Join the Minnesota Humanities Center, Danger Boat Productions, and Rochester community for a special return visit of the Sketches of Minnesota civic improv comedy tour! These free events 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.
This time, we invite the Rochester community to take a deep dive into the topic of downtown Rochester – what it means and how it affects residents in the surrounding community and what challenges and opportunities lie ahead for its future.
We will begin with a free catered dinner conversation discussing downtown Rochester. An improv comedy troupe will listen in on the conversations, take everything they heard from residents, and bring it to life on stage through entirely unscripted improv comedy theater. Following the performance, Rochester civic and community leaders will unpack the evening’s themes in a fireside chat.
Date: August 26th, 2026
Time: Doors: 5:00, Dinner: 6:00, Show: To Follow
Location: Rochester Art Center, 30 Civic Center Dr SE Ste 120, Rochester, MN 55904
Cost: Free
Host Partner: Rochester Art Center
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. Through partnerships, we facilitate the spaces, like Sketches of Minnesota, that seek to build connections and deepen understanding of ourselves and our communities in pursuit of a more just society. In addition to the incredible organizations and individuals organizing these performances, we thank the financial sponsors of this work:
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.