List of Free Fringes

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Revision as of 02:42, 3 June 2013 by Hujhax (talk | contribs) (→‎2012 Shows: fixed link)

This list of Free Fringes includes all the formats for every performance of the Hideout Theatre's experimental-show slot, from the 1/5/12 inaugural show to 5/30/13.

2012 Shows

  • 1/5/2012:
    • Drag, produced by Jason Vines: It's simple. Girls dress up as guys. Guys dress up as girls. Everyone plays opposite their actual gender. We get 4 guys and 4 girls in drag up on stage and do a montage. Anything goes.
    • The New Game Project, produced by Roy Janik: In shows like Maestro that feature improv games, we've got a ton of favorites that we bust out week after week. In the New Game Project we're throwing all those out of the window. We'll take names of non-existent games from the audience and invent new games on the fly. And who knows, the ones we like the best might make their way back into Maestro.
    • Firth&Arjet
  • 1/12/2012:
    • Shortform Mashup: Every Saturday for the past 12 years or so we have played improv games during Maestro, our most popular show... games like The Alphabet Game, No Questions, Pan Left/Pan Right, and so on. On their own they're a blast, but what happens when we combine games together? Madness, that's what. Alphabet Hell Dub? Movies Bodies Samurai Showdown? Come see the brains of improvisers get super broken.
    • The Floor is Lava! This one's not that weird. Everyone improvises as normal... except the floor is lava! Improvisers have to perform on top of chairs, benches, blocks, etc... whatever they can do to keep off the floor. If they touch they floor, they die, and have to leave the scene. What?
    • Firth&Arjet: Always a Bridesmaid
  • 1/19/2012:
    • Ding!, produced by Mike Kinald: At the Hideout Theatre, we love to tell stories. Many of our shows are full length improvised plays! But we also games, like in Maestro, our most popular show. Ding! is an experiment to combine the two. Four to six improvisers will be performing a short narrative. But every time a bell rings, they pick a game (like Alphabet, scene in reverse, etc...) out a hat. They then have to *use* that game to help tell the story. Expect madness. Expect confusion. Expect a surprisingly cohesive story despite (or perhaps because of) all the challenges along the way.
    • Blind Montage, produced by Amy Dietze: There's a decently common improv format called the Bat, which is like a radio play in the dark. The lights go out and the improvisers do all the scenework using only their voices and imaginations. The Blind Montage reverses that idea and flips it around. The lights will stay on, but for the entire show, the improvisers will be blindfolded. Can two actors connect emotionally without being able to see? Can they effectively hand one another a cup? Can they avoid injury to life and limb? There's only one way to find out.
    • Firth&Arjet: Always a Bridesmaid
  • 1/26/2012:
    • LADIES NIGHT! Join the Hideout for the first ever Ladies Night at the Free Fringe. Funny, talented ladies from all over the Austin improv scene will be converging on The Fringe to mix it up. The ladies will be divided into 3 troupes who will each decide on a format and then almost immediately perform it. Expect the energy in the air to be incredible.
    • Firth&Arjet: Always a Bridesmaid
  • 2/2/2012:
  • 2/9/2012:
    • The Bestiary, produced by Thedward Blevins: There's a pretty awesome technique/game in improv where you play your character by taking on the characteristics of animals in human form. So if you're a mouse, you might play shy but excitable. The Bestiary takes that one step further. All the characters are animals. They cannot speak human language; they can only make animal noises. starring: Brad Hawkins, Sandra Ybarra, Margaux Binder, Karen Jane DeWitt, Thedward Blevins
    • Spirit of Influence, produced by Mitchell Deane: The bareness of the improv stage is both its blessing and its curse. A few chairs, a few curtains, and our words are used to create everything in the universe. But there's so much that's unseen. In Spirit of Influence, there will be an "unseen" person who provides the characters and scenes with subtext and texture by stating these things out loud. This can be anything from granting characters emotions such as "rage" or "euphoria" to giving them specific characteristics like "allergic to peanuts" or "has Smashmouth song stuck in his head" starring: Mitchell Deane, Karen Jane DeWitt, Brandon Martin, Sam Schak, and Heidi Rogers
