Join the Minnesota Humanities Center, Danger Boat Productions, and the New York Mills Regional Cultural Center for the Sketches of Minnesota civic improv comedy tour! This free event will use laughter and comedy to celebrate Minnesota communities, promote dialogue, bridge divides, and help find ways to work constructively across differences in today’s political environment.
Beginning with a catered meal, these gatherings will invite audience members to share what makes their town great, what they think people get wrong about it, what local divisions concern them, and what future they imagine. An improv comedy troupe will listen in on the conversations, taking everything they heard from residents and bringing it to life on stage through entirely unscripted improv comedy theater.
Date: October 27th, 2025
Time: Doors: 5:00, Dinner: 6:00, Show: To Follow
Location: Thumper Pond Resort, 300 Thumper Lodge Rd, Ottertail, MN
Cost: This event is free but registration is required. Registration coming soon!
What Happens at a Sketches of Minnesota Show?
How the Event Works
1. Community Gathering and Meal
We collaborate with a local community organization to invite people from all areas of the community. As we facilitate the creation of new friendships and nurture existing bonds, we provide a free catered meal and ask that people consider sitting at tables with people that they did not drive with to the event.
2. Good Conversation
Over dinner, comedians from Danger Boat Productions and staff from the Minnesota Humanities Center guide community members and friends through a facilitated conversation using the following questions:
What makes their town great?
What do people get wrong about their town?
What challenges do they see for their town?
What future do they hope for their town?
3. Improv Performance
The Danger Boat cast then takes the stage, doing an improv show inspired entirely by the reflections on the participants. The show creates smiles, laughter and fun while providing insight into the pertinent issues facing the community.
4. Town Talk Back
Being good hosts, leaders from MHC and Danger Boat facilitate an audience Talk Back after the performance to give them an opportunity to discuss what they saw, heard, enjoyed, what was moving, and sparked their interest to know more.
Brought To You By
The work of the Minnesota Humanities Center is to create a stronger Minnesota by increasing our understanding of the beauty, wisdom and stories of its people. Only through partnerships can we facilitate spaces, like Sketches of Minnesota, that build our connections and deepen our understanding of ourselves and our communities. In addition to the incredible organizations and individuals organizing these performances, we thank the financial sponsors of this work:
West Central Initiative, Blandin Foundation, Initiative Foundation
Sketches of Minnesota is funded in part with money from the Clean Water, Land & Legacy Fund that was created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008, and by the National Endowment for the Humanities.