Austin Improv

Posted: **October 24th, 2007, 11:20 pm**

Plays Well with Shakespeare!
One show only, this Sunday, 3PM, The Curtain Theater
The cast of Plays Well With Others are veterans of ComedySportz, National Comedy Theatre, Girls!Girls!Girls!, The Hideout, and others, and know how to rock some improv. Guest Robert Faires is renowned for his Reduced Shakespeare and will bring a favorite. With Austin Shakespeare and the incredible outdoors environment of the Curtain Theater it will be a memorable and hilarious day on the shores of Lake Austin, for the entire family. The Curtain Theater is owned by gaming guru Richard Garriott and is a gem of the Austin theater scene, rarely open to the public. Call: 474-TIXS (8497) or visit www.austinshakespeare.org
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On a different note, one thing I am concerned about is attendance from the Improv community and in particular the Shakes Impro community. It isn't an easy theater to find. If we don't support Austin Shakes improv at the event it will be a hard sell to get Austin Shakes to do it again in that cool historic theater/remote location. This should be a great opportunity for Impro Shakes but as businesspeople Austin Shakes might not try it if we don't turn out for the first one. I don't think Ann would be trying this if Plays Well With Others didn't sell so well at ZACH last Spring.

I can get comps for Impro. I might be able to get some AIC comps, probably not that many... It is a fundraiser so if anyone wants to buy they should, but I can get comps.

All of us in the community think that Impro Shakes will practice and get good. I don't mean to lecture, but of course it'll be good. We can't confuse that with the business needs to make this booking continue by supporting Ann's commitments at that Garriott theater.

It's personally important for me, especially this year as I launch into my TV project, to have Impro inherit this gig with Aus Shakes so that the community can do major events in the future, including guest artists and trainers and such. I'm really only doing this one to support Director Ann (my LONGtime friend) and Aus Shakes. She wants to be behind the improv community but it has to make business sense and that means showing up for the shows to start with. As the elder working improviser in town I hope this creates opportunities for all.

FYI, this show has les mcgehee, andy crouch, shana merlin, Dr. Jodi Egerton, Robert Faires, and the amazing Jamie Hillboldt on keys. Will be a beautiful 79 degree day outdoors on the banks of Lake Austin at 3PM. It is a family show so there are games as well as meatier improv, there's also Robert's rehearsed Reduced Shakespeare pieces.

Thanks for listening, I'm proud to be one of us. -Les

Posted: **October 25th, 2007, 3:40 pm**

Who is Shakes Impro? or Impro Shakes?? Is that Les? Is that Heroes' Shakespeare? Hm...

I want to see the theater and see the show. I don't need a comp, but was hoping to avoid paying too much (something less than $20?). If I don't get a comp or a discount, I guess I'd have to decide if I wanted to support Austin Shakespeare, or Austin Improv (which includes Les & friends) and pay for the whole ticket.

So... When will we know if there will be comps? Is it first come first serve? From the other post, it looks like our list of imps-that-want-to-go includes:

Sara Farr
Andy Crouch (but he's playing)
Matt Pollock
Asaf Ronen
Peter Rogers
"harperjdav" ?
Arthur Simone

Posted: **October 25th, 2007, 4:38 pm**

Muffins.

Posted: **October 25th, 2007, 5:38 pm**

good luck charms!

Posted: **October 25th, 2007, 5:57 pm**

puppies

Posted: **October 25th, 2007, 6:09 pm**

kaci_beeler wrote:
sara_anm8r wrote:
kaci_beeler wrote:I seriously doubt Les' real support of the improv community.
"Ask not what your [improv] country can do for you, but what you can do for your [improv] country".

If we are trying to help keep the Austin improv community thriving, we should support all types of improv...

...even if you doubt the improv company's commitment to the larger improv community. If you start keeping tabs on who deserves support, you will end up with an EX-clusive rather than IN-clusive community.

...even if you have to kick in a few bucks to show your support. As the improv community starts to thrive, players will want to make a profit. They can't do that if improvisers take paying audiences seats. Most of us will agree that bigger audiences are better. I'm in favor of filling seats with improvisers if there isn't a high demand for the show. If Les wants our support and is willing to give comps or discounts to improvisers, I think we should take him up on that offer.

Its good [improv] Karma!
I don't mind supporting improv, but I will call out fakers as I see them.
Just like Holden Caulfield.

Holden was a dick. Just callin' em like I see em. Like Holden Caulfield.

Posted: **October 25th, 2007, 6:48 pm**

Rainbows.

