The HUGE Theater Blog!

Step ONE: Our official statement

As everyone else learned the news, we at HUGE Theater were made aware that our landlord made a $500 donation to David Duke in 2016.

HUGE is a nonprofit theater dedicated to building a healthy and diverse improv community. We are in year 3 of a 10-year lease on our building, which has housed our theater from the time we opened in December 2010 – in the middle of a snowstorm and during a recession.

What held HUGE Theater together then, and now, is our incredibly supportive and expansive community.From our first days we have worked to build an inclusive community and to illuminate the path from student to stage so we could share this art form we love. Improv is a deeply personal art form and a multitude of voices are needed to tell new and interesting stories.

We are proud to host and give our ongoing support to the Tiny Funny Women Fest, the Black & Funny Festival, monthly POC jams, monthly Queer jams, monthly 40+ jams, and two Women-Trans-Femme classes. We have worked thoughtfully with other theaters nationally to form a Student Bill of Rights and Boundaries guidelines to make sure our classes and stage are inclusive and free of threat or intimidation of any kind.

For these reasons and more, we would like to formally tell Nazis and the KKK that they can fuck straight off.

[ unanimously approved by the full Board of Directors – Aug 29, 2017 ]

Here’s the short version:

This summer, HUGE Improv Theater moved from its original home at 3037 Lyndale Avenue, to a new, larger space at 2728 Lyndale Ave. This has the potential to be amazing, but transforming that facility into a theater and education space is cost upwards of $750,000! We vitally need financial support right now to reach that goal. If you can help, please do!

HOW YOU CAN HELP:

SPONSOR A CHAIR! Individually or as a team, group, or family, make a $500 donation, and you can get your name or preferred dedication on one of the 125 seats in our new theater! We also have other sponsorship opportunities.

DONATE IN ANY AMOUNT! If a sponsorship isn’t in the cards right now, every bit helps! We’re thrilled to welcome donations in any amount you care to give.

HELP RECRUIT A MAJOR DONOR/SPONSOR! Might you, someone close to you, or the company you work for be in a position to make a major gift or sponsorship? We would LOVE to discuss the difference that gift could make, and the recognition we are able to provide. Email Managing Director Sean Dillon.

Here’s the longer version:

When HUGE opened its doors in 2011, it hosted around 50 performances and a handful of classes. The growth in the Twin Cities improv community since that time has been explosive, and in 2019 HUGE had over 700 class enrollments with long waitlists, and over 450 performances for over 17,000 ticketholders with numerous sell-out performances. It became clear that our current space could not meet the needs of the people — students, performers, and audiences — that we’re dedicated to serving. While the pandemic put a dent in those stats, we are already seeing steady progress back to that level of activity. We need room to grow.

In 2017 it also came to light that our current landlord financially supports extremist causes that are incompatible with HUGE’s values. At that time, we committed to ending our business relationship with that landlord as quickly as possible. While it was not feasible to break our lease, that lease expires in August 2023, just months from now.

So it is time for us to move. And luckily, we were able to secure a lease on a new space at 2728 Lyndale, a building that we had previously tried to purchase in 2019. While the financing for that purchase fell through, we are thrilled to be able to move forward with many of the plans we developed at that time, as renters. And the possibility of eventually purchasing the building outright still exists.

Because of pandemic supply chain problems, construction costs have skyrocketed since our last build-out in 2011, and it may cost as much as $750,000 to complete construction on our new space. And because we don’t own the building, many lenders have been hesitant to approve a construction loan to get the work done. And so we are depending on our own cash on hand, grants, major gifts and sponsorships, and lot of individual donations.

What happens if we don’t have the funds? We have to build out in phases. And the new space will look unfinished and only be semi-usable perhaps for years. In the long run, it will cost more to complete and will force HUGE to tighten its belt in ways that worsen our service to our community (higher ticket prices, fewer scholarships, less taking risks and funding programs that don’t pay for themselves). So we need help. And quickly — construction begins in May.

Thank you for anything and everything you can do! There will be further opportunities — to help us move, paint, etc. — coming down the line. But for now, unfortunately it is all about those funds friends.

GIVE HERE!

