The Theater of Public Policy with Cathy Wurzer

Cathy Wurzer takes the stage at Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater on Tuesday, November 17, for the season finale of The Theater of Public Policy. It's a night that starts with a talk and ends with improv, and it's the closing act of a series the venue has been running all season.

Wurzer is one of the most recognizable voices in Minnesota broadcasting. She's a Minnesota Broadcaster's Hall of Fame inductee, a longtime host of Morning Edition on Minnesota Public Radio, and a co-host of Almanac, the longest-running public affairs television show of its kind in the country, over at Twin Cities PBS. These days she's also the founder and executive director of End in Mind, a non-profit that gives people information and tools to find comfort with death so they can live fully until the end.

That's where the night begins. Wurzer shares tips on how to tackle difficult conversations—the kind that can feel impossible to start, from big changes in family or work to discussions about the end of life. It's the kind of practical advice that usually stays behind closed doors, brought out into the open. Once she's done, some of the funniest performers in Minnesota take the conversation and use it as real-time inspiration for spontaneous theater scenes. The talk provides the material, and the improv turns it into a show.

The Theater of Public Policy is a season-long series run by Bryant Lake Bowl & Theater, and this is the finale. The fall 2026 season is presented with support from the Minneapolis Foundation. The show runs from 7 PM to 8:30 PM on Tuesday, November 17, at 810 W Lake St in Minneapolis, with doors opening at 6 PM. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door.