"Family Dinner" at the Dudley Riggs Theatre

My favorite improv show is back! Improvisor Molly Ritchie started Family Dinner, a two-act improvised play about, you guessed it, a family gathering for a holiday* dinner, about 20 years ago. The show eventually landed at HUGE Theater where it played to sold-out houses for 13 years until HUGE sadly closed its doors last year. But it has found a new home at the Dudley Riggs Theatre, the home of Brave New Workshop and part of the Hennepin Arts group of theaters. It's been playing every Friday and Saturday since November 7, and will continue through the end of December (that means just four more shows!). It's become a sort of tradition for the Twin Cities Theater Bloggers to gather for our own TCTB family dinner, and then watch a performance of the most hilariously awkward Family Dinner you'll (hopefully) ever experience. I joined my friends from Beyond the Curtains, Minnesota Theater Love, Play Off the Page, The Stages of MN, and Twin Cities Stages for a fun evening of dinner (at Crave right across the street) and comedy on Hennepin Avenue.

"Nudge" at Open Eye Theatre

As part of their Guest Artist Series, Open Eye Theatre is hosting the long-form improv show Nudge once a month through December. I caught the show last night, before the #TCTheater season gets too busy. A small but enthusiastic crowd enjoyed one continuous story that played out in under an hour, completely made up on the spot. This talented troupe of some of our best improvisors (Tim Hellendrung, Katy Kessler, Taj Ruler, and Jen Scott performed last night, with Rita Boersma and/or Butch Roy joining them at some performances) created believable characters and situations that were funny, and awkward, and real. Since HUGE Theater closed last year, we need to go to different venues to see improv (including but not limited Strike Theater, Jungle Theater, and the Hive Collaborative), and Nudge is one that's definitely worth checking out in Open Eye's sweet intimate space in South Minneapolis. Their next show is October 20, followed by shows in November and December, with tickets just $12 in advance! Click here for all the details.