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The Brave New Workshop (BNW), based in Minneapolis, Minnesota was founded by
Dudley Riggs Dudley Riggs (January 18, 1932 – September 22, 2020) was an improvisational comedian who created the Instant Theater Company in New York, which later moved to Minneapolis to become the Brave New Workshop comedy troupe. Family and early care ...
in 1958 and is the longest running sketch and improvisational comedy theater in the US. BNW continues the tradition, of writing, producing, and performing as a Resident Theatre o
Hennepin Theatre Trust


History

Brave New Workshop was founded in 1958 by
Dudley Riggs Dudley Riggs (January 18, 1932 – September 22, 2020) was an improvisational comedian who created the Instant Theater Company in New York, which later moved to Minneapolis to become the Brave New Workshop comedy troupe. Family and early care ...
, a fifth-generation circus aerialist who performed all over the globe. Riggs's parents were
circus A circus is a company of performers who put on diverse entertainment shows that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, dancers, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, magicians, ventriloquists, and unicyclis ...
and vaudeville performers, and he regularly joked that he ran away from the circus to find a home. BNW was originally known as the “Instant Theatre Company.” Riggs assembled and led a talented group of writers and performers intending to make people think by first making them laugh. In the late ’50s, the troupe travelled to Minneapolis and performed at a restaurant called Steffano’s. The Instant Theater Company then decided to stay in Minneapolis and create a performing space for themselves; "Dudley Riggs' Cafe Espresso" opened in a former garage at 18 University Avenue NE. In 1961 the venue relocated to 207 E. Hennepin Avenue, and after much planning and brainstorming, and with help from friends
Dick Guindon Richard Gordon Guindon (December 2, 1935 – February 27, 2022) was an American cartoonist best known for his gag panel ''Guindon''. Guindon's cartoons have appeared in the ''Minneapolis Tribune'', ''The Realist'', and the ''Detroit Free Press''. ...
, Irv Letofsky, and Dan Sullivan, this would be the beginning of the satirical comedy theatre that was known for many years as Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop. Four years later, in 1965, the theatre moved to 2605 Hennepin Avenue, a space that had been a bicycle shop, and would be home to the theatre for most of the following four decades. The Brave New Workshop took its name from
Aldous Huxley Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963) was an English writer and philosopher. He wrote nearly 50 books, both novels and non-fiction works, as well as wide-ranging essays, narratives, and poems. Born into the prominent Huxley ...
's ''
Brave New World ''Brave New World'' is a Utopian and dystopian fiction#Dystopian fiction, dystopian novel by English author Aldous Huxley, written in 1931 and published in 1932. Largely set in a futuristic World State, whose citizens are environmentally engi ...
'' and bills itself as the oldest ongoing satirical comedy theater in the nation. Nearly 400 original productions have been mounted o
Brave New Workshop
stages for more than three million people. Improv and sketch comedy shows can be seen on its stage nearly every weekend. In March 1997, Riggs sold the theater to John Sweeney, Jenni Lilledahl, and Mark Bergren. Bergren left the Brave New Workshop in 1999 to pursue other interests. The name of the theater changed slightly to "The Brave New Workshop, founded by Dudley Riggs in 1958." Despite the name change, BNW continued to produce all-original sketch comedy and improvisation revues on a year-round basis. They also oversaw the Brave New Institute, a training center for improvisation. The school claimed to have the most broad-based improv curriculum of any training center in the country, with more than 300 students and specific programming for performers, non-performers, youth, seniors, and corporations. In December 2021
Hennepin Theatre Trust
urchased the assets of BNW as well as the Dudley Riggs Theatre, located at 824 Hennepin Avenue with the vision of carrying on BNW’s long-standing legacy of world-class sketch comedy and improvisation.


Location

Early locations for Riggs' venue were across the Mississippi River from downtown Minneapolis, at 18 University Avenue NE and 207 East Hennepin Avenue. In 1965, Riggs moved the company to its historic location at 2605 Hennepin Avenue South, where it remained until 1998, when the BNW moved four blocks south to Calhoun Square in Uptown Minneapolis. Finding the location a financial burden, the company returned to 2605 Hennepin in 2002. The Brave New Workshop also operated a satellite location in neighboring Saint Paul, Minnesota for five years before closing in 2006. In 1971, a satellite theater and cafe, the "ETC" ("Experimental Theatre Company," not to be confused with The Brave New Workshop's current "Experimental Thinking Centre"), opened in the Southern Theatre at Seven Corners in the Cedar Riverside area of Minneapolis' West Bank. In 2010, previous owners John Sweeney and Jenni Lilledahl purchased the Hennepin Stages Theater at 824 Hennepin Avenue (the longtime home to productions such as
Tony n' Tina's Wedding ''Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding'' is an "environmental/ immersive theatre" event based on a traditional Italian-American wedding and reception, with warm and intrusive stereotypes exaggerated for comic effect. Audience members are treated as guests at ...
) in downtown Minneapolis. The historic location at 2605 Hennepin Avenue was sold in August 2014. In December 2021 the 824 Hennepin Ave building was purchased by the Hennepin Theatre Trust. The building was renamed Dudley Riggs Theatre in November 2022 and currently houses the theater where the main stage sketch comedy shows are performed, as well as an event space.


