https://wiki.austinimprov.com/index.php?title=History_of_Austin_Improv&feed=atom&action=historyHistory of Austin Improv - Revision history2024-03-29T05:52:24ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.36.2https://wiki.austinimprov.com/index.php?title=History_of_Austin_Improv&diff=13361&oldid=prev24.55.2.98: restore, XOXO BC2016-02-18T14:56:52Z<p>restore, XOXO BC</p>
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<td colspan="2" style="background-color: #fff; color: #202122; text-align: center;">Revision as of 14:56, 18 February 2016</td>
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<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">My first MP3 Experiment, </del>and <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">I really enyoejd!I </del>was <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">one </del>of the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">people on </del>the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"> 2:40 Brooklyn ferry</del>, and <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">it was really funny how we all started </del>the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">experiment right there </del>on the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">boat! It </del>was <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">okay</del>, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">since </del>by the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">time we were supposed </del>to <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">be hopping/ jumping</del>, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">we were already </del>on the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">island</del>. <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">So no harm done</del>.<del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">I felt bad- </del>a <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">few people were relying </del>on <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">me </del>for the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">start time</del>, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">since I set my watch to </del>the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">clock </del>on the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">site</del>, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">but </del>the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">app </del>started <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">about 30 seconds before that </del>(<del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">others withe </del>the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">app told me) so I guess my watch </del>was <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">screwy</del>.<del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">So I </del>was a <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">little off for </del>a <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">bit</del>, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">but I pretty much caught up</del>.The <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">water gun fight </del>was <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">awesome</del>, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">although I feel </del>like <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">it started earlier than </del>the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">instructions</del>. <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">I was near one </del>of the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">cameramen for it</del>, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">so I must look gorgeous</del>, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">with </del>a <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">wet</del>, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">streaky-makeup face</del>, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">wearing </del>a <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">shower cap</del>. <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">:</del>)<del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">All </del>in <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">all</del>, a <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">good day</del>. <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">I got home EXHAUSTED!! (After waiting 50+ minutes </del>for the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">ferry</del>, and <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">then walking to</del>, and <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">waiting </del>for <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">2 trains home</del>.)<del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">I really enyoejd! I</del>'<del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">d love to join the future experiments as well</del>.</div></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">==Early Days==</ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In 1985 [[the Comedy Workshop]] at 15th St. </ins>and <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Lavaca </ins>was <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">home to [[The Hilarions | The Hilarions: Gladiators </ins>of <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Comedy]], possibly </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">first serious improv troupe in Austin. The owner of </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Comedy Workshop in Houston (which gave Bill Hicks</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Sam Kinison </ins>and the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">other so-called Outlaw stand-up comics their start) would drive up to Austin </ins>on <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Fridays and teach improv to anyone who would show up. The Hilarions formed in early 1985 and did late-night short-form shows Tuesday through Thursday for about a year and a half. </ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">When </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Austin Comedy Workshop closed, a few of the Hilarions made the leap over to [[Cap City Comedy Club|the Laff Stop]] (which would later become [[Cap City Comedy Club]]), and out of a series of workshops run by an actor named Rodney Rincon, a troupe called [[the Laff Staff]] </ins>was <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">born. Making their debut in early 1987</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">they performed a 45-minute pre-show lounge slot four days a week for about five years. </ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Meanwhile, in 1986 the Austin [[ComedySportz]] franchise, owned </ins>by <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Les McGeehee, began producing shows in a series of spaces, starting in their own space above Headliner's East, then </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">original Vortex, The Ritz, the Laff Stop, eventually helping to open a comedy venue next to [[Esther's Follies]] called the Deep End (now known as [[the Velveeta Room]]). The Velveeta Room was also home </ins>to <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">[[the Cheese Pistols]] and Austin's first local comedy festivals</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">[[Austin Comedy Festival]] and the [[Southwest Improv Festival of Texas]] (SWIFT). When ComedySportz opened [[the ImprovClub]] </ins>on the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">same block as Esther's and the Velveeta Room in 1994, the city briefly recognized the area as the "Austin Comedy District". </ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In 1996 ComedySportz relocated to [[the ComedySportz Playhouse]] in Northcross Mall, producing five shows a week with a kitchen and full bar</ins>. <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">The Velveeta Room was still going strong, featuring troupes like [[Marc Pruter]]'s [[Monks' Night Out]], [[Code Blue]], and [[Los Paranoias]], directed by [[Pam Ribon]] and [[David Lampe]]</ins>. <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">And at the University of Texas there was </ins>a <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">troupe called [[Only 90% Effective]] directed by [[Brently Heilbron]].</ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">==Austin Improv Goes National==</ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In 1997 Austin landed </ins>on <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">the national improv and sketch map with the first annual [[Big Stinkin' Improv and Sketch Comedy Festival]], which brought troupes, teachers and talent scouts from around the nation to Austin </ins>for <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">a memorable weekend of comedy. Improv played some of </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">biggest venues in town from the Paramount to Palmer Auditorium.</ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In 1998 [[Sean Hill]] and [[David Lampe]] hosted auditions for [[We Could Be Heroes|Austin Theatresports]] and their first show was a [[Maestro]] (aka [[Micetro]])</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">at </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Public Domain Theater </ins>on <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Congress Ave. in February of 1999 with Dan O'Connor and Brian Lohman directing. Soon after Austin Theatersports began a run at </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Hyde Park Theater</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">and then in late 1998, Sean started work on a new improv theater and coffee house called the Hideout.</ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">1999 Austin ComedySportz hosted the National Championship of ComedySportz with 22 teams from across the country (and won the National Championship). Around </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">same time ComedySportz players [[Owen Egerton]] and [[Jerm Pollett]] </ins>started <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">the hit movie commentary show [[Master Pancake Theater | Mr. Sinus Theater 3000]]</ins>(<ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">now known as [[Master Pancake Theater]]) at </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Alamo Drafthouse. </ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">==The Boom and the Bust==</ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In 1999 the improv scene </ins>was <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">booming. There were many venues: [[the Velveeta Room]], [[the Bad Dog Comedy Theater]], [[the ComedySportz Playhouse]] and even [[Cap City Comedy Club]] and [[Esther's Follies]] would host improv from time to time. There were lots of troupes: Austin Theatresports, ComedySportz, [[Monks' Night Out]], [[Well Hung Jury]], [[Code Blue]], [[the Cheese Pistols]], [[Ray Prewitt's 4th Grade Class]], [[Fatbuckle]], [[the Skinnies]], [[the Inflatable Egos]], [[Only 90% Effective]] and many more troupes lost to the mists of time</ins>. <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">[[Big Stinkin' Improv and Sketch Comedy Festival]] </ins>was <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">getting bigger and stinkier by the year, bringing in top talent from stage, television and film.</ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">After 2000 the festival producers [[Ed Carter]] and [[Marc Pruter]], along with </ins>a <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">lot of other Austinites, lost their shirts. Big Stinkin' shut down along with all of the other improv venues and troupes. </ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Meanwhile in 2000 [[The Hideout Theatre|the Hideout Theatre and Coffeehouse]] officially opened as a venue in </ins>a <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">historic building on Congress Ave. downtown, and Austin Theatresports became [[We Could Be Heroes]]. [[Sean Hill]] and [[Shana Merlin]] ran the house troupe and the We Could Be Heroes School of Improvisational Theater</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Austin's first full-time improv training center</ins>.</div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">==</ins>The <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Ongoing Austin Improv Renaissance==</ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In 2004 and 2005 a variety of factors led to a second renaissance in Austin improv. [[Andy Crouch]] </ins>was <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">hired to run the day to day operations at the Hideout</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">and he made a concerted effort to grow the community of active Austin improvisers through weekly shows and social events, and eventually a nonprofit organization called the [[Austin Improv Collective]]. A handful of improvisers moved to Austin from Chicago and Cleveland eventually coming together as the troupe [[The Frank Mills|Tight]] (now [[The Frank Mills]]) bringing with them the performance styles of famous Chicago theaters </ins>like <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Improv Olympic and </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Second City</ins>. <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">The New Orleans troupe [[ColdTowne (troupe)|ColdTowne]] landed in Austin in the aftermath </ins>of <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Hurricane Katrina. And </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">[[Out of Bounds Comedy Festival|Out of Bounds Improv and Minigolf Festival]], started in 2002 by [[Jeremy Sweetlamb|Jeremy Lamb]] as a local, experimental improv festival</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">had been slowly but surely gaining momentum and national attention.</ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Things began to bubble up at the Hideout and by October of 2006</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">ColdTowne struck out and opened </ins>a <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">self-titled theater and conservatory on Airport Boulevard</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">offering improv</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">sketch and stand up comedy. </ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In March of 2008 [[The Merlin Works Institute for Improvisation]] and [[Gnap! Theater Projects]] began teaching classes and performing shows at the [[Salvage Vanguard Theater]] on Manor Road. </ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">ComedySportz resumed weekly shows at [[Cafe Caffeine]] in south Austin in the fall of 2008. </ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In 2009 former ColdTowne members [[Chris Trew]] and [[Tami Nelson]] opened [[The New Movement]] in east Austin as </ins>a <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">home for all forms of comedy. (In 2012 they opened a branch of the New Movement in New Orleans</ins>.) <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"> </ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In 2010 LA transplant [[Tom Booker]] and New York transplant [[Asaf Ronen]] opened the [[Institution Theater]] in south Austin. </ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In recent years there has been remarkable stability </ins>in <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">the various Austin theaters</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">with only minor adjustments: The local ComedySportz franchise is currently inactive; the New Movement relocated to </ins>a <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">new downtown location on Lavaca (and opened a second theater in New Orleans); Gnap! shifted focus from the production of improv to scripted work; and the Merlin Works training center found a new home at the longtime Austin theater venue [[ZACH Theater]].</ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Currently the number of improvisers in Austin is estimated at between 400 and 600</ins>. <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Austin has gained national attention </ins>for the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">vibrant community of improvisers and quality work in a variety of styles. A Johnstone-inspired, short form and storytelling focus can be found at the Hideout Theatre and Merlin-Works. Various Chicago and New York influences are prevalent at ColdTowne</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">the New Movement </ins>and <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">the Institution. But Austin is ultimately a melting pot. The intentional building of a scene and community has resulted in an environment of collaborative competition</ins>, and <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">many improvisers study and perform at multiple theaters, coming together throughout the year </ins>for <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">events like Out of Bounds, [[the Improvised Play Festival]], [[Sketchfest]], [[the Improv Wins Conference]], [[Wafflefest]], [[The Austin Improv Potluck]], [[Same Year's Eve]] and more.</ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">==Articles on Austin Improv==</ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">* [http://www.austinchronicle.com/arts/2001-01-26/80278/ The Austin Chronicle], "Livin' Lavaca Loca: Laughing It Up at the Comedy Workshop" by Angela Davis</ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">* [http://www.austinchronicle</ins>.<ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">com/arts/2000-08-04/78074/ The Austin Chronicle], "Home for Heroes (and Others</ins>)<ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">: Comedy Comes Up Congress in the Storefront Theatre The Hideout" by Phil West</ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">* [http://www.austinchronicle.com/arts/2006-08-25/397677/ The Austin Chronicle], "Mission: Improvable: Austin</ins>'<ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">s improv community gathers intelligence" by Wayne Allen Brenner</ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">* [http://www.austinchronicle</ins>.<ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">com/arts/2013-08-23/improv-educated/ The Austin Chronicle], "Improv-Educated: Out of Bounds Comedy Festival makes more room for Austin's increasingly savvy audiences" by Robert Faires</ins></div></td></tr>
</table>24.55.2.98https://wiki.austinimprov.com/index.php?title=History_of_Austin_Improv&diff=13352&oldid=prev124.122.102.184: x0qiGzb6POl2016-02-18T02:49:32Z<p>x0qiGzb6POl</p>
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<td colspan="2" style="background-color: #fff; color: #202122; text-align: center;">Revision as of 02:49, 18 February 2016</td>
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<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>I<del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">'m so happy that my boss let me have </del>the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">day off for this. I almost didn't atentd </del>and it was <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">my first MP3 Experiment with my friend. </del>It was <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">fun looking around the island</del>, since we were <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">there 2 hrs early</del>, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">and trying to spot others who </del>were <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">trying to be incognito</del>. I <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">only saw </del>a few <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">water guns (less than 5), and heard one group talking about the shower caps. The biggest giveaway for </del>me <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">were the white sheets being used </del>for <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">groups resting under trees before </del>the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">event began.When it started</del>, I <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">had it downloaded on </del>my <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Android phone and was 30-45 seconds behind everyone else until I manually synced up well enough. There was one fan who was walking around, trying </del>to <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">figure out what was going </del>on<del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">. I remember her passing me and calling out to friends, Something is happening</del>, but <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">no one's telling </del>me <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">anything! Then everyone laid down and she seemed even more stumped. It </del>was <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">great</del>.<del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">The following of fans </del>was <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">great too. There weren't many</del>, but I <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">saw a group having a picnic and they got into it, doing jumping jacks and dancing, with people mimicking them. The worst was the high fiving. It was hard to find others the further we migrated onto the field when most people were at the outside perimeter.The ghost walk was amusing, and lifting the sheet canopy as Steve assured us it wasn't raining (and the sky opened </del>up<del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">) was perfect timing</del>. The water gun fight was <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">wonderful too! It was a blast</del>.I <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">think the best part </del>was the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">after effect. Smiles everywhere! </del>I <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">saw people playing instruments and starting conga lines. A woman standing poised in </del>a shower cap, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">with her water gun at </del>the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">ready</del>, and <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">a small board where she wrote Victory</del>!' as <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">her friend took photos. People were even rolling down the hill in their bed sheets</del>. <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">It was so much fun and I hope more friends join me next year!</del></div></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">My first MP3 Experiment, and </ins>I <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">really enyoejd!I was one of the people on </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"> 2:40 Brooklyn ferry, </ins>and it was <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">really funny how we all started the experiment right there on the boat! </ins>It was <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">okay</ins>, since <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">by the time </ins>we were <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">supposed to be hopping/ jumping</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">we </ins>were <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">already on the island. So no harm done</ins>.I <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">felt bad- </ins>a few <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">people were relying on </ins>me for the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">start time</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">since </ins>I <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">set </ins>my <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">watch </ins>to <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">the clock </ins>on <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">the site</ins>, but <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">the app started about 30 seconds before that (others withe the app told </ins>me<ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">) so I guess my watch </ins>was <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">screwy</ins>.<ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">So I </ins>was <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">a little off for a bit</ins>, but I <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">pretty much caught </ins>up.The water gun fight was <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">awesome, although I feel like it started earlier than the instructions</ins>. I was <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">near one of </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">cameramen for it, so </ins>I <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">must look gorgeous, with a wet, streaky-makeup face, wearing </ins>a shower cap<ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">. :)All in all</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">a good day. I got home EXHAUSTED!! (After waiting 50+ minutes for </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">ferry, and then walking to</ins>, and <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">waiting for 2 trains home.)I really enyoejd</ins>! <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">I</ins>'<ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">d love to join the future experiments </ins>as <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">well</ins>.</div></td></tr>
