Austin Improv

We've got new Tuesday Electives scheduled through March!

Tuesday, March 22, 7-9pm
Group Scenes with Valerie Ward
Most improv instruction focuses on the building block of improv — the two-person scene. But often you’ll find yourself onstage with 2, 3, or up to ten other people. How can you apply all the subtle skills of a two person scene to a huge clusterf*ck like that? In this workshop, Valerie Ward, (Hideout instructor and member of Parallelogramophonograph) will give the tools to be a vital and supportive part of every group scene, not just another body on stage. We’ll explore techniques for grounded and patient ensemble work, high-energy scene painting, and the joys of joining, among others. Come prepared to be selfless and giving. And invite all your friends — the more the merrier!

Tuesday, March 29, 7-9pm
Crossing the Streams with Cody Dearing
If Ghostbusters taught us anything (but what didn’t it teach us?) it is that four individual lasers aren’t as powerful as four lasers focused together to make one GIANT SUPER LASER. In this workshop Cody Dearing (Instructor with ColdTowne and Dallas Comedy House) will work on the practical skills that help improvisers build their scenes together: Simple listening and reacting. Working line by line. “Burning the leaves” on one idea at a time.

Electives are $15! Cheapest one-off workshops in town! (as far as we know)

I'm stupidly excited to finally have Ratliff teach something at the Hideout. His essential elective is tomorrow. Walk-ups are welcome, but of course we'd prefer you register online so we have an idea of the head count...

free for Hideout students, 15 dollars for everyone else.

Tuesday, February 22, 7-9:30pm (note longer session)
This Is Real and You Are Completely Unprepared with John Ratliff
The useful skills we learn in class — agreement, game, “rules” of scenework — are only a means to an end. The real improv starts once we let go of what we’ve learned and start playing completely in the moment … but it’s easy, and tempting, to play it safe and keep clinging to the guardrail of technique. In this workshop with John Ratliff (Coldtowne instructor and Hideout performer) you’ll explore ways to ground your improv in the immediate reality of here and now, no matter what’s going on in your scene. Participants in this class should be comfortable playing characters much like themselves in emotionally realistic scenes.

BUMP! TONIGHT!


Tuesday, March 29, 7-9pm
Crossing the Streams with Cody Dearing
If Ghostbusters taught us anything (but what didn’t it teach us?) it is that four individual lasers aren’t as powerful as four lasers focused together to make one GIANT SUPER LASER. In this workshop Cody Dearing (Instructor with ColdTowne and Dallas Comedy House) will work on the practical skills that help improvisers build their scenes together: Simple listening and reacting. Working line by line. “Burning the leaves” on one idea at a time.

Electives are $15! Cheapest one-off workshops in town! (as far as we know)

Our next Tuesday Essential Elective:

Tuesday, April 26, 7-9pm
Honing Your Instincts with Kristin Firth
Learning to trust yourself on stage is crucial. If you get into your actor/improv head too much, you can lose not just being in the moment, but your own unique energy that makes you a one-of-a-kind improviser. We all have slightly different perspectives, and that can be extremely interesting to an audience and your fellow performers, if you can strip away the censors and be open to sharing. In this workshop with Kristin Firth (Hideout performer and Institution instructor) we will work on reacting in a way that is raw and unfiltered. We’ll play with following impulses and tapping into your animal brain and basic instincts.

Electives are $15!

acrouch wrote:Our next Tuesday Essential Elective:

Tuesday, April 26, 7-9pm
Honing Your Instincts with Kristin Firth
Learning to trust yourself on stage is crucial. If you get into your actor/improv head too much, you can lose not just being in the moment, but your own unique energy that makes you a one-of-a-kind improviser. We all have slightly different perspectives, and that can be extremely interesting to an audience and your fellow performers, if you can strip away the censors and be open to sharing. In this workshop with Kristin Firth (Hideout performer and Institution instructor) we will work on reacting in a way that is raw and unfiltered. We’ll play with following impulses and tapping into your animal brain and basic instincts.

Electives are $15!

This is tonight! We'll be doing some of my favorite exercises. Energy first, brain second kind of stuff. Will be fun. Join in!

Upcoming Tuesday Essential Electives:

Tuesday, May 10, 7-9pm
Mastering Maestro with Andy Crouch
Maestro can either be a harrowing attack on your self worth OR an amazing exercise in letting go and the most fun you’ll have all week. In this workshop with Andy Crouch (Hideout education director) you’ll learn to throw your hands in the air like you just don’t care, attack every game and scene with mischief and generosity, and turn that two into a five. You’ll even pick up a few secret tricks for the Maestro games that come up again and again. This is Austin’s most popular improv show, and if you let it, Maestro will give you everything you’ll ever need for the rest of your improv life.

Tuesday, May 24, 7-9pm
NO FLINCHING!!! with Jason Vines
We’ve all been in those cringe-worthy scenes, just praying we’ll get edited or that someone will pull the lights and end our misery. Sometimes that doesn’t happen. Sometimes you have to sit out there and cook while the audience glares in disapproving silence. Jason Vines (Improv for Evil, Simply D-VINE, Karaoke God) aims to show you that it ain’t so bad and that a little bit of “stage balls” goes a long way. He’ll show you tips and tricks for making it through the rough spots and turning bad scenes better. Sometimes the only way out is through and there is only one rule…NO FLINCHING!!!


