WEATHER CANCELLATION: The Jan. 31st event has been CANCELLED due to frigid temperatures and lack of available street parking.
DUN DUN! MidAtlantic Improv and Area 405 have announced a regularly scheduled Law & Order SIU: Special Improv Unit program for its TV theater viewers beginning at the end of January 2026.
The partnership between the improv group and Area 405 involves them co-producing performances the last weekend of every other month throughout 2026 beginning on Saturday, Jan. 31. Created by Michael Harris and the performers of MidAtlantic Improv, Law & Order SIU! is a fully improvised take on America’s longest running police procedural.
Rather than being “ripped from the headlines,” the performance trajectory is “ripped from the audience” in these comedic murder investigation performances. Law & Order SIU! is a full episode of Law & Order, fully improvised and fully in love with Charm City, never-before seen and never-to-be-seen again.
Every aspect of the Law & Order formula is adopted, from the discovery of the victim, played by an audience volunteer, to the tough-but-fair lieutenant, to the borderline ethical attorneys, and a final verdict delivered by the audience. There are even real commercial breaks with ads for completely imaginary products. Performances are approximately 75 minutes long with no intermission.
In a March 2025 exchange with Baltimore Fishbowl, Harris described the fun of working within the Law & Order framework.
“Having the fairly rigid structure of the Law & Order procedural is oddly freeing for improvisers,” Harris noted. “We can focus on making wild, bold choices for characters and relationships without having to worry about driving the plot. This also solves the biggest problem that performance improv has, to whit, typical improv shows are funny but have no overarching story. Which, ultimately, confuses, even alienates, the audience. So, it’s a joy for us to do a show that holds the audience’s attention and involvement throughout.”
Harris is an actor, improviser and teaching artist who has worked in the Baltimore/DC area for 20 years. Under the MidAtlantic Improv banner, he has created multiple shows including Choose Your Own Election (w/Baltimore Sun Cartoonist KAL), and Bah Humbug: A Christmas Carol (Mostly) Improvised.
Area 405 supports the Baltimore art scene’s tight-knit and vibrant community.
“Baltimore’s artists weave their aspirations into the city’s fabric, bringing life into neglected spaces left by their predecessors,” reads the press release. “In this spirit, we regard AREA 405 not merely as an arts hub, but as an extension of this artistic ethos, a place where creativity thrives amidst the city’s enduring narrative.”
The 2026 dates for Law & Order: Special Improv Unit performances at Area 405 are Jan. 31, March 28, May 30, July 25, and Sept. 26. All performances are at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $12 for seniors and students. Tickets are available on Eventbrite.
Clips are available on MidAtlantic Improv’s YouTube channel.