</table>124.122.102.184https://wiki.austinimprov.com/index.php?title=History_of_Austin_Improv&diff=13336&oldid=prev188.143.234.155: Undo revision 11690 by Hujhax (talk)2016-02-18T01:10:09Z<p>Undo revision 11690 by <a href="/index.php/Special:Contributions/Hujhax" title="Special:Contributions/Hujhax">Hujhax</a> (<a href="/index.php/User_talk:Hujhax" title="User talk:Hujhax">talk</a>)</p>
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<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">==Early Days==</del></div></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">I'm so happy that my boss let me have </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">day off for this</ins>. <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">I almost didn't atentd </ins>and <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">it </ins>was <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">my </ins>first <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">MP3 Experiment with my friend</ins>. <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">It was fun looking around </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">island, since we were there 2 hrs early</ins>, and <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">trying </ins>to <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">spot others who were trying </ins>to <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">be incognito</ins>. <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">I only saw </ins>a few <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">water guns </ins>(<ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">less than 5</ins>), and <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">heard one group talking </ins>about the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">shower caps</ins>. The <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">biggest giveaway for me were </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">white sheets being used for groups resting under trees before </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">event began</ins>.When <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">it started, I had it downloaded </ins>on <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">my Android phone </ins>and <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">was 30-45 seconds behind everyone else until I manually synced up well enough</ins>. <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">There </ins>was <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">one fan who </ins>was <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">walking around</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">trying </ins>to <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">figure out what </ins>was <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">going </ins>on. <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">I remember her passing me </ins>and <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">calling out </ins>to <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">friends</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"> Something is happening</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">but no one</ins>'s <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">telling me anything! Then everyone laid down </ins>and <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">she seemed even </ins>more <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">stumped</ins>. <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">It </ins>was <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">great</ins>.<ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">The following </ins>of <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">fans was great too</ins>. <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">There weren</ins>'<ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">t many, but I saw </ins>a <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">group having </ins>a <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">picnic and they got into it</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">doing jumping jacks </ins>and <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">dancing</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">with people mimicking them</ins>. The <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">worst was the high fiving</ins>. <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">It </ins>was <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">hard </ins>to <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">find others </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">further we migrated onto the field when most people were </ins>at the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">outside perimeter.The ghost walk was amusing</ins>, and <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">lifting </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">sheet canopy </ins>as <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Steve assured us it wasn't raining </ins>(and the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">sky </ins>opened up<ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">) was perfect timing</ins>. The <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">water gun fight was wonderful too</ins>! <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">It was </ins>a <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">blast</ins>.<ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">I think </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">best part was </ins>the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">after effect</ins>. <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Smiles everywhere</ins>! <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">I saw people playing instruments </ins>and <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">starting conga lines</ins>. <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">A woman standing poised </ins>in a <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">shower cap</ins>, <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">with her water gun </ins>at the <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">ready</ins>, and a <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">small board where she wrote Victory!' as her friend took photos</ins>. <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">People were even rolling down the hill </ins>in <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">their bed sheets</ins>. It <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">was so much fun </ins>and <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">I hope </ins>more <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">friends join me next year!</ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In 1985 [[</del>the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Comedy Workshop]] at 15th St</del>. and <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Lavaca </del>was <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">home to [[The Hilarions | The Hilarions: Gladiators of Comedy]], possibly the </del>first <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">serious improv troupe in Austin</del>. <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">The owner of </del>the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Comedy Workshop in Houston (which gave Bill Hicks</del>, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Sam Kinison </del>and <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">the other so-called Outlaw stand-up comics their start) would drive up </del>to <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Austin on Fridays and teach improv </del>to <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">anyone who would show up</del>. <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">The Hilarions formed in early 1985 and did late-night short-form shows Tuesday through Thursday for about a year and a half. </del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">When the Austin Comedy Workshop closed, </del>a few <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">of the Hilarions