Austin Improv

Not enough Harold in this town. On this we can agree.
Tonight the Austin Harold revolution begins on the occasion of its daddy's birthday party.

The Del Close Birthday Party
Sunday, March 8th at Coldtowne Theater
featuring

Boy Toy
People Food
and
The Smoking Arm

all Harold troupes :: all night long
no cover charge :: BYOB :: 7pm

[sweep edit]

Chang Chang!

in celebration of Del Close's birthday I shall bring my collection of Wasteland comic books!! (he was co-writer)

This was so much fun -- maybe this can happen more than once a year...

dirty baby wrote:Not enough Harold in this town. On this we can agree.

Actually, I would like to see less Harold in Austin. Leave Harold in Chicago - that's their thing, and I don't think it works.

I have never seen a Harold that was actually entertaining or funny. The structured format which forbids certain ideas (i.e., "you can't bring that character out, though he would fit in the scene, because it's not the right 'beat'") is antithetical to everything I have ever learned about Improv.

The Harold is the only thing that has ever made me HATE Improv.

mcnichol wrote:This was so much fun -- maybe this can happen more than once a year...

I'd love to see a special Harold Threefer.

Also, let's not debate the merits of various formats/philosophies again. Or, if you must, take it to PM or something.

Brian Boyko wrote:Actually, I would like to see less Harold in Austin. Leave Harold in Chicago - that's their thing, and I don't think it works.

I have never seen a Harold that was actually entertaining or funny. The structured format which forbids certain ideas (i.e., "you can't bring that character out, though he would fit in the scene, because it's not the right 'beat'") is antithetical to everything I have ever learned about Improv.

The Harold is the only thing that has ever made me HATE Improv.

Hey, this is great too! More of this as well, please...

I am sorry I had to miss this. Hell, I'm sorry I have to miss everything. One of the suckiest things about doing more improv is that as time goes by, I get to see less and less improv. I need to find a balance.

Yeah. It was a pretty sweet show. Arthur hosted in his underwear. You know, good times.

Next time, we'll get Institution Theater folks in there to boot. They came out to watch, but we can do better.

Brian Boyko wrote:
I have never seen a Harold that was actually entertaining or funny.

well, it just can't be done then.

Nothing should "stay" anywhere. That's antithetical to the point of improv. Always moving.

Let the Harold happen everywhere. Let it get shit on everywhere. Let people destroy it and it be beautiful. Let people destroy it and it fail miserably. Etc. This goes with any form, all of which are only as constrictive as the people onstage let it be. I've done Harolds up here that don't even resemble what it "should be" on paper because really, like anything in improv, it shouldn't be anything. It just is what it is and then you move on to the next show.

I'm pretty sure Boyko just doesn't like the Harold... I don't think he's proposing a movement to actually ban it from Austin.

Is anyone else enjoying picturing Boyko getting frustrated in the middle of a Harold show, standing up, waving his arms and storming out while screaming "I HATE improv!"?


Anyway... I call BS on it never being funny, that's for sure.

I would no more ban the Harold than I would ban religion.

I mean, both would be good ideas, but there's the whole free speech issue...