my Improv Wins experience

[Spots]

I didn't have much time to document the Improv Wins Conference so I gave myself a time constraint. Thanks to all the teachers and students who let me duck in and out of their classes.

These are classroom environments where my camera is not a natural element. A rarity at any rate. So save any arguments for me specifically and not anybody you disagree with in the video. What pleases me the most are the patterns I discovered between 3 simultaneous classes.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RNZiTfjZNA[/youtube]

[Spots]

The exceptionally talented Henry Linser also got some amazing shots:




















Oh yeah, and I graduated y'all! It's been an incredible year.

[kbadr]

Looks fun.
I can't find any of the pertinent information about it on the forums, though. When was it?

[Spots]

I wasn't active on the forums a few weeks ago because everyone quietly downplays anything that happens at New Movement.



But it's cool! Improv Wins happened January 6-7th. The night I saw you last. You might have noticed Val went to hang out with Joe Bill because they are such good friends.

[Brad Hawkins]

I wasn't active on the forums a few weeks ago because everyone quietly downplays anything that happens at New Movement.

Sorry you feel that way, Jesse. How do you feel we're downplaying it? Just not responding to announcement threads?

[kbadr]

Outreach is a two-way street. It's hard to downplay something you don't know about until after the fact. I know The Hideout's made every effort to invite New Movement troupes to perform, and get New Movement people involved whenever possible.

[Spots]

Brad I don't feel bad about it anymore.

If people want to play dumb or placate me they are welcome to. All I care about is having a fun, caring environment where I don't feel the pressure t bow down to someone's imaginary sanctions.


In some cases people would literally steal concepts for shows or announcements out from under me knowing that nobody would care.


I mean seriously, trabka posted that Matt Besser thing 5 minutes after I posted this. Just to remind people that Coldtowne hosted Matt Besser. Not to be outdone. I don't do that kind of stuff in return because it looks desperate.


I'm over it. Goodbye again.

[Spots]

Kareem you are saying that to someone who volunteered for you time and time again.



Reaching out to students does not undo individual's secret hopes of seeing the overall theater fail.



Good bye.

[happywaffle]

Uh, what the fuck was that all about?

[bradisntclever]

I mean seriously, trabka posted that Matt Besser thing 5 minutes after I posted this. Just to remind people that Coldtowne hosted Matt Besser. Not to be outdone. I don't do that kind of stuff in return because it looks desperate.

Dude, stop overanalyzing everything. I talk with Adam Trabka on a pretty regular basis and he started watching those videos for the very first time last night. He just wanted to share them. I highly doubt there was some ulterior motive. I've got gchat logs if you want some sort of proof. The world is not out to get you, Jesse.

[trabka]

I mean seriously, trabka posted that Matt Besser thing 5 minutes after I posted this. Just to remind people that Coldtowne hosted Matt Besser. Not to be outdone. I don't do that kind of stuff in return because it looks desperate.

Man, I'm sorry you saw it that way, but that was not my intent by posting those videos. I didn't even refer to ColdTowne or the event that SVT cohosted in there, so I don't know where that logic came from. I even simultaneously crossposted the things on ColdTowne's forums to share them with people who may not browse over here that do check our forums.

If anything it was a response to The Shit Improvisers Say video that Arthur posted the other day and that I just found out about them. I didn't inline it because the "making a real Shit Improvisers Say video" bit was underway.

[Roy Janik]

Kareem you are saying that to someone who volunteered for you time and time again.

Reaching out to students does not undo individual's secret hopes of seeing the overall theater fail.

Good bye.

The Hideout invited and had Chris and Tami play in The Threefer and Double Barrel for months immediately after the split from ColdTowne. We continued to email them about submitting availability until Chris responded with one word: "Unsubscribe."

Despite that, we continue (and will continue) to reach out to New Movement troupes, under the assumption that just because the people who run the theater don't want anything to do with the rest of the community, that doesn't mean the other performers there don't want to.

The Control Group, Delta Burka, and Spirit Desire have all played at The Hideout over the past year... the Control Group in WaffleFest. Spirit Desire and The Control Group both have shows coming up in February. Every time they've played they've expressed both their pleasure and gratitude at the experience and seemed enthusiastic about more cross-pollination. Dan Grimm taught an Essential Elective at the Hideout not too long ago, and we hope he teaches another soon.

I sent personal invitations to all the New Movement contacts I had inviting them to come to the Austin Improv annual banquet... and telling them about the forums (which many of them didn't know about).

I link to the New Movement prominently on AustinImprov.com, both on the front page (shit, the graphic's messed up, will fix soon), and on the classes page.

Ruby, who runs the Fancy Pants Mashup at The Hideout, makes an extra effort to get New Movement folk involved.

I and the Hideout absolutely want and are actively trying to connect with all improvisers in Austin, with the exception of those who make it clear they want nothing to do with us. And I don't think that includes most of the performers at The New Movement.

I normally try to keep absolutely silent about all this mess, and hope that my and my theater's actions speak for themselves.

[jillybee72]

I can't find the event listing on these forums for Improv Wins! The only reference I can find on these message boards is this:

New Movement is doing an Improv Wins Festival that first weekend in January as well. They also participate in Fun Fun Fun fest and do a late night marathon thing at some point I believe, but I don't know dates.

It looks like it was a whole lot of fun, great snaps, great vid, Spots!!

[happywaffle]

Nicely put, Roy. I was a little glib in my earlier response because I'm really pretty ignorant of this weird rivalry thing with TNM, and because it's so completely at odds with everything I know and love about the AIC (i.e. the inclusiveness and family feel). So every time it comes roaring out of nowhere, it really is a "what the fuck" feeling that I get.

I have no grudges against TNM, no reason to shun or dislike or refuse to play with them. On the contrary, I would have LOVED to sit in on this conference. It's fucking bizarre that an improv conference would happen here in Austin and I never would have even heard about it. That points to a problem with marketing, which is the responsibility of the organizers. And I seriously don't think there was a conspiracy to keep me from knowing about it.

So it goes with most events at TNM. It's a mystery to me. I wish it wasn't.

EDIT: I'm looking at the pictures again and getting sad. These look like fun improvisers. They're right here in Austin. Why am I not friends with them?

[Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell]

outreach is a two way street...but paranoia, it would seem, only runs one way. honestly, i thought we'd put all this crap behind us. sigh...