HUGE Theater (Minneapolis)

HUGE Improv Theater was founded in 2005 by a group of Minneapolis improvisers including Jill Bernard, Butch Roy, Nels Lennes, Joe Bozic, and Mike Fotis, who envisioned a community-driven improv theater that would prioritize accessibility, diversity, and the pure joy of improvisation above all else. The theater began as an itinerant collective, performing at various Twin Cities venues before incorporating as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in 2009. In 2010, HUGE opened its first permanent home — a 100-seat theater at 3037 Lyndale Avenue South in Minneapolis — giving the organization the physical anchor it needed to build a robust training program and performance schedule. Over its nearly two decades of operation, HUGE became a central pillar of the Twin Cities improv community, training thousands of performers and hosting over 500 shows annually. In September 2023, the theater moved to a new location at 2728 Lyndale Avenue South, seeking a larger space to accommodate its growing community. However, in October 2024, HUGE Improv Theater permanently closed its doors, ending a 19-year run that left an indelible mark on Minneapolis comedy and the national independent improv landscape.

During its years of operation, HUGE distinguished itself from other improv institutions — including its Minneapolis neighbor Brave New Workshop — through its unwavering commitment to accessibility, low barriers to entry, and a community-first philosophy that put the experience of students and performers ahead of commercial considerations. Where Brave New Workshop focused on satirical revue comedy in a professional-theater model, HUGE operated as a true community theater where anyone could take classes, join a team, and perform on stage regardless of experience level or professional ambition. The theater's nonprofit structure allowed it to keep class prices among the lowest in the country, offer payment plans and scholarships, and reinvest all revenue into programming and community access. HUGE was widely recognized as one of the most inclusive improv spaces in the United States, actively recruiting and supporting performers from communities historically underrepresented in improv — including performers of color, LGBTQ+ improvisers, performers with disabilities, and people from lower-income backgrounds. At its peak, HUGE served over 600 students each year and supported approximately 200 active performing artists, making it the heartbeat of Twin Cities independent improv. Nearly every improviser in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area trained at or performed at HUGE at some point in their career.

When HUGE was active, getting started was as simple as signing up for a beginner improv class through the theater's website — no audition, no prerequisites, no gatekeeping of any kind. Classes were designed for adults aged 18 and over and ran two hours per week for 10 weeks, providing a generous 20 hours of instruction per level. The training curriculum progressed through multiple levels covering improv fundamentals, scene work, character development, long-form structure, and ensemble performance. HUGE's teaching philosophy emphasized the joy of improvisation above all else — classes were structured to build confidence, reduce self-consciousness, and help students discover their natural comedic instincts in a supportive, pressure-free environment. The theater offered payment plans and scholarships to ensure that financial constraints never prevented an interested student from enrolling. HUGE's approach to advancement was notably egalitarian — while the curriculum was structured, there was no competitive gatekeeping or selective audition process between levels, reflecting the theater's belief that improv is for everyone, not just those who demonstrate the most natural talent.

The training and performance ecosystem at HUGE was built around the principle that stage time is the most important factor in a performer's development, and the theater structured its operations to provide as much of it as possible. With over 500 performances annually, HUGE offered more shows per year than many improv theaters in much larger cities, and the low-pressure, community-oriented format meant that performers at all skill levels could find a stage. The theater hosted house teams, independent teams, showcases, jams, and special events throughout the week, creating a constant flow of performance opportunities. HUGE also hosted the annual Twin Cities Improv Festival, which brought in performers from across the region and connected the Minneapolis improv community to the broader national scene. The teaching staff was drawn from HUGE's own community of experienced performers, all of whom shared the theater's values of inclusivity and encouragement. One of HUGE's most beloved features was the warmth of its community — the theater functioned as much as a social hub as a performance venue, and the relationships formed there extended far beyond the stage into friendships, collaborations, and creative partnerships that defined the Twin Cities improv scene.

HUGE attracted the broadest cross-section of any improv theater in the Twin Cities — its deliberately low barriers to entry and inclusive culture drew students and performers of every age, background, profession, and experience level. The theater was particularly successful at reaching communities that typically do not engage with improv, including older adults, immigrants, people with disabilities, and residents of Minneapolis neighborhoods underserved by the arts. While HUGE did not produce the same roster of nationally famous alumni as institutions like Second City or UCB, its impact on the Twin Cities comedy community was incalculable — virtually every active improviser in Minneapolis-St. Paul performed at HUGE or trained there at some point, and the theater's emphasis on community over competition created a culture of mutual support that elevated the entire local scene. Many HUGE performers went on to perform at Brave New Workshop, participate in the Twin Cities comedy festival circuit, and build careers in the regional entertainment industry. The theater's closure in 2024 left a significant gap in the Twin Cities improv ecosystem that other organizations are still working to fill.

During its operation, HUGE classes cost approximately $150 to $200 per level, making it one of the most affordable improv training options at any established theater in the United States. Each level provided 20 hours of instruction over 10 weekly sessions — a generous amount of class time that exceeded what many higher-priced programs offer. The complete training track from beginner through advanced levels represented an investment of roughly $600 to $1,000 total, a fraction of what comparable training costs at institutions in Chicago, New York, or Los Angeles. HUGE's nonprofit structure meant that keeping prices low was a core organizational priority, not an afterthought, and the theater actively supplemented its affordability with payment plans and scholarship programs. Since HUGE has permanently closed as of October 2024, these prices are historical reference only. Minneapolis-area performers seeking comparable training should look to Brave New Workshop, which continues to offer classes in the city, or explore options at other Twin Cities comedy venues that may have expanded their programming to help fill the void left by HUGE's closure.

Since HUGE Theater permanently closed in October 2024, it is no longer accepting students or hosting performances. For Minneapolis-area performers seeking improv training, the primary alternative is Brave New Workshop, which offers a comprehensive training program with its own distinctive focus on satirical comedy. Other Twin Cities venues may offer improv classes or workshops on a more limited basis. Performers who valued HUGE's community-first, accessible approach should look for programs that share those values — many cities have community improv organizations that prioritize inclusion over selection. If you trained at HUGE and are looking to continue your development, Brave New Workshop is the most natural next step in Minneapolis, while a move to Chicago would open access to Second City, iO, and the Annoyance Theatre. For performers who were inspired by HUGE's model of affordable, inclusive improv education, the theater's legacy lives on in the hundreds of improvisers it trained who continue to perform, teach, and build comedy communities across the Twin Cities and beyond.

If you trained at HUGE before its closure, carry its values forward into whatever improv community you join next — the principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and joy that defined HUGE are needed everywhere, and you can be an ambassador for that ethos. Connect with other HUGE alumni through social media and the Twin Cities improv community — the network of performers who passed through HUGE represents a significant creative community that continues to exist even without the physical theater. If you are a Minneapolis improviser looking for a new home, explore Brave New Workshop's training program but also consider starting a practice group or independent team with fellow HUGE alumni — the skills and relationships you built at HUGE are not gone just because the venue closed. For improv teachers and theater organizers in other cities, study HUGE's model of affordable, nonprofit, community-driven improv education — the theater demonstrated that this approach can sustain a vibrant organization for nearly two decades and serve thousands of students. Honor HUGE's memory by continuing to improvise, wherever you are.