Austin Improv

Dave wrote:
Official statement from AIC Scheduling Chair: I will schedule any team that wants to be any show slot, within reason.

hooboy, you're asking for it...

please schedule my team, "Dave Buckman and-by Association-Philadelphia Insulted, Then Shot to Death on Stage (yes it's possible to shoot a city): Live!" for a show. You might be asked to participate....

I've held off on answering this until I could fully formulate my thoughts. So, here goes.

First, Andy, I fully recognize the Hideout as your responsibility and you can essentially open or close any show slots you feel the need to.

Second, if this is for business reasons (paying the house manger, paying for lights, you don't want to have to come back to lock up, etc), I also understand. But I didn't see any of that really mentioned in your post, so I assume it is not.

The rest is just my opinion.

I do not think merging the 3fer and Double Barrel is a good idea. I think we've fought hard to distinguish them, and they each use the time alotted to showcase different things. I know my troupe tackles a 22 minute and a 35 minute slot entirely differently, and I think that is a good thing. I'm very pro keeping both of these shows intact, largely as is.

As for the Cage Match and Blank Show. I'd hate to lose them. I think they each provide a unique form of improv that we don't have a lot of other outlets for (be it competitive, ad hoc teams, or experimental). Though, I agree that both have their problems and need some tweaks.

Also, these slots have simply not been advertised very well. Let's face it, shows that people don't know about, don't make. And these shows have not had a lot in the way of advertisement, either in print or via announcements during other shows. I think we can pull the nubmers up, but it will take effort and hard work.

Trew mentioned a potential solution at the AIC meeting yesterday of moving the Cage Match to CTT in the new year. I like this suggestion for several reasons. I think the Blank Show could move to Fridays (where it is easier to make a midnight audience than on Saturdays I feel), and both shows would be able to continue, while the Hideout would still get to close one show slot. Plus, it would free up Saturday after-Maestro for group hanging out, which we haven't done in a long while. (We have some house parties, but when's the last time the community went to Casino or Opals in force? I miss that.)

Wesley wrote: (We have some house parties, but when's the last time the community went to Casino or Opals in force? I miss that.)

I agree. I think our post-show drinking time has been severely lacking.

You read all that and replied in under a minute? Impressive!

kbadr wrote:

Wesley wrote: (We have some house parties, but when's the last time the community went to Casino or Opals in force? I miss that.)

I agree. I think our post-show drinking time has been severely lacking.

Me three. I want more hanging out!

kbadr wrote: I agree. I think our post-show drinking time has been severely lacking.

I would, however, like to commend everyone on the level of pre-show drinking that has been maintained. Good work, all!

In our discussion of this idea, the big benefit of doing the cage match at CTT is that it's BYOB and we won't get run out of there by the owner who lives behind the curtain. In other words, everyone can drink for cheaper (and not have to wait for the guy behind the counter to make some ice-cream based coffee concoction that takes 9 minutes when all you want is a beer), and hang out until all of ColdTowne tires (not bloody likely). The only thing we have to worry about is Chris Trew worrying about excessive noise outside pissing off the neighbors and that the I Luv Video opens at 10am.

Sounds good to me.

York99 wrote: hang out until all of ColdTowne tires (not bloody likely).

I tire as any reasonable human being would. I think the rest of my troupe is absolutely deranged. I approved this message. I don't anymore.

arthursimone wrote:

York99 wrote: hang out until all of ColdTowne tires (not bloody likely).

I tire as any reasonable human being would. I think the rest of my troupe is absolutely deranged. I approved this message. I don't anymore.

I meant for the emphasis to be on the "all," as in "each and every one." I tire, as well.

*I have been meaning to start dating Sweet Lady H. Any takers?

I wasn't at the meeting because the time seemed better spent dispelling a mild hangover. I'm still trying to fathom the rationale for whacking one of the shows that provides 8-12 slots a month for troupes, but that's my problem for sleeping through the meeting.

Wesley wrote:I've held off on answering this until I could fully formulate my thoughts. So, here goes.
...
I do not think merging the 3fer and Double Barrel is a good idea. I think we've fought hard to distinguish them, and they each use the time alotted to showcase different things. I know my troupe tackles a 22 minute and a 35 minute slot entirely differently, and I think that is a good thing. I'm very pro keeping both of these shows intact, largely as is.

I offered to take up managing the Threefer, but never heard back about it. I knew Phil was interested in it, but I haven't seen any movement by anyone with regards to the show.

One problem is that it's hard to differentiate Double Barrel (2 troupes) from the Threefer (3 troupes), especially when they're run back-to-back. If you swapped Micetro and the Threefer, maybe.

Also, changing the name from "The Threefer" to "Threefer Madness" with a campy anti-drug-hysteria-themed ad campaign could be fun.

As for the Cage Match and Blank Show. I'd hate to lose them. I think they each provide a unique form of improv that we don't have a lot of other outlets for (be it competitive, ad hoc teams, or experimental). Though, I agree that both have their problems and need some tweaks.

I like the Cage Match but I think it could use a rest to let people (Mike) recharge and let us sort out how to market it. There's nothing wrong with putting it on hiatus for 3 months and then doing a media blitz in January trumpeting its return. Hint: promote a show at least a month before it goes live.

No offense, but "The Blank Show" is an awful name because it implies the content of the show is so vague or unimportant to give it a more descriptive name. It's hard to market. Part of marketing is helping people sell your product, so ask yourself how one sells an experimental show.

Maybe The Blank Show should be a 2-week or month run. Dunno. The two Blank Shows I played each had an audience of five and had little or no rehearsal. I wouldn't describe them as trainwrecks, but I don't expect the audience was too impressed.

Also, these slots have simply not been advertised very well. Let's face it, shows that people don't know about, don't make. And these shows have not had a lot in the way of advertisement, either in print or via announcements during other shows. I think we can pull the numbers up, but it will take effort and hard work.

One thing I wanted to mention was that we could better coordinate with holidays and downtown events (Book Festival, Pecan St. Festival, ACL, Eeyore's Birthday, O Henry Pun Off, etc.) by advertising thematic shows during those events. We need to know about these events in advance so we can promote 2 weeks out, have materials made up for flyering during the events, scheduling troupes, and designing shows that match the theme.

Oh, one other thing - replace the Cage Match with Powerball. It's a less organized pick-up game than Cage Match, but more interesting than Micetro for unaffiliated players wanting to do more long-form. With 4-8 players, you can do one long set, with 9-16 players you can do two shorter sets, and with more than 16 players, you take the first 16 and toss the rest in the audience for free. The format is adaptable to large or small cast sizes and it's a good organic mixer which should help introduce new people to the scene and (hopefully) attract a range of skill levels. Micetro doesn't do that; it's hard to sort out chemistry when players get whacked after a round of Speak In One Voice...

One of the problems with turning a graduating class into a troupe is that the group chemistry may not be there at the end of Level 3. And since this isn't a pay-to-play town, you need something that lets people mix and find their own chemistry without shoving them through the class pipeline. I think Powerball does that without a lot of management effort.

Bob A, take the three-fer if you want it (and can have it), I am becoming way too busy to step in at this point.