What, exactly, are we selling?

Jules · Post by **Jules** » February 13th, 2007, 2:07 pm

Ah, magical hookers....

Ahem. I like theater on the edge of....people like edge.

Wesley · Post by **Wesley** » February 13th, 2007, 2:24 pm

Edge of is pretty good. So is "be in on the joke." That's a definite emotional need, to be part of something "elite."

Jules · Post by **Jules** » February 13th, 2007, 2:28 pm

Theater, at our expense.
Come laugh at us
Theater on the edge of disaster
Improv, Like watching bull riding, but without the blood. Sometimes.
Improv, get in on the joke.

kbadr · Post by **kbadr** » February 13th, 2007, 2:56 pm

We're selling a night of "you had to be there" moments.

Jules · Post by **Jules** » February 13th, 2007, 3:00 pm

Improv, you've got to see it to believe it .....you've got to be there.

beardedlamb · Post by **beardedlamb** » February 13th, 2007, 3:29 pm

kbadr wrote:We're selling a night of "you had to be there" moments.

NICE!

we've essentially got that on the back of one of our shirts, actually.

sara farr · Post by **sara farr** » February 13th, 2007, 5:50 pm

What do you get with a night of improv?

Laughter
+ People taking risks

Comedic Daredevils (oo! good name for a troupe!)

Miggy · Post by **Miggy** » February 13th, 2007, 8:51 pm

kbadr wrote:We're selling a night of "you had to be there" moments.

I like that. One night only... every night.

Also - Wes to your reference to apartment staging, if we're going to make this feel like a party or some environment where people have a good time, booze never hurts. At the hideout at least, I don't see all that much drinking. A couple came up and sat down with a bottle of wine and two glasses on friday night and that's the first time I've really seen that in two years of being around.

In addition to a 'show in progress' light up sign which is a separate issue, I think we should let people know that food and drink are a.) available and b.) allowed and 3.) encouraged in the theatre. It of course can get out of hand, but I haven't seen that audience in a while.

acrouch · Post by **acrouch** » February 13th, 2007, 10:29 pm

Improv
You Had To Be There

arclight · Post by **arclight** » February 13th, 2007, 11:31 pm

FWIW, I like the "You had to be there..." tagline.

Improv is live and immediate like bands and scripted theater. We've nailed one big difference: the content of each show is unique to that night and that audience. It's not repeatable, not to the extent a concert or a play is.

Another big difference is the interactive nature of the form. Whether it's taking suggestions, bringing people onstage, or going out into the audience, the immediacy and recognition of the audience are much more important to improv than to other "set-piece" forms.

The important word in "You had to be there..." is You

PS: Every night we give free tickets to the people who gave us the best suggestion and we (slash the tires of/cockblock) anyone who yells out "proctologist" or "dildo"...

kbadr · Post by **kbadr** » February 13th, 2007, 11:39 pm

I like the idea but we need to be careful not to make a slogan that sounds exclusive. We want people to want to be the ones saying "you had to be there", not feeling like we're holding the fact that they weren't above their heads. If that makes any sense.

Roy Janik · Post by **Roy Janik** » February 13th, 2007, 11:43 pm

Miggy wrote:
kbadr wrote:We're selling a night of "you had to be there" moments.
I like that. One night only... every night.

Here's the slogan I ran across today from a group called One Night Only (in NY I think):

"Actors walk the fine line between theatre and improvisation. Theatre without a script. Improv without games. Come see what hides behind the laughter. ONE NIGHT CAN CHANGE EVERYTHING."

shando · Post by **shando** » February 13th, 2007, 11:50 pm

acrouch wrote:Improv
You Had To Be There

Isn't this what one says when a joke flops?

improvstitute · Post by **improvstitute** » February 14th, 2007, 12:20 am

shando wrote:
acrouch wrote:Improv
You Had To Be There
Isn't this what one says when I joke flops?

Perhaps it is a stronger choice to say "You Have To Be There!" It is a subtle difference, but I think it hits the nail more squarely on the head. It is a call to action in reference to an upcoming event not a comment on an event the reader has already missed. To say you had to be there just excludes everyone who wasn't there from the joke (or whatever was missed). To say you have to be there includes, or better yet invites people to be there so they don't miss out. It also still gets the mileage out of the whole "you had to be there" joke.

Austin Improv Collective...YOU HAVE TO BE THERE!

shando · Post by **shando** » February 14th, 2007, 12:25 am

improvstitute wrote:
Austin Improv Collective...YOU HAVE TO BE THERE!

Now that I like.