Austin Improv

So, some friends and I have been discussing forming a troupe since, oh, last summer, but we've finally arranged a regular practice schedule (otherwise known as "the hard part"), gotten a good musician to join us, and we have a couple of rehearsals under our belt. It's going really well and we're having lots of fun together.

Goals now are to keep up the good work, agree on a name, and look into getting some stage time.

I've done some initial research of websites and this forum, and below is what I've found so far. As far as I could tell none of the theater websites have standing submissions pages or links. Submission opportunities are announced here on the forums as they arise.

I've listed the regular shows I could find info about, although not all of them are necessarily available for completely new troupes. Plus there seem to be many non-regular opportunities, for example Coldtowne's recent Festival Festival, for submissions.

I'm posting what I've found here as a service for other nascent troupes in the same boat, and in hopes of getting additional information from forum folks about opportunities for new troupes to get on stage. And if any of the info below is inaccurate or misleading, I'd appreciate corrections / clarification. Any general advice for new troupes seeking stage time would also be greatly appreciated!

In MINCH order:

MERLIN WORKS
Currently only one show a month (2nd Sundays). Most shows feature a Merlin Works student showcase and/or graduation show, an established guest troupe, and then the MW faculty troupe (The Known Wizards). So, not really a place for new troupes to perform, at least for now, although since all our troupe members are current or former MW students, we're looking into the possibility of being in one of their shows.

THE INSTITUTION: Submit: c. mid February for March / April schedule
Triple Scoop, Saturdays at 10pm (Earliest Show Date: March 1st)
Troupes get 18-20 minutes to perform.

THE NEW MOVEMENT
My understanding is that stage time is reserved for New Movement students and troupes.

COLDTOWNE: Submit: c. early March for April / May schedule
Earliest Show Date: beginning of April

THE HIDEOUT: Submit: c. mid February for March / April schedule
Threefer, Thursdays at 8pm (Earliest Show Date: March 6th)
The Thursday Threefer features 3 troupes. The headlining slot of the Threefer is given to a single troupe for a whole month, giving them a run of shows.
The Spectacle, Fridays at 10pm (Earliest Show Date: March 7th)
The Spectacle is a weekly show hosted by Parallelogramophonograph. Troupes performing in The Spectacle get longer slots, typically 25-30 minutes.
The Weekender, Sundays at 8pm (Earliest Show Date: March 2nd)
The Weekender features student graduation shows, strong headliners, and out-of-town guests. Show lengths vary, depending on what is going on that weekend.

The next Cagematch submission is going to be next week for shows starting March at ColdTowne.

Very cool, thanks for sharing.

To elaborate on ColdTowne, there's usually a three-troupe show on Sundays 7:00 and Mondays 8:30. Oh, Science!, Miller & Purselley, and Bad Boys each have an opener troupe on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, respectively. Combined with Cagematch, ColdTowne is mathematically the best opportunity for troupes to play. Hooray for shows 7 nights a week!

mitchmills wrote:In MINCH order:



THE NEW MOVEMENT
My understanding is that stage time is reserved for New Movement students and troupes.

Very true. Which loses us a few hearts & minds. But understand there is nothing from keeping ANY veteran improviser from taking a Level One class and having that same exclusive access to the stage. This subject dips into the role of the Artistic Director and choices made by such individuals-- but trust me! Take a class sometime!

I definitely intend to at some point!