made the leap over to [[Cap City Comedy Club|the Laff Stop]] </del>(<del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">which would later become [[Cap City Comedy Club]]</del>), and <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">out of a series of workshops run by an actor named Rodney Rincon, a troupe called [[the Laff Staff]] was born. Making their debut in early 1987, they performed a 45-minute pre-show lounge slot four days a week for </del>about <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">five years. </del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Meanwhile, in 1986 </del>the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Austin [[ComedySportz]] franchise, owned by Les McGeehee, began producing shows in a series of spaces, starting in their own space above Headliner's East, then the original Vortex, The Ritz, the Laff Stop, eventually helping to open a comedy venue next to [[Esther's Follies]] called the Deep End (now known as [[the Velveeta Room]])</del>. The <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Velveeta Room was also home to [[</del>the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Cheese Pistols]] and Austin's first local comedy festivals, [[Austin Comedy Festival]] and </del>the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">[[Southwest Improv Festival of Texas]] (SWIFT)</del>. When <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">ComedySportz opened [[the ImprovClub]] </del>on <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">the same block as Esther's </del>and <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">the Velveeta Room in 1994, the city briefly recognized the area as the "Austin Comedy District"</del>. </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In 1996 ComedySportz relocated to [[the ComedySportz Playhouse]] in Northcross Mall, producing five shows a week with a kitchen and full bar. The Velveeta Room </del>was <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">still going strong, featuring troupes like [[Marc Pruter]]'s [[Monks' Night Out]], [[Code Blue]], and [[Los Paranoias]], directed by [[Pam Ribon]] and [[David Lampe]]. And at the University of Texas there </del>was <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">a troupe called [[Only 90% Effective]] directed by [[Brently Heilbron]].</del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">==Austin Improv Goes National==</del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In 1997 Austin landed on the national improv and sketch map with the first annual [[Big Stinkin' Improv and Sketch Comedy Festival]], which brought troupes</del>, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">teachers and talent scouts from around the nation </del>to <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Austin for a memorable weekend of comedy. Improv played some of the biggest venues in town from the Paramount to Palmer Auditorium.</del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In 1998 [[Sean Hill]] and [[David Lampe]] hosted auditions for [[We Could Be Heroes|Austin Theatresports]] and their first show </del>was <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">a [[Maestro]] (aka [[Micetro]]), at the Public Domain Theater </del>on <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Congress Ave</del>. <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">in February of 1999 with Dan O'Connor </del>and <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Brian Lohman directing. Soon after Austin Theatersports began a run at the Hyde Park Theater, and then in late 1998, Sean started work on a new improv theater and coffee house called the Hideout.</del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">1999 Austin ComedySportz hosted the National Championship of ComedySportz with 22 teams from across the country (and won the National Championship). Around the same time ComedySportz players [[Owen Egerton]] and [[Jerm Pollett]] started the hit movie commentary show [[Master Pancake Theater | Mr. Sinus Theater 3000]](now known as [[Master Pancake Theater]]) at the Alamo Drafthouse. </del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">==The Boom and the Bust==</del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In 1999 the improv scene was booming. There were many venues: [[the Velveeta Room]], [[the Bad Dog Comedy Theater]], [[the ComedySportz Playhouse]] and even [[Cap City Comedy Club]] and [[Esther's Follies]] would host improv from time </del>to <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">time. There were lots of troupes: Austin Theatresports</del>, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">ComedySportz</del>, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">[[Monks' Night Out]], [[Well Hung Jury]], [[Code Blue]], [[the Cheese Pistols]], [[Ray Prewitt</del>'s <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">4th Grade Class]], [[Fatbuckle]], [[the Skinnies]], [[the Inflatable Egos]], [[Only 90% Effective]] </del>and <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">many </del>more <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">troupes lost to the mists of time</del>. <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">[[Big Stinkin' Improv and Sketch Comedy Festival]] </del>was <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">getting bigger and stinkier by the year, bringing in top talent from stage, television and film</del>.</div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">After 2000 the festival producers [[Ed Carter]] and [[Marc Pruter]], along with a lot </del>of <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">other Austinites, lost their shirts</del>. <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Big Stinkin</del>' <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">shut down along with all of the other improv venues and troupes. </del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Meanwhile in 2000 [[The Hideout Theatre|the Hideout Theatre and Coffeehouse]] officially opened as </del>a <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">venue in </del>a <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">historic building on Congress Ave. downtown</del>, and <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Austin Theatresports became [[We Could Be Heroes]]. [[Sean Hill]] and [[Shana Merlin]] ran the house troupe and the We Could Be Heroes School of Improvisational Theater</del>, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Austin's first full-time improv training center</del>.</div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">==</del>The <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Ongoing Austin Improv Renaissance==</del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In 2004 and 2005 a variety of factors led to a second renaissance in Austin improv</del>. <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">[[Andy Crouch]] </del>was <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">hired </del>to <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">run </del>the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">day to day operations </del>at the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Hideout</del>, and <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">he made a concerted effort to grow </del>the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">community of active Austin improvisers through weekly shows and social events, and eventually a nonprofit organization called the [[Austin Improv Collective]]. A handful of improvisers moved to Austin from Chicago and Cleveland eventually coming together </del>as <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">the troupe [[The Frank Mills|Tight]] </del>(<del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">now [[The Frank Mills]]) bringing with them the performance styles of famous Chicago theaters like Improv Olympic </del>and the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Second City. The New Orleans troupe [[ColdTowne (troupe)|ColdTowne]] landed in Austin in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. And the [[Out of Bounds Comedy Festival|Out of Bounds Improv and Minigolf Festival]], started in 2002 by [[Jeremy Sweetlamb|Jeremy Lamb]] as a local, experimental improv festival, had been slowly but surely gaining momentum and national attention.