Austin Improv

Hey all!

I'm working to develop my craft as a playwright. I"ve been told that improve can be valuable for playwrights. Clearly in Austin improv is a very serious business! Who is willing to help out a local playwright by giving me the skinny on the best type/style of improv for my purposes?

I'm not interested in moving up to a performance level. I am interested in understanding what improv can do for the development of my craft and finding the best place/school to meet my needs.

All things being equal, something in my 'hood would be nice. 183/Northwest rather than downtown/central

Thoughts?

Thanks,
APW

Basically any improv class is going to help with your storytelling skills. All the theaters do a great job teaching the craft.

Sadly I don't think there are any classes running up north right now; Hideout folks, am I right about that? I say "sadly" cause I'm a Northie myself. Coldtowne Theater on Airport Blvd. is the north-most theater, but still basically central.

Hope that helps, welcome to the forums

i think there was talk of the Hideout hosting northerly workshops or some such? is that happening? or am i pulling things out of my ass? i haven't gotten much sleep lately...

as for the best style...well, it kind of depends on what you're wanting to work on most. the different schools in town are each fantastic and develop a variety of skills, but the focus is different at each. so are you just trying to improve your writing overall, or do you have a more specific goal in mind?

I didn't write until after I had been improvising for a little while. I hadn't written before, because I had no skill or imagination doing it, but through improv I learned to create characters or mold them from small things I discovered, and then began to write, and have done fairly well in the area of playwrighting and sketch.

Almost all the theaters in town offer some sort free or introductory class that basically eases you into some exercises and then gives a rundown of how classes and theater philosophy operates.

The New Movement's is on Wednesdays at 7pm.

Can anyone else help out with the rest, I don't get to leave the nest much.

tnmcomedy.com
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ColdTowne's free class is the first Monday of every month at 7pm.

I'm open to improv improving my writing in ways I might not yet fully realize. That said, quicker character development, brainstorming plot twists, good storytelling -- what I think of immediately.

Thoughts on how this relates to the different improv styles?

You guys are so heavy into improv, I'm sure any of it would improve my skills.

Rev. Jordan T. Maxwell wrote:
as for the best style...well, it kind of depends on what you're wanting to work on most. the different schools in town are each fantastic and develop a variety of skills, but the focus is different at each. so are you just trying to improve your writing overall, or do you have a more specific goal in mind?

Hideout doesn't currently have North classes scheduled, though we've done them in the past. We will probably have one in the fall, I suspect.

The Hideout stresses a lot of concepts that will help you as a writer (status and platform/tilt to name a few), but I am admittedly biased.

We have a free class on Wednesday and Saturday.

http://www.hideouttheatre.com/classes/freeimprovclass

I would say that the Austin scene is very well rounded, teaching everything. Sure there are shows, and classes that specifically teach narrative, or character, etc, but given that all improv is improvised most every aspect is addressed in every class/workshop.

You can't go wrong with any one place, and to be honest I don't think anyone would recommend only one school of thought. To really get the best out of it you need to treat it like Jeet Kun Do rather than Krav Maga vs Kung Fu.

If you have the chance, visit them all, start at the one that makes you the most comfortable, and then go do the things that make you uncomfortable.

Thanks for all the responses!

I've checked out several web pages and will visit several groups and test the waters.

Best,

Troy Miller periodically runs workshops and electives specifically for writers and incorporating improv techniques into writing.

(fixed the misspelling in the post title)