P.S. - To all of you who gave to HUGE’s building campaign in 2019, thank you and we have not forgotten you! Those funds are sustaining the building effort RIGHT NOW. Those that gave $1000 or more to that effort will be getting a “brick” plaque on the walls of the new space as promised to commemorate your amazing gifts!

Hi everybody!

We’re pleased to let you all know that Carin Bratlie Wethern (she/her), Artistic Director of Theatre Pro Rata, has agreed to step into the position of Whistleblower Representative/Compliance Officer for HUGE. This role was previously filled by Jack Reuler of Mixed Blood Theater, and we thank him for his long service!

What does this mean? HUGE maintains an open-door policy for reports of unethical behavior by anyone involved at HUGE (including harassment and abuse of position). We welcome anyone to report to any member of our leadership, board, or faculty, who will work to see such concerns addressed fully and appropriately. We also have an anonymous feedback form on our website and a working relationship with the group Fair Play MN, that can help women, trans, femme, and non-binary folx with reports of harassment or abuse within the comedy communities.

But we know there might be instances where a reporter may not feel comfortable bringing their concern to someone at HUGE or within the improv community, or may feel their concern not been appropriately addressed. The Whistleblower Representative/Compliance Officer role provides an alternative path; a person who is not employed or beholden to HUGE, nor a part of the improv community, who is empowered to investigate and act on concerns about HUGE that is brought to them. While we hope it is never needed, we always want that option to be available, for the sake of community safety.

In her role as Artistic Director of Theatre Pro Rata, Carin has a stalwart reputation for straight dealing, thoroughness, and an abiding concern for the importance of safety and equity in the Arts. For these reasons, we’re grateful to her for accepting this role, even as we at HUGE continue to commit to making it as superfluous as possible. Should you ever need it, Carin’s contact email is carin@theatreprorata.org.

A link to our Whistleblower policy is always available on the Performers page of our website: https://www.hugetheater.com/pe...

It's that time again! HUGE is looking for your show ideas for the Fall/Winter 2023 season.

With our big move on schedule for this summer, the shows that are selected from this batch of proposals will be the first to appear on our brand new stage at 2728 Lyndale!

We plan to open the new theater in September. Shows will run for the months of September and October or November and December as they did in our old space. That said, the timing of the weekend shows will be changing slightly with the transition to our new stage. Rather than starting the night off at 8:00p, we are moving everything back to 7:30p. That means the first show of the night will run from 7:30p to 8:45. The second will run from 9:00 to 9:45 and the third will run from 10:00 to 10:45.

Please submit your show ideas here - we're excited to start the planning process. Contact Info@HUGETheater.com or Becky@HUGETheater.com with any questions. Can't wait to see what you've been cooking up!

I am thrilled to announce the casts for Throwback Night 2023. We had nearly 100 people sign up to audition; a big jump in comparison to the auditions we've held recently. While it is fantastic to see so many talented players, it made the casting process very difficult. I want to reiterate my thanks to everyone that came out. This community is amazing. So here they are folks; Throwback Night 2023!

The Armando - Directed by Jen Scott, Assistant Director Matt Prindle
Angelique Lisboa
Britt Johnson
Christopher Rodriguez
Derek Landseidel
Destiny Davidson
Erin Sheppard
Jada Pulley
Jennifer Erickson
Justine Myers
Kelsey Dilts McGregor
Nels Lennes
Rachel Buhman

The Butch - Directed by Butch Roy, Assistant Director Ari Newman
Anshul Chawla
Dan Linden
Erica Solomon
Erik Ostrom
Evelyn Vocu
Gubby Kubik-Nielsen
Jex Arzayus
Kristin Ragnacci
Naomi Schroeter
Patrick McIntyre
Ryan Klima
Sandra Struthers
Shelby Shroeder
Wesley Erickson

The Free Association - Directed by Alexis Camille, Assistant Director Becky Hauser
Adam Mellerup
Alicia Wheelock
Bradley Machov
Chip Gehrig
Dorian Beal
Erik KN
Jack Callahan
Liz Council
Lucy Scherschligt Zarns
Michael Rogers
Paige Kraemer
Will Schroeder