</del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Things began to bubble up at the Hideout and by October of 2006, ColdTowne struck out and </del>opened <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">a self-titled theater and conservatory on Airport Boulevard, offering improv, sketch and stand </del>up <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">comedy</del>. </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In March of 2008 [[</del>The <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Merlin Works Institute for Improvisation]] and [[Gnap</del>! <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Theater Projects]] began teaching classes and performing shows at the [[Salvage Vanguard Theater]] on Manor Road. </del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">ComedySportz resumed weekly shows at [[Cafe Caffeine]] in south Austin in the fall of 2008. </del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In 2009 former ColdTowne members [[Chris Trew]] and [[Tami Nelson]] opened [[The New Movement]] in east Austin as </del>a <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">home for all forms of comedy</del>. <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">(In 2012 they opened a branch of </del>the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">New Movement in New Orleans.) </del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In 2010 LA transplant [[Tom Booker]] and New York transplant [[Asaf Ronen]] opened </del>the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">[[Institution Theater]] in south Austin</del>. </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">In recent years there has been remarkable stability in the various Austin theaters, with only minor adjustments: The local ComedySportz franchise is currently inactive; the New Movement relocated to a new downtown location on Lavaca (and opened a second theater in New Orleans); Gnap</del>! <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">shifted focus from the production of improv to scripted work; </del>and <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">the Merlin Works training center found a new home at the longtime Austin theater venue [[ZACH Theater]]</del>.</div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Currently the number of improvisers in Austin is estimated at between 400 and 600. Austin has gained national attention for the vibrant community of improvisers and quality work </del>in a <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">variety of styles. A Johnstone-inspired</del>, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">short form and storytelling focus can be found </del>at the <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Hideout Theatre and Merlin-Works. Various Chicago and New York influences are prevalent at ColdTowne</del>, <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">the New Movement </del>and <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">the Institution. But Austin is ultimately </del>a <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">melting pot</del>. <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">The intentional building of a scene and community has resulted </del>in <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">an environment of collaborative competition, and many improvisers study and perform at multiple theaters, coming together throughout the year for events like Out of Bounds, [[the Improvised Play Festival]], [[Sketchfest]], [[the Improv Wins Conference]], [[Wafflefest]], [[The Austin Improv Potluck]], [[Same Year's Eve]] and more</del>.</div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div> </div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">==Articles on Austin Improv==</del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">* [http://www.austinchronicle.com/arts/2001-01-26/80278/ The Austin Chronicle], "Livin' Lavaca Loca: Laughing </del>It <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Up at the Comedy Workshop" by Angela Davis</del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">* [http://www.austinchronicle.com/arts/2000-08-04/78074/ The Austin Chronicle], "Home for Heroes (</del>and <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Others): Comedy Comes Up Congress in the Storefront Theatre The Hideout" by Phil West</del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">* [http://www.austinchronicle.com/arts/2006-08-25/397677/ The Austin Chronicle], "Mission: Improvable: Austin's improv community gathers intelligence" by Wayne Allen Brenner</del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">* [http://www.austinchronicle.com/arts/2013-08-23/improv-educated/ The Austin Chronicle], "Improv-Educated: Out of Bounds Comedy Festival makes </del>more <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">room for Austin's increasingly savvy audiences" by Robert Faires</del></div></td><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
</table>188.143.234.155https://wiki.austinimprov.com/index.php?title=History_of_Austin_Improv&diff=11872&oldid=prev76.168.206.176: /* Early Days */2015-04-05T05:02:39Z<p><span dir="auto"><span class="autocomment">Early Days</span></span></p>
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<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>When the Austin Comedy Workshop closed, a few of the Hilarions made the leap over to [[Cap City Comedy Club|the Laff Stop]] (which would later become [[Cap City Comedy Club]]), and out of a series of workshops run by an actor named Rodney Rincon, a troupe called [[the Laff Staff]] was born. Making their debut in early 1987, they performed a 45-minute pre-show lounge slot four days a week for about five years. </div></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>When the Austin Comedy Workshop closed, a few of the Hilarions made the leap over to [[Cap City Comedy Club|the Laff Stop]] (which would later become [[Cap City Comedy Club]]), and out of a series of workshops run by an actor named Rodney Rincon, a troupe called [[the Laff Staff]] was born. Making their debut in early 1987, they performed a 45-minute pre-show lounge slot four days a week for about five years. </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Meanwhile, in 1986 the Austin [[ComedySportz]] franchise, owned by Les McGeehee, began producing shows in a series of spaces, starting in their own space above Headliner's East, then the original Vortex, The Ritz, the Laff Stop, eventually helping to open a comedy venue next to [[Esther's Follies]] called the Deep End (now known as [[the Velveeta Room]]). The Velveeta Room was also home to [[the Cheese Pistols]] and Austin's <del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">fist </del>local comedy festivals, [[Austin Comedy Festival]] and the [[Southwest Improv Festival of Texas]] (SWIFT). When ComedySportz opened [[the ImprovClub]] on the same block as Esther's and the Velveeta Room in 1994, the city briefly recognized the area as the "Austin Comedy District". </div></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Meanwhile, in 1986 the Austin [[ComedySportz]] franchise, owned by Les McGeehee, began producing shows in a series of spaces, starting in their own space above Headliner's East, then the original Vortex, The Ritz, the Laff Stop, eventually helping to open a comedy venue next to [[Esther's Follies]] called the Deep End (now known as [[the Velveeta Room]]). The Velveeta Room was also home to [[the Cheese Pistols]] and Austin's <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">first </ins>local comedy festivals, [[Austin Comedy Festival]] and the [[Southwest Improv Festival of Texas]] (SWIFT). When ComedySportz opened [[the ImprovClub]] on the same block as Esther's and the Velveeta Room in 1994, the city briefly recognized the area as the "Austin Comedy District". </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>In 1996 ComedySportz relocated to [[the ComedySportz Playhouse]] in Northcross Mall, producing five shows a week with a kitchen and full bar. The Velveeta Room was still going strong, featuring troupes like [[Marc Pruter]]'s [[Monks' Night Out]], [[Code Blue]], and [[Los Paranoias]], directed by [[Pam Ribon]] and [[David Lampe]]. And at the University of Texas there was a troupe called [[Only 90% Effective]] directed by [[Brently Heilbron]].</div></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>In 1996 ComedySportz relocated to [[the ComedySportz Playhouse]] in Northcross Mall, producing five shows a week with a kitchen and full bar. The Velveeta Room was still going strong, featuring troupes like [[Marc Pruter]]'s [[Monks' Night Out]], [[Code Blue]], and [[Los Paranoias]], directed by [[Pam Ribon]] and [[David Lampe]]. And at the University of Texas there was a troupe called [[Only 90% Effective]] directed by [[Brently Heilbron]].</div></td></tr>
