Where's free rehearsal space in Minneapolis?

March 26, 2008 1:34 PM

Minneapolisfilter: anyone from Minneapolis know of free spaces that an improv group could rehearse in?

I'm juggling a few groups in the M'nap area, and as always the difficulty becomes scheduling and location. I've discovered the hidden gems of the Walker Library meeting room and the Loring Park community center, but they have awkward hours and full schedules, respectively. Any ideas for other places? Just need an empty-ish room that can hold 5-8 people for 2 hours. Low-rental-fee spaces are an accepted alternative.

posted by ictow to society & culture (3 comments total)

Check out the downtown library as well; they do have slightly more consistent hours. Otherwise, if any members of your group are students, they can probably snag a room or even sneak in classroom time in one of the colleges/universities in the area. You could also try calling the city park board since the rec centers in town often have some space open. You might also ask about the Ivy Building or put a post on Craig's List asking about art studios/buildings willing to loan out their space. Also, don't rule out just calling up some of the stage theaters in town, especially Patrick's Cabaret.
posted by medea42 at 2:02 PM on March 26, 2008

You could try Coffman Union at the U of M; I know a few groups that practice there, but I'm not sure if one of the members has to be a student in order to reserve a room.
posted by craven_morhead at 2:07 PM on March 26, 2008

Seconding any of the spaces at the U of M. I'm almost positively sure that if you talk to the folks at the information desk (in the southeast corner of the main floor), they might know who to talk to about reserving rooms for external groups. Come to think of it, the theatre space in the CMU is empty every time I've been in there (except for the one time there was a student movie).

Beyond that, there are tons of buildings along Main St. SE in St. Anthony Main (right along the river) that have tons of empty space in them.
posted by yellowbkpk at 7:34 PM on March 26, 2008