Sarah Marie Curry

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Sarah Marie Curry

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Primary Theater The Institution Theater
Years Active 2008-Present

Sarah Marie Curry is an improv performer, director, and teacher. She is the General Manager of The Institution Theatre and is responsible for the scheduling, production management, front of house and staffing management of the space.

Teaching

Sarah Marie is one of the few teachers in the Austin area to have taught full curriculums at four of the five dedicated improv schools in Austin Texas from the years of 2007-2020. She specialized in acting and advanced work. She primarily (and stubbornly) teaches her own curriculum, writing and tailoring to the needs of each individual class and the structural goals of the school as a whole. Influences include those she's studied: Anne Bogart, Twyla Tharp, David Brunetti, David Mamet, John Truby, and those she's studied with: Mick Napier, Craig Cackowski, Asaf Ronen, Jeff Wirth, Deanna Fleysher, Jill Bernard, Carol Hickey and Harry Maestrogeorge.

Created Curriculums Merlin Works School of Improvisation - Musical Improv Masterclass, Musical Improv 201, 401, 501, 601 Hideout Theatre - Improv 401 The Institution Theatre - Improv 201, 501, 601

Schools Taught Merlin Works School of Improvisation The Hideout Theatre The Institution Theatre The Fallout Theater

Workshops by Sarah-Marie Curry Viewpoints for Improvisors Acting in Improvisation Improvisation in Acting Vulnerability in Acting and Improv Stage Picture and Staging Technique in Improvisational Theatre Advanced Musical Improv

Origin

Sarah Marie moved to Austin Texas in November of 2007 with the intention of expanding her abilities as an actress, and to pursue her passion for theatre in any way possible. She met Peter Rogers, Andy Crouch and Les McGehee while working backstage as a costume mistress for Austin Shakespeare's 2008 production of Much Ado About Nothing. It was during this time that she first heard of the concept of improv, and was given Les McGehee's book Plays Well With Others. After taking acting classes with The State Theater, Sarah Marie saw an ad for Merlin Works and signed up for Shana Merlin's 101 class. (Shannon McCormick was Shana's TA at the time.) She has since had the honor of playing in numerous improv theaters in Austin and hopes to continue her journey for years to come.

A post from her about the first improv show she ever saw:

With regards to Whose Line Is It, Anyway?, which I saw as a child, I would say the first time I became aware of improvisation as an actual, doable, watchable art form was FronteraFest 2008. I had just moved to Austin and just started my job as the Box Office Manager for FronteraFest. I worked the Short Fringe Box at Hyde Park on most evenings, and when I was done settling, I would duck around back and watch what shows I could.

I saw:

  • Buddy Daddy - Double Plus Squeeeeeeee!
  • Pgraph's French Farce - I was trapped behind the box counter, so I didn't get to see it, but I remember that I had no idea it wasn't scripted, and when I heard it was improvised, I still refused to believe people could be that funny and witty in the spur of the moment. [Side Note: This is also the first moment I ran into Valerie, and thus began many months of "I know her! How do I know her? Am I thinking she's from San Angelo because she is, or because I want her too be? She's so awesome! Why was my brain built like a cheese grater?!" etc etc... Blarg. Thanks for still liking me after all that ridiculousness Valerie!]
  • Girls Girls Girls - "Dog Show: The Musical" I remember thinking "Oh. Wow." It was like my brain couldn't put any of it together: Musical Theatre + Improv (still a very new concept anyway) = All System Shut Down. I remember drooling on one of the Girls after the show (Andrea maybe?) and getting her card, and shyly asking how one ever got to be in GGG, like a star-eyed, corn-fed farm girl who just made it to the big city and saw this new-fangled theater magic... Good times!

After all that bugaboo I started taking classes at The State School of Acting and a few months later and a few productions in between, I was starting to get really down on myself in classes, so I decided to take a just-for-fun "improv" class to see what it was all about and get some new perspective on this new (to me) kind of theatre. I saw that a Shana Merlin person offered 101 with the promise of fun and fancy free frolics and the rest is brief history!

Troupes

Current

Past

Shows

More Information

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