    • The Library, produced by Justin Davis: We all have our own unique perspective on life. No two people are the same. But what happens when all the people in a story literally come from different universes? The library is a long-form narrative show with each improviser playing from a different genre perspective. Science fiction, romance, horror, Southern gothic, quirky meet-cute indie movie, whatever. One story, multiple genres. starring: Justin Davis, Kacey Samiee, Nicole Beckley, Jon Bolden, and Karen Jane DeWitt
    • Firth&Arjet: Always a Bridesmaid
  • 2/16/2012:
    • Formats on Shuffle, produced by Chris Sebilia: On one wheel many different styles of improv. On the second wheel several different audience suggestions. We spin the wheels. *spin* *spin* *spin* Looks like we're doing an opera about Cracker Jacks. *spin* No, wait, opera has been skipped over, and now it's a VH1 Behind the Music about the life and times of Cracker Jack. 4 minutes later, we spin the wheels again. *spin* *spin* *spin*
    • Mousetrap! Improv is at its most exciting when the performers are taking risks and on the edge of failure. Most of the time that means making bold choices in scenes, or showing emotional vulnerability. But sometimes you have to break out the big guns. And by guns we mean mousetraps. The stage will be scattered with mousetraps, and blindfolded improvisers will have to navigate them while doing scenes. Gimmicky? Painful? Ridculous? Yes, yes, yes. Our pain is your reward.
    • Firth&Arjet: Always a Bridesmaid
  • 2/23/2012:
    • Alternate Ending, produced by Jason Oliver: This show takes stories, books, and movies that we all know and love, and indulges in a bit of wish fulfillment. The improvisers will take suggestions for stories that are crying out to be rewritten. First, they'll perform a mostly accurate version of the original ending, and then throw the script away to find out what could have happened. These are the Director's endings, the insane endings, the just endings, the "What should have happened" endings. starring: Jason Oliver, Chuy Zarate, Arby Gonzales, Zac Grantham
    • Mixed Modes, produced by Paul Normandin: Allison is done with improv. She's decided to return to the world of scripted theatre, and she's dragging the rest of us along with her. She'll be performing the entire show with a script (only known to her), including all her lines and stage directions. Everyone else had better catch up, and make sense of whatever miscommunications happen along the way. starring: Allison Asher, Ryan Hill, Jessica Arjet, Katherine Greco, Gloria Bankler, Paul Normandin
    • Firth&Arjet: Always a Bridesmaid
  • 3/01/2012:
    • The Mitch-o-Scene, produced by Jeff O'Leary: The late, great Mitch Hedberg was a fantastic comedian: surreal, unconventional, and brilliantly insane. So what happens when a bunch of improvisers play tribute to Mitch by all pretending to be him while doing improv? Who knows. Is this idea too out there even for the extremely out there Free Fringe? Quite possibly! Starring: Andy Campbell, Ashley Carlisle, Stephanie Hagemeister, Dan Kerrigan, Jeff O'Leary, Nichole Oliver and Kevin Smith
    • DrunkProv, produced by Chuy Zarate: Speaking of questionable ideas, here's another one. There are 4 performers. There is one case of beer. The case must be completely drunk by the end of the show. Insanity prevails. starring: David Lampe, Blynch, Jessica Arjet, Chuy Zarate
    • Headliners: Firth&Arjet
  • 3/08/2012:
    • All Ladies Be Trekkin': This is a show we could easily charge 20 dollars for, but for some reason is free. The Hideout has a rich and proud tradition of doing improvised Star Trek shows. We've had like 6 different seasons of the show (Start Trekkin') over the years. And now, for the first time, we're doing an all-ladies Start Trekkin'. Any lady who was part of any of those seasons, and still has a dress, is invited to perform. You must not miss this.
    • Ladies' Night Mixup: Also performing a set will be an wildly talented assortment of ladies, doing a format they decide on moments before hitting the stage. We did this a month ago, and it was an amazing night.
    • Firth&Arjet: Tomboys
  • 3/15/12:
    • Dark for SXSW.
  • 3/22/2012:
    • Google Chat Scene, produced by Ruby Willmann: Four improvisers, connected only through a google chat room, will perform a monoscene like no other. The google chat will be projected on the screen - three of the four improvisers will be on stage at their own computers - one will be in New York City. Together they will join forces to create a never before scene technological attempt of a monoscene. Want to learn more? Just google "awesome."
    • Spin the Bottle, produced by Jason Vines: Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. * 8 improvisers