Austin Improv

After five years of being one of two executive producers of Out of Bounds (two with Mike, three with Jeremy), I have recently stepped down from day to day operations of the festival. This is an amicable parting of the ways; with a new child on the way and OoB falling as it does at the beginning of the school year, I could foresee the wear and tear of managing a week long exercise in revelry and exhaustion proving too much for my aging body. I will still be affiliated with the festival in an advisory capacity by serving on our newly formed board of directors. Time moves on and with the new opportunities that Gnap! has for ongoing production at SVT, that's where I will be placing my production energies. Jeremy will take on full responsibility as executive producer of the fest, and he has recruited many of you to new staff positions to bring it off successfully.

It's gauche of me to toot my own horn like this, but I did want to let you all know about this transition and publicly acknowledge it. I'm proud of what the festival has accomplished in these past five years. What was a small, self-financed gathering of almost only local acts when Mike and I started producing it has turned into one of the best festivals in the country. The improv community in the city would be much different if the festival did not exist. I'm proud to have been part of it, and am proud to step back and watch it go forward in the future and bigger and bigger success.

Thanks all. You're a wonderful community of people to be involved with.

Thank you for all of your work, Shannon. OoB is always one of my favorite times of the year, and you're largely to thank for that. Everything from the hosting you did, the countless planning hours and even the exchange of gift bags.

Thank you for all the hard work you did, Shannon.

Good job, Shannon. Simply said, good job.

It's been a pleasure working with you. Though I am sad we won't be sharing cookies at the Doubletree this go around.

you are amazing.
thank thank thank you for making this happen.
also...thanks for making more of you.

Shannon is truly one of the classiest guys around. He sent over a beautiful flower arrangement (the Orchid at the top of the stairs for those of you who came by the theater last night).

You're a treasure to this community, sir - and we're proud of your work just as I know your family is.

Thank you again for everything you do and the awesome person you are.

Mike

Thanks, Mike. I cannot let myself take all the credit for the flowers, though. While they came from both of us, Shana was the prime mover on that front.