Big Canvas Comedy

Organization and Mission

Big Canvas Comedy was established in Omaha, Nebraska as the city's only nonprofit, family-friendly short-form improv organization. The company's core ensemble includes Doug Rothgeb (artistic director), Eric Green, Tracie Mauk, Heather Jones, and Lindsey Theis. The organization is resident at the Blackstone Theater, offering weekly performances at 3624 Farnam St in the Blackstone neighborhood.

Programming and Community

Big Canvas presents short-form improv games for family audiences alongside an improv class curriculum and community outreach initiatives. Press coverage from September 2020 documented the organization maintaining community performance during the COVID-19 pandemic period, with Rothgeb emphasizing the importance of sustaining laughter for Omaha audiences during disruption. The company's nonprofit structure enables its community-access model and educational programming.

Ongoing Operations

Big Canvas Comedy continues to perform weekly at the Blackstone Theater as Omaha's family-friendly short-form improv institution.

Big Canvas Comedy presents short-form audience-interactive improv in a family-friendly format, distinct from the adult-oriented multi-genre programming of other Omaha comedy venues. The nonprofit structure supports an educational and community-access model, with classes and outreach programs complementing the weekly performance schedule at the Blackstone Theater.