Posted: **October 25th, 2007, 7:00 pm**

kaci_beeler wrote:
The Brigadier wrote:
kaci_beeler wrote: I don't mind supporting improv, but I will call out fakers as I see them.
Just like Holden Caulfield.
Holden was a dick. Just callin' em like I see em. Like Holden Caulfield.
Maybe I am a dick, but at least I try to be honest.

Maybe temper it with more politeness, or benefit of the doubt. Les has been around a long time, he's a busy guy and doesn't get as active as he'd like to. He's played Maestro recently and shown up at various shows to check out what's going on. He's creating a relationship with the Austin Shakespeare folks that can be beneficial for all of us and letting people know that it could use some support.

Posted: **October 25th, 2007, 10:35 pm**

kaci_beeler wrote:Rainbows.

ha ha! I love your edit, Kaci. Hey just so ya know, I think my comment's meaning got lost in the shuffle. I was mos def not calling you a dick, or even implying that. Rainbows!

Posted: **October 26th, 2007, 1:13 am**

i love that the editing has done nothing to the quoted text so it's all there anyway. Enemas!

Posted: **October 28th, 2007, 9:35 am**

Soooo... are we getting comps? Are we forming ersatz 'families of four'? What's going on?
</nag>

Posted: **October 28th, 2007, 2:12 pm**

All I know is I'm heading out there, I have no costume, and I'll have some cash on me. Hope to see you all there!

Posted: **October 28th, 2007, 5:26 pm**

That was FUN! Sorry we didn't coordinate better, but we (Mike McG & Ann & I -- hung over from my party the night before) just went out there, told them we were friends of Les and would like 1/2 price tix. That worked. They probably would have comped us, but I wanted to pay something. (Mike had bought his ticket in advance.)

The show was awesome!! Thank you Les, Jodie, Andy, Shana & Robert. The new head of AusShakes was impressed, too!!

Hightlights!

1) Suggestion taking... learned some tricks!!
2) Shakes w/ audience suggestions on the ground... cool.*

*This bit was great. Suggestion for scary dark place was "closet" and the show started in the closet, Jodie & Shana talking about spying on Shana's Lordly love, etc. Very AWESOME! And then Andy came in as lord and lots of great stuff happened. Then to end it, Les popped out of the back of the closet and it was very fun.

3) ...then, they did a very simple scene with 2 volunteers, each with one line of dialogue and then loaded the volunteers with stuff to do that made them forget their line, and made all of us laugh lots (I'm sure this is a CS game tailored for this set, but it was very funny, too!).

4) Then the last imp-ed bit was a 15 min imp Shakes play. AWESOME! Ann & I took pictures, so we'll post them once they're developed.

- It all started in a wood where Bob (Robert) who couldn't spell, & servant (Andy), were avoiding the courtly folk.
- King (Les) & Queen (Shana) were worried about their daughter (Jodie) who was too in love with books, and who had scared away all suitors with her love of spelling. [NICE!!! -- I loved this scene; very smart]
-Bandit king (Andy) called all his bandits in the woods (the audience) to kill everyone who came into the woods to steal their "land and power" -- except ladies.**

**This was great!!! Andy quickly engaged the audience as his hord and contintued to go to us for suggestions during his rousing speech. AWESOME. We all agreed we'd kill everyone (except ladies).

-Two Robbers (Les & Shana), under orders to kill people in the woods, came across Bob & servant and were going to kill him and take his "land & power". Servant quicklly disguised his master in the robes of a lady. The robbers devised a spelling test of manhood, sure he'd succeed if he were a man and fail if he were a woman. Bob fails and is let go.
-Queen & King employ Bob (dressed as woman) to teach daughter in womanly-ways and charge her (him) to spend 3 nights in the forest with their daughter.
-In their time, they fall in love
-When King & Queen come into the wood, they announce daughter's marriage to Robber King -- the only man left not intimidated by spelling-princess.
-Though Robber King wants Lady Bob for his wife, he wants land and power more, and agrees to marriage
-Lady Bob uses fairy dust he got from the woods to make the Robber King love someone else... Robber King falls for groundling, who he brings up on stage.
-Lady Bob then promises that he'll produce his cousin who will marry the spelling-princess... and he does a quickchange behind the curtain.
-All are married and all ends swell

Whoop!

Sara

Posted: **October 28th, 2007, 5:47 pm**

This was a really enjoyable show intelligently played and really cool to do it in the Curtain theater. Couldn't have had a nicer day for it....great work!

Austin Improv

Les Says Come See Some Shakespeare Improv! Please!

Les Says Come See Some Shakespeare Improv! Please!