of organizational values.
Drafting them took an entire day. An hour might be spent discussing whether you should use “and” vs “or”. Then, once they were finished, they’d go on the website and you’d never see them until the next strategic plan rolled around.
But I’ve come around.
The Sketches of Minnesota 2025 Tour is upon us! Check out the summer and fall tour dates and see if we’ll be coming to y our community.
Want your community’s stories center stage? The 2025 Sketches of Minnesota tour is now accepting host applications! This one-of-a-kind civic comedy event blends heartfelt storytelling and quick-witted improv to bring your town’s personality to life. Learn how to apply.
We're excited to officially welcome Brian Gioielli as our new Production Manager at Danger Boat Productions!
Brian is a professional problem-solver, relationship-builder, and all-around get-it-done guy. With a background spanning philanthropy, event management, and operations, Brian knows how to keep things running smoothly while making sure everyone’s having a great time.
In today’s fast-paced world, complex conversations—whether about policy, leadership, or social change—can feel overwhelming, inaccessible, or even dull. But what if learning about these important topics could be fun, engaging, and downright hilarious?
A few years ago, a simple question—Where does this bus go?—led to an unexpected journey through the heart of the Twin Cities transit system. Hey! Where Does This Bus Go?, a web series created in partnership with Metro Transit, set out to highlight the quirks, joys, and everyday adventures of public transportation. From surprising hot dish debates to heartwarming commuter stories, the series showed that the bus is more than just a ride—it’s a window into the city’s vibrant community.
In 2014, The History of Minnesota – Unscripted! took the Minnesota Fringe Festival by storm, blending real historical stories with fast-paced improv comedy. Each night, a different expert historian shared a compelling tale from Minnesota’s past, which our improvisers then transformed into unpredictable, side-splitting scenes. Critics and audiences alike loved it—so much that it became one of the top-attended shows of the festival. Let’s take a look back at what made this show so special!
Thank you to everyone that came out to see Sketches of Minnesota: A Civic Comedy Tour.
The Danger Boat team collected stories in each of the ten communities they visited in the 2024 tour. Last night's show was a scripted (mostly) performance that reflects some of what we heard and learned across our state.
What if a lighthearted debate about cake vs. pie could teach people how to have more respectful, meaningful conversations? Over 8,500 people have watched our comedic sketch as part of the Respectful Conversations Project, learning how ground rules and humor can transform difficult discussions.
At Danger Boat Productions, we specialize in creating engaging content that helps people communicate better. Read the full story and discover why structured conversations matter now more than ever.
Team-building activities often feel forced and ineffective—but what if there was a way to strengthen workplace collaboration while having fun? Improv-based training helps teams build trust, improve communication, and develop adaptability through interactive exercises. Unlike traditional corporate training, improv workshops create a safe and engaging environment where teams learn to connect, support one another, and embrace new ideas—all while laughing together. Learn why companies are turning to improv as a powerful tool for professional development.
How do you get students and faculty to engage in meaningful, civil discussions on complex issues? We found a creative solution: improv. Through a nationwide college tour, we used humor, debate, and interactive theater to break down barriers and foster dialogue on topics like free speech, media bias, and social change. The results? High engagement, fresh perspectives, and a new model for civic discourse. Read on to learn how creativity can drive real impact.
Valentine’s Day isn’t just for romance—it’s for politics, too! Imagine if Minnesota’s leaders shared heartfelt (and hilariously pointed) Valentine’s Day cards. In this TPT Almanac essay, Tane Danger brings that vision to life, crafting clever love notes from Amy Klobuchar, the Minnesota GOP, recreational marijuana, and more.
Would Amy Klobuchar break up with Minnesota? Would light rail feel loved by the legislature? And what would Governor Walz say to recreational marijuana? The answers are both funny and surprisingly insightful.
How do you make complex topics engaging and unforgettable? With improv comedy! At the Go Red for Women Luncheon, The Theater of Public Policy brought CPR awareness to life—literally—by turning real expert insights into spontaneous, thought-provoking humor. The result? A performance that left audiences laughing, thinking, and inspired to take action.
Networking doesn’t have to be awkward! When the Bush Foundation asked us to create a video for their BushCon event, we took a creative approach—bringing networking tips to life in the style of a fun, vintage 1950s educational film.
A look at the aggregate numbers might suggest that the Twin Cities theater scene is recovering since the pandemic. Brandon Boat’s deep dive into reported financials suggests a different story.