Electives are $15!

Upcoming Tuesday Essential Electives:

Tuesday, May 17, 7-9pm
See It To Be It with Lisa Jackson
Are you in danger of turning into a talking head on stage? Seeing only a stage with two chairs, living in your verbal brain and making all your contributions with words? Lisa Jackson (ColdTowne instructor and Austin Secrets cast member) will show you how to stop struggling with words to set up your scenes, let your visual imagination inform your improv, and find the relationship, character and environment by mentally painting them.

Tuesday, May 24, 7-9pm
NO FLINCHING!!! with Jason Vines
We’ve all been in those cringe-worthy scenes, just praying we’ll get edited or that someone will pull the lights and end our misery. Sometimes that doesn’t happen. Sometimes you have to sit out there and cook while the audience glares in disapproving silence. Jason Vines (Improv for Evil, Simply D-VINE, Karaoke God) aims to show you that it ain’t so bad and that a little bit of “stage balls” goes a long way. He’ll show you tips and tricks for making it through the rough spots and turning bad scenes better. Sometimes the only way out is through and there is only one rule…NO FLINCHING!!!

Tuesday, May 31, 7-9pm
Improvising Shakespeare with Andy Crouch
Improv is awesome. Shakespeare is the bomb. If only there were some way to do both of them at the same time. Andy Crouch (Hideout education director, director of Improvised Shakespeare) will give you a crash course on improvising in the style of William Shakespeare. You’ll learn to speak the speech, cut a caper, tear a passion to tatters, devise impossible slanders, and spin a metaphor apt and pretty. Whether you’re just trying to get through a scene in Maestro or if you have grander designs of playing in our next run of Improvised Shakespeare. No experience necessary!


Electives are $15!

Don't miss Lisa Jackson's workshop tonight!

New June Electives up on the website!

Tuesday, June 21, 7-9pm
Fear is the Mindkiller with Marc Majcher
Fear is something that every improviser struggles with on a regular basis. Fear that you’re not funny enough, not clever enough, not smart enough, or simply not interesting enough to be on stage at all. That very fear is enough to bring all of your worst nightmares of failure true, so Marc Majcher (Improv for Evil, Hideout instructor) will help you recognize and demolish those fears, smashing the walls that hold you back from what you’re truly capable of doing. Meet your monsters head on, and see that they’re not all that scary, after all.

Tuesday, June 28, 7-10pm
Intro to Musical Improv with Kacey Samiee
Sometimes improv needs a little razzle dazzle. Kacey Samiee (Girls Girls Girls, Hideout performer) will lead you through the basics of musical improv in both short form shows and long form narrative. Learn to seamlessly weave in and out of song, communicate with the musical improviser, work as an ensemble or solo singer, apply song structure, and take a first crack at this amazing (and totally freakin’ scary) form of improv.

acrouch wrote:Tuesday, May 31, 7-9pm
Improvising Shakespeare with Andy Crouch
Improv is awesome. Shakespeare is the bomb. If only there were some way to do both of them at the same time. Andy Crouch (Hideout education director, director of Improvised Shakespeare) will give you a crash course on improvising in the style of William Shakespeare. You’ll learn to speak the speech, cut a caper, tear a passion to tatters, devise impossible slanders, and spin a metaphor apt and pretty. Whether you’re just trying to get through a scene in Maestro or if you have grander designs of playing in our next run of Improvised Shakespeare. No experience necessary!

Improvised Shakespeare will be making an appearance in the Marathon! Workshop it on Tuesday and then see it that weekend.

Four spots left in tonight's Improvising Shakespeare workshop!

acrouch wrote:Four spots left in tonight's Improvising Shakespeare workshop!

Verily, I shalt be there forthwith forsooth odds bodkin.

(yes, getting that out of my system now)

Upcoming Tuesday Electives:

Tuesday, June 28, 7-9pm
Intro to Musical Improv with Kacey Samiee
Sometimes improv needs a little razzle dazzle. Kacey Samiee (Girls Girls Girls, Hideout performer) will lead you through the basics of musical improv in both short form shows and long form narrative. Learn to seamlessly weave in and out of song, communicate with the musical improviser, work as an ensemble or solo singer, apply song structure, and take a first crack at this amazing (and totally freakin’ scary) form of improv.

Tuesday, July 12, 7-9pm
Making the Audience Care with Ted Rutherford
Often times we get so caught up in improvising that we forget about the most important aspect of improv...the audience. Ted Rutherford (Merlin-Works instructor and Hideout performer) shows you how to engage the audience and take as excellent care of them as you do yourself and your scene partners. This workshop gives you the knowledge and skills to create characters that the audience can invest in and care about, and tips on connecting with any audience any time.

Just a quick note, my musical workshop is actually 7-10. come on out, it's gonna be the MOST fun!

If you've never worked with Ted Rutherford before, he's easily one of the funniest improvisers in Austin. Top five, seriously. Don't pass up this week's workshop!