Improv Falls

Improv Falls was established in 2018 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as a group of trained improvisers bringing live improv to the city and surrounding area. The company built a regular performance schedule across Sioux Falls venues, including shows at Icon Events and appearances through Downtown Sioux Falls programming.

The group performs short-form, long-form, and musical improvisation, rotating formats to keep shows fresh. Improv Falls is listed in the Sioux Falls Arts Council's Artist Directory, reflecting its integration into the city's broader arts community.

Improv Falls distinguishes itself through format variety, performing short-form games, long-form scenes, and musical improvisation rather than committing to a single style. The company emphasizes that every show offers something new, describing their approach as never settling for the same show twice. This rotation-focused model allows the group to challenge its performers while keeping audiences engaged across repeat visits.

Improv @ Icon is the company's primary recurring monthly show, held at Icon Lounge and DaDa Gastropub in downtown Sioux Falls, featuring fresh unscripted scenes and stories built entirely from audience suggestions at each performance. The series runs across themed seasonal editions including a Holiday Show in December, New Year New Laughs in January, Meet Cute and Improv in February, Magic Made on the Spot in March, Comedy in Bloom in April, Season Closer in May, and Spooky Season in October. Improv Falls Summer Camp is a three-week program for adult participants described as a creative space camp for performers aged 18 and older. The company also performs through Live and Local Presents at Washington Pavilion's Belbas Theater, extending its reach to a larger civic venue.

Improv Falls was founded in Sioux Falls, South Dakota in 2018, establishing one of the few dedicated improvisation ensembles in the state and building a seven-member resident company including Bill Ballard, Debbi Jones, Zach Dresch, Emily Wilson, Michael Sorenson, Chris Andrews, and Jessica Graeber. The company makes its primary home at Icon Lounge on North Main Avenue, offering monthly performances that have built a loyal local audience for live unscripted comedy in a market with limited prior exposure to the form. Sorenson's background as a musician and dueling piano performer adds a live instrumental dimension to the ensemble's work.

Improv Falls occupies a rare position as a sustained improvisation company in South Dakota, where permanent improv infrastructure is scarce. Its partnership with Washington Pavilion's Belbas Theater has connected the ensemble to one of Sioux Falls's premier civic arts venues, lending institutional credibility beyond the bar-show context in which many regional improv companies operate. The adult summer camp format reflects an effort to develop new performers from the local population, creating a training pathway that could expand the company's talent base over time.