The holiday season has arrived, and so has “Family Dinner,” a comedy improv show where a rotating cast of 10 artists creates new family dynamics with audience suggestions each night. The show runs for two more weekends at Dudley Riggs Theatre through December 28.

On Friday, celebrate the winter solstice at the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre with community singing, live music performances, and free soup. 

Experience the Indigenous Winter Wonderland at Minneapolis American Indian Center, where you can create gingerbread tipis or shop at the All My Relations Arts’ artisan market.

Improv artists explore family dynamics in an unscripted holiday comedy

Laughter, tension and a web of audience-suggested secrets are the essential ingredients in “Family Dinner,” an improvised two-act play by theatre artist Molly Ritchie. The production, moving this year to the Dudley Riggs Theatre in downtown Minneapolis, invites audiences into a family gathering where nothing is scripted — except for the phrase, “Dinner’s ready.”

Each performance features a rotating cast of 10 actors, including Jada Pulley, Angelique Lisboa, Destiny Davison, Evelyn Vocu, Ross Flores, who portray different characters each night. Audience suggestions shape their roles, with each actor incorporating a suggested secret into their character.

While early iterations of the show experimented with more combative characters, Ritchie shifted the focus to create more genuine relationships among the family members. 

“Years ago, we tried playing nasty, horrible people who wanted nothing to do with each other, and fought constantly,” Ritchie said. “I know that sounds funny but it gets old after 90 seconds, and this show is 90 minutes long!”

The show made its debut nearly 20 years ago at the ComedySportz Theater before finding its home at Huge Improv Theater, where it became a beloved seasonal tradition.

“I dearly love that we have become part of some people’s yearly ritual. ‘It’s December! When do you want to see ‘Family Dinner’?’” Ritchie said. “I also love seeing comedy actors surprise themselves with moments of true heartfelt connection. The kind of connection that comedy actors aren’t often allowed, by ourselves, or by audiences.”

The closure of Huge Improv Theater in September left the production without a home, but Caleb McEwen of Brave New Workshop stepped in to provide space at the Dudley Riggs Theatre. 

“This was going to be our 14th year at Huge Improv Theater,” Ritchie said. “I really hope we can find a 2025 home, too.” 

Despite the uncertainty, Ritche remains optimistic about the show’s future and its role in the broader improv community. 

“Twenty years ago, we were possibly the only semi-dramatic improv show in town. A 90 minute-long improvised play? People weren’t doing it,” she said. “Now, we’re not unique. People are moving improv in artistic directions we just didn’t see 20 years ago. I hope ‘Family Dinner’ has been a small part of that evolution.”

“Thanks to the efforts of leaders like John Gebretatose, the artists we are seeing on stage are finally starting to better represent the population of our cities,” she said. “It has been inspiring to watch improvisers these last few months hustling to find new spaces to perform.”

Lanterns, puppetry, and song light up winter solstice celebration

In the Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre will bring light to the longest night of the year with its “Winter Solstice Celebration.” The evening features a lantern procession in which participants carry star-shaped lanterns on a six-block route from the Avalon Theatre to Powderhorn Park. At the park, the group will sing by the lake before returning to the theater, where free soup will be provided by Sisters Camelot and Earnest Bugg. 

The celebration includes community singing led by Sabrina Patridge, a performance by Jayanthi Rajasa, and a Heart of the Beast solstice show, “Between the Worlds,” by puppeteers Esther Ouray, Julie Boada, and Laurie Witzkowski. 

Pottery bowls by ceramic artist Casey DePasquale, Minneapolis Park ceramics students, and local artists will be for sale at the event. Half of the event’s proceeds will support Twin Cities Food Justice.

For those interested in puppetry, artist Spencer Arevalo will lead a marionette-making workshop using kitchen recyclables on Saturday, December 21, from 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Avalon Theatre. 

Indigenous Winter Wonderland features games, food and local art 

The Minneapolis American Indian Center will host two events this Friday: the Indigenous Winter Wonderland celebration and the All My Relations Arts’ Niimiwin artist market. 

The Winter Wonderland celebration kicks off at 5 p.m. with a dinner of bison and lentil stew with cornbread, followed by games like tic-tac-toe, ring toss, and relay races. Arts and crafts activities invite participants to create mini-gingerbread Indigenous dwellings, including wigwams and tipis. At 5:30 p.m., a word hunt will challenge attendees to find Ojibwe and Dakota words scattered throughout the center, with prizes including a Nintendo Switch, PS5, or 4K TV. 

Meanwhile, All My Relations Arts will host an artist market featuring 10 local vendors offering herbal remedies, beauty products, jewelry, clothing, art, and more. The event will also include performances from hoop dancer Lumhe Sampson, artist Holly Henning, DJ Juleana Enright, and more.

CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story ordered the names of Liz Council Choate, Casey Martin incorrectly.

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