Hennepin Arts Show - The Algorithm is Gonna Get You

Brave New Workshop is running The Algorithm is Gonna Get You at the Dudley Riggs Theatre through Saturday, November 7. It's a new sketch comedy revue that takes aim at social media, smartphones, and the endless scroll we all know too well. The cast features Lauren Anderson, Denzel Belin, Isabella Dunsieth, Doug Neithercott, and Taj Ruler, with Jon Pumper on music and Matthew Vichlach as technical director. It's recommended for ages 14 and up.

If you're not familiar with the name, Brave New Workshop is the longest-running comedy theatre in the United States. They've been doing satirical sketch comedy and improvisation since 1958, when fifth-generation circus aerialist Dudley Riggs founded it as the Instant Theatre Company. It opened off-Broadway with vaudeville-style sketches, burlesque blackouts, and audience input that helped shape comedic improvisation as we know it today. The company found a permanent home in the Twin Cities in 1958 and added the Brave New Workshop name in 1961. Co-owners John Sweeney and Jenni Lilledahl bought it from Riggs in 1997, and the Hennepin Theatre Trust acquired the workshop and its downtown facility in 2021. The alumni list reads like a who's who of comedy: Louie Anderson, Lizz Winstead, Al Franken, Melissa Peterman, and Cedric Yarbrough all came through here.

The Algorithm is Gonna Get You is an all-new revue, so you're seeing fresh material rather than a revival. It's been running since August 13, with previews through August 20 and opening night on Friday, August 21. Performances are Friday and Saturday evenings at 7:30 PM, with Saturday matinees at 4:30 PM that started on October 3. Keep in mind there are no performances on Saturday, October 10, or Friday, October 16. The Dudley Riggs Theatre is at 824 Hennepin Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55403.