</table>76.168.206.176https://wiki.austinimprov.com/index.php?title=History_of_Austin_Improv&diff=11690&oldid=prevHujhax: fixed link2015-03-25T02:59:16Z<p>fixed link</p>
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<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>==The Boom and the Bust==</div></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>==The Boom and the Bust==</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>In 1999 the improv scene was booming. There were many venues: [[the Velveeta Room]], [[the Bad Dog Comedy Theater]], [[the ComedySportz Playhouse]] and even [[Cap City Comedy Club]] and [[Esther's Follies]] would host improv from time to time. There were lots of troupes: Austin Theatresports, ComedySportz, [[<del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Monk</del>'<del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">s </del>Night Out]], [[Well Hung Jury]], [[Code Blue]], [[the Cheese Pistols]], [[Ray Prewitt's 4th Grade Class]], [[Fatbuckle]], [[the Skinnies]], [[the Inflatable Egos]], [[Only 90% Effective]] and many more troupes lost to the mists of time. [[Big Stinkin' Improv and Sketch Comedy Festival]] was getting bigger and stinkier by the year, bringing in top talent from stage, television and film.</div></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>In 1999 the improv scene was booming. There were many venues: [[the Velveeta Room]], [[the Bad Dog Comedy Theater]], [[the ComedySportz Playhouse]] and even [[Cap City Comedy Club]] and [[Esther's Follies]] would host improv from time to time. There were lots of troupes: Austin Theatresports, ComedySportz, [[<ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Monks</ins>' Night Out]], [[Well Hung Jury]], [[Code Blue]], [[the Cheese Pistols]], [[Ray Prewitt's 4th Grade Class]], [[Fatbuckle]], [[the Skinnies]], [[the Inflatable Egos]], [[Only 90% Effective]] and many more troupes lost to the mists of time. [[Big Stinkin' Improv and Sketch Comedy Festival]] was getting bigger and stinkier by the year, bringing in top talent from stage, television and film.</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>After 2000 the festival producers [[Ed Carter]] and [[Marc Pruter]], along with a lot of other Austinites, lost their shirts. Big Stinkin' shut down along with all of the other improv venues and troupes. </div></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>After 2000 the festival producers [[Ed Carter]] and [[Marc Pruter]], along with a lot of other Austinites, lost their shirts. Big Stinkin' shut down along with all of the other improv venues and troupes. </div></td></tr>
</table>Hujhaxhttps://wiki.austinimprov.com/index.php?title=History_of_Austin_Improv&diff=11677&oldid=prevHujhax: /* Early Days */ fixing spelling2015-03-23T20:09:10Z<p><span dir="auto"><span class="autocomment">Early Days: </span> fixing spelling</span></p>
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</tr><tr><td colspan="2" class="diff-lineno" id="mw-diff-left-l7">Line 7:</td>
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<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Meanwhile, in 1986 the Austin [[ComedySportz]] franchise, owned by Les McGeehee, began producing shows in a series of spaces, starting in their own space above Headliner's East, then the original Vortex, The Ritz, the Laff Stop, eventually helping to open a comedy venue next to [[Esther's Follies]] called the Deep End (now known as [[the Velveeta Room]]). The Velveeta Room was also home to [[the Cheese Pistols]] and Austin's fist local comedy festivals, [[Austin Comedy Festival]] and the [[Southwest Improv Festival of Texas]] (SWIFT). When ComedySportz opened [[the ImprovClub]] on the same block as Esther's and the Velveeta Room in 1994, the city briefly recognized the area as the "Austin Comedy District". </div></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Meanwhile, in 1986 the Austin [[ComedySportz]] franchise, owned by Les McGeehee, began producing shows in a series of spaces, starting in their own space above Headliner's East, then the original Vortex, The Ritz, the Laff Stop, eventually helping to open a comedy venue next to [[Esther's Follies]] called the Deep End (now known as [[the Velveeta Room]]). The Velveeta Room was also home to [[the Cheese Pistols]] and Austin's fist local comedy festivals, [[Austin Comedy Festival]] and the [[Southwest Improv Festival of Texas]] (SWIFT). When ComedySportz opened [[the ImprovClub]] on the same block as Esther's and the Velveeta Room in 1994, the city briefly recognized the area as the "Austin Comedy District". </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>In 1996 ComedySportz relocated to [[the ComedySportz Playhouse]] in Northcross Mall, producing five shows a week with a kitchen and full bar. The Velveeta Room was still going strong, featuring troupes like [[Marc Pruter]]'s [[<del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Monk</del>'<del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">s </del>Night Out]], [[Code Blue]], and [[Los Paranoias]], directed by [[Pam Ribon]] and [[David Lampe]]. And at the University of Texas there was a troupe called [[Only 90% Effective]] directed by [[Brently Heilbron]].</div></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>In 1996 ComedySportz relocated to [[the ComedySportz Playhouse]] in Northcross Mall, producing five shows a week with a kitchen and full bar. The Velveeta Room was still going strong, featuring troupes like [[Marc Pruter]]'s [[<ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Monks</ins>' Night Out]], [[Code Blue]], and [[Los Paranoias]], directed by [[Pam Ribon]] and [[David Lampe]]. And at the University of Texas there was a troupe called [[Only 90% Effective]] directed by [[Brently Heilbron]].</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>==Austin Improv Goes National==</div></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>==Austin Improv Goes National==</div></td></tr>
</table>Hujhaxhttps://wiki.austinimprov.com/index.php?title=History_of_Austin_Improv&diff=9869&oldid=prev70.114.217.142 at 20:12, 11 July 20142014-07-11T20:12:47Z<p></p>
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<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>In 1998 [[Sean Hill]] and [[David Lampe]] hosted auditions for [[We Could Be Heroes|Austin Theatresports]] and their first show was a [[Maestro]] (aka [[Micetro]]), at the Public Domain Theater on Congress Ave. in February of 1999 with Dan O'Connor and Brian Lohman directing. Soon after Austin Theatersports began a run at the Hyde Park Theater, and then in late 1998, Sean started work on a new improv theater and coffee house called the Hideout.</div></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>In 1998 [[Sean Hill]] and [[David Lampe]] hosted auditions for [[We Could Be Heroes|Austin Theatresports]] and their first show was a [[Maestro]] (aka [[Micetro]]), at the Public Domain Theater on Congress Ave. in February of 1999 with Dan O'Connor and Brian Lohman directing. Soon after Austin Theatersports began a run at the Hyde Park Theater, and then in late 1998, Sean started work on a new improv theater and coffee house called the Hideout.</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>1999 Austin ComedySportz hosted the National Championship of ComedySportz with 22 teams from across the country (and won the National Championship).</div></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>1999 Austin ComedySportz hosted the National Championship of ComedySportz with 22 teams from across the country (and won the National Championship)<ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">. Around the same time ComedySportz players [[Owen Egerton]] and [[Jerm Pollett]] started the hit movie commentary show [[Master Pancake Theater | Mr. Sinus Theater 3000]](now known as [[Master Pancake Theater]]) at the Alamo Drafthouse</ins>. </div></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>==The Boom and the Bust==</div></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>==The Boom and the Bust==</div></td></tr>
</table>70.114.217.142https://wiki.austinimprov.com/index.php?title=History_of_Austin_Improv&diff=9868&oldid=prev70.114.217.142: /* Austin Improv Goes National */2014-07-11T19:55:37Z<p><span dir="auto"><span class="autocomment">Austin Improv Goes National</span></span></p>