Shows

BNW, was closed by executive order in March of 2020 due to the COVID 19 Pandemic. The troupe returned to the stage as a Hennepin Theatre Trust Resident Theatre in May of 2022. Recent shows include Back to Workshop or Everything's Fine! (Summer 2022), This Show is Cheaper Than Gas - America on Empty (Fall 2022), and The Best Christmas Show in Three Years (2022).


Notable alumni

Notable alumni of the Brave New Workshop include
Louie Anderson Louis Perry Anderson (March 24, 1953 – January 21, 2022) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, author and game show host. Anderson created the cartoon series ''Life with Louie'' and the television sitcom '' The Louie Show'', and wrote four ...
,
Mo Collins Maureen Ann Collins (born July 7, 1965) is an American actress and comedian who was a member of the ensemble on FOX's sketch comedy series '' Mad TV''. Collins became well known for several characters during her tenure on the show. She was a ...
, Tom Davis,
Al Franken Alan Stuart Franken (born May 21, 1951) is an American comedian, politician, media personality, and author who served as a United States senator from Minnesota from 2009 to 2018. He gained fame as a writer and performer on the television comed ...
,
Penn Jillette Penn Fraser Jillette (born March 5, 1955) is an American magician, actor, musician, inventor, television presenter, and author, best known for his work with fellow magician Teller as half of the team Penn & Teller. The duo has been featured i ...
,
Carl Lumbly Carl Winston Lumbly (born August 14, 1951) is an American actor. He is known for his roles as Dick Hallorann in '' Doctor Sleep'', NYPD detective Marcus Petrie on the CBS police drama ''Cagney & Lacey'', CIA agent Marcus Dixon on the ABC espion ...
,
Paul Menzel Paul Menzel is an American actor, writer, producer, and business consultant in Houston, Texas. He began his career by organizing a comedy troupe while a student at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. After graduation, he was performer ...
,
Pat Proft Pat Proft is an American comedy writer, actor, and director. Born in Minnesota in 1947, Proft began his career at Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis in the mid 1960s. He went on to perform as a one-man comedy act in the late 1960s. ...
, Annie Reirson, Taylor Nikolai,
Nancy Steen Nancy Jane Steen (born January 31, 1950 in Shoreview, Minnesota) is an American television producer, writer and actress. Career Steen began her career as an actress at Dudley Riggs' Brave New Workshop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After graduati ...
,
Peter Tolan Peter James Tolan III (born July 5, 1958) is an American television producer, director, and screenwriter. Early life and career Tolan was born in Scituate, Massachusetts, where he was a perennial favorite in the high school's dramatic productions ...
,
Linda Wallem Linda Wallem (born May 29, 1961) is an American actress, writer, and producer. Early life Wallem was born in Madison, Wisconsin, and raised in Rockford, Illinois. She is the older sister of actor Stephen Wallem who co-stars on her show ''Nurse ...
,
Lizz Winstead Lizz Winstead (born August 5, 1961) is an American comedian, radio and television personality, and blogger. A native of Minnesota, Winstead is the co-creator of ''The Daily Show'' along with Madeleine Smithberg, and served as head writer. Ea ...
, Peter MacNicol,
Melissa Peterman Melissa Margaret Peterman is an American actress and comedian. She has played the role of Barbra Jean in the television comedy series '' Reba'', appeared as Bonnie Wheeler in the ABC Family/ Freeform series ''Baby Daddy'', and was host of ABC Fami ...
, and
Cedric Yarbrough Cedric Percelle Yarbrough (born March 20, 1973) is an American actor and comedian who stars in series ''Reno 911!'' as Deputy S. Jones and as Kenneth on the ABC sitcom '' Speechless'', as well as voicing Gerald Fitzgerald on the Netflix comedy Pa ...
.


Current leadership

The Brave New Workshop is a Resident Theatre of th Hennepin Theatre Trust. Caleb McEwen, who has been with BNW for 26 years and part of more than 100 productions, currently serves as the Artistic Director.Matthew Vichlach, veteran Technical Director continues to provide Light, Sound and Video Design. Long time performers Lauren Anderson, Taj Ruler, Denzel Belin and Jon Pumper (Music Director) have all returned to the writer's room and the stage. They are joined again by a more recent addition, Doug Neithercott (long time Twin Cities performer) to continue the tradition of Promiscuous Hostility and Positive Neutrality started by Riggs more than 60 years ago.


Partnerships,

The Brave New Workshop was the featured entertainment for Disney Cruise Lines for several years, and the resident comedy-writing team for
NPR National Public Radio (NPR, stylized in all lowercase) is an American privately and state funded nonprofit media organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It differs from other n ...
's "
All Things Considered ''All Things Considered'' (''ATC'') is the flagship news program on the American network National Public Radio (NPR). It was the first news program on NPR, premiering on May 3, 1971. It is broadcast live on NPR affiliated stations in the United ...
." Brave New Workshop actors have worked with Minnesota Public Radio's comedy show ''Wits'', hosted by John Moe.


References


Bibliography

* Hubbard, Rob. ''Brave New Workshop : Promiscuous Hostility and Laughs in the Land of Loons''. History Press, South Carolina, 2015. * Riggs, Dudley. ''Flying Funny: My Life Without a Net.'' University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis, 2017.


External links


Brave New Workshop
{{Authority control Improvisational theatre Improvisational troupes Comedy clubs in the United States Theatre in Minneapolis