LOTS to announce, so here we go!
First off, here is the Mainstage Schedule:
I'm so excited about each of these. It's been YEARS since we've done Start Trekkin', and to combine with the Twilight Zone should be pretty overpowering.
Process marks the return of Jeremy Lamb to the loving embrace of Austin improv, bringing with him a show concept first pioneered by The Well Hung Jury.
We've been wanting to do a musical show for awhile now, and a friggin' ROCK OPERA directed by Brockman and Samiee sounds like the best thing ever.
The Woody Allen based show is something Jon Bolden's been talking about for years, and I know a lot of folks have been clamoring for him to do it (so they can be in it). ANY SHOW that has Bolden doing a Woody Allen impersonation is going to get my support. But I'm even more excited that both Valerie and Jon are finally making their directing debuts.
I've been a fan of H.P. Lovecraft for a very long time, and a fan of Marc Majcher's since I've known him. I know he has enough of a dark/nihilistic streak in him to do this show justice. Not that there is any justice in this cold, uncaring universe.
And of course, words can't describe how happy I am to return to Austin Secrets.
So that's the mainstage.
Also, we'll be bringing back our favorite big events for 2012:
April 12-15: The 2nd Annual Improvised Play Festival
a full weekend of improvised one-act plays both from Austin and all over the world (hopefully!)
May 31-June 2nd: The 43 Hour Improv Marathonn
8 improvisers perform for 43 hours straight with the help of local troupes and shows.
November 15-17: The 11th Annual WaffleFest
All You Can Eat improv comedy and waffles.
December 30th: Same Years Eve
Every improviser in Austin is invited to perform in a crazy show and crazier after-party to help ring in the same year.
PLUS, We're changing up the Friday 8pm shows in 2012.
When we settled on the current lineup of Friday 8pm shows, it was our goal to give students and newer improvisers a chance to perform more in low pressure environments. To that end, we started the monthly tradition of The Fancy Pants Mashup, and on other weeks gave folks a chance to play in The Lottery. Now we're opening it up even more.
Every 1st Friday:
The Fancy Pants Mashup. 20+ improvisers put their names in a hat and are called up onstage in pairs to do whatever they want with whoever has been called up with them. PLUS, they dress real fancy-like.
Every 2nd Friday:
Pick Your Own Path. A show heavy on audience participation, based on the old Choose Your Own Adventure books. This will be much like it has been the past year, except we'll be doing multiple adventures and including more improvisers in the mix.
Every 3rd Friday:
The Narrative Improv Jam. We held the world's first narrative improv jam at the Improvised Play Festival, and it was a blast. The entire audience is invited to participate, as the host guides us all through an improvised story once scene at a time. My favorite (and most unanticipated) part of this show is that if a scene calls for a dance party, we can get 30 people up on stage to make it happen.
Every 4th Friday:
STUDENT. MAESTRO. (better name pending)
Every 5th Friday:
we'll cross that bridge when we come to it.
And the not quite figured out yet...
We got the green light from the coffeeshop to add a new Thursday night show. So starting at 10pm on Thursdays in the New Year, we'll have an additional show! I don't know quite what it is yet, but I do know I'm excited to expand the schedule.
Also not listed here... our plan for 2012 is to add a number of limited run (2-3 weekend) shows that play in the downstairs theater. This weekend's Halloween Batman shows are our first stab at something like that. Some possibilities include: a cheerleading show created by Kaci Beeler and Halyn Lee Erickson, a TheatreSports tournament, a brief descent back into the Violet Underbelly, and who knows what. But I'll leave it at that until we have more details.
Expect an audition announcement for the Sci-Fi Comedy Double Feature soon.
Oh, and you can pick up season passes for the 2012 Mainstage shows for $55 until December 1st, here:
http://www.hideouttheatre.com/shows/2012season
That's a savings of $17 ($23 if you count fees).
*WHEW*. Sorry for the term paper. There's a lot going on, and I'm giddy about it.