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<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>In 1998 [[Sean Hill]] and [[David Lampe]] hosted auditions for [[We Could Be Heroes|Austin Theatresports]] and their first show was a [[Maestro]] (aka [[Micetro]]), at the Public Domain Theater on Congress Ave. in February of 1999 with Dan O'Connor and Brian Lohman directing. Soon after Austin Theatersports began a run at the Hyde Park Theater, and then in late 1998, Sean started work on a new improv theater and coffee house called the Hideout.</div></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>In 1998 [[Sean Hill]] and [[David Lampe]] hosted auditions for [[We Could Be Heroes|Austin Theatresports]] and their first show was a [[Maestro]] (aka [[Micetro]]), at the Public Domain Theater on Congress Ave. in February of 1999 with Dan O'Connor and Brian Lohman directing. Soon after Austin Theatersports began a run at the Hyde Park Theater, and then in late 1998, Sean started work on a new improv theater and coffee house called the Hideout.</div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;"></ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div><ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">1999 Austin ComedySportz hosted the National Championship of ComedySportz with 22 teams from across the country (and won the National Championship).</ins></div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>==The Boom and the Bust==</div></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>==The Boom and the Bust==</div></td></tr>
</table>70.114.217.142https://wiki.austinimprov.com/index.php?title=History_of_Austin_Improv&diff=9867&oldid=prev70.114.217.142 at 19:50, 11 July 20142014-07-11T19:50:32Z<p></p>
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<td colspan="2" style="background-color: #fff; color: #202122; text-align: center;">Revision as of 19:50, 11 July 2014</td>
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<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>==Early Days==</div></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>==Early Days==</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>In 1985 [[the Comedy Workshop]] at 15th St. and Lavaca was home to [[<del style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">the </del>Hilarions: Gladiators of Comedy]], possibly the first serious improv troupe in Austin. The owner of the Comedy Workshop in Houston (which gave Bill Hicks, Sam Kinison and the other so-called Outlaw stand-up comics their start) would drive up to Austin on Fridays and teach improv to anyone who would show up. The Hilarions formed in early 1985 and did late-night short-form shows Tuesday through Thursday for about a year and a half. </div></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>In 1985 [[the Comedy Workshop]] at 15th St. and Lavaca was home to [[<ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">The Hilarions | The </ins>Hilarions: Gladiators of Comedy]], possibly the first serious improv troupe in Austin. The owner of the Comedy Workshop in Houston (which gave Bill Hicks, Sam Kinison and the other so-called Outlaw stand-up comics their start) would drive up to Austin on Fridays and teach improv to anyone who would show up. The Hilarions formed in early 1985 and did late-night short-form shows Tuesday through Thursday for about a year and a half. </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>When the Austin Comedy Workshop closed, a few of the Hilarions made the leap over to [[Cap City Comedy Club|the Laff Stop]] (which would later become [[Cap City Comedy Club]]), and out of a series of workshops run by an actor named Rodney Rincon, a troupe called [[the Laff Staff]] was born. Making their debut in early 1987, they performed a 45-minute pre-show lounge slot four days a week for about five years. </div></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>When the Austin Comedy Workshop closed, a few of the Hilarions made the leap over to [[Cap City Comedy Club|the Laff Stop]] (which would later become [[Cap City Comedy Club]]), and out of a series of workshops run by an actor named Rodney Rincon, a troupe called [[the Laff Staff]] was born. Making their debut in early 1987, they performed a 45-minute pre-show lounge slot four days a week for about five years. </div></td></tr>
</table>70.114.217.142https://wiki.austinimprov.com/index.php?title=History_of_Austin_Improv&diff=9637&oldid=prev70.114.217.211: /* The Ongoing Austin Improv Renaissance */2014-07-06T20:09:39Z<p><span dir="auto"><span class="autocomment">The Ongoing Austin Improv Renaissance</span></span></p>
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<td colspan="2" style="background-color: #fff; color: #202122; text-align: center;">Revision as of 20:09, 6 July 2014</td>
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<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>In 2010 LA transplant [[Tom Booker]] and New York transplant [[Asaf Ronen]] opened the [[Institution Theater]] in south Austin. </div></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>In 2010 LA transplant [[Tom Booker]] and New York transplant [[Asaf Ronen]] opened the [[Institution Theater]] in south Austin. </div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="−"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #ffe49c; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>In recent years there has been remarkable stability in the various Austin theaters, with only minor adjustments: The local ComedySportz franchise is currently inactive; the New Movement relocated to a new downtown location on Lavaca; Gnap! shifted focus from the production of improv to scripted work; and the Merlin Works training center found a new home at the longtime Austin theater venue [[ZACH Theater]].</div></td><td class="diff-marker" data-marker="+"></td><td style="color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #a3d3ff; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>In recent years there has been remarkable stability in the various Austin theaters, with only minor adjustments: The local ComedySportz franchise is currently inactive; the New Movement relocated to a new downtown location on Lavaca <ins style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">(and opened a second theater in New Orleans)</ins>; Gnap! shifted focus from the production of improv to scripted work; and the Merlin Works training center found a new home at the longtime Austin theater venue [[ZACH Theater]].</div></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br/></td></tr>
<tr><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Currently the number of improvisers in Austin is estimated at between 400 and 600. Austin has gained national attention for the vibrant community of improvisers and quality work in a variety of styles. A Johnstone-inspired, short form and storytelling focus can be found at the Hideout Theatre and Merlin-Works. Various Chicago and New York influences are prevalent at ColdTowne, the New Movement and the Institution. But Austin is ultimately a melting pot. The intentional building of a scene and community has resulted in an environment of collaborative competition, and many improvisers study and perform at multiple theaters, coming together throughout the year for events like Out of Bounds, [[the Improvised Play Festival]], [[Sketchfest]], [[the Improv Wins Conference]], [[Wafflefest]], [[The Austin Improv Potluck]], [[Same Year's Eve]] and more.</div></td><td class="diff-marker"></td><td style="background-color: #f8f9fa; color: #202122; font-size: 88%; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px 1px 1px 4px; border-radius: 0.33em; border-color: #eaecf0; vertical-align: top; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div>Currently the number of improvisers in Austin is estimated at between 400 and 600. Austin has gained national attention for the vibrant community of improvisers and quality work in a variety of styles. A Johnstone-inspired, short form and storytelling focus can be found at the Hideout Theatre and Merlin-Works. Various Chicago and New York influences are prevalent at ColdTowne, the New Movement and the Institution. But Austin is ultimately a melting pot. The intentional building of a scene and community has resulted in an environment of collaborative competition, and many improvisers study and perform at multiple theaters, coming together throughout the year for events like Out of Bounds, [[the Improvised Play Festival]], [[Sketchfest]], [[the Improv Wins Conference]], [[Wafflefest]], [[The Austin Improv Potluck]], [[Same Year's Eve]] and more.</div></td></tr>
</table>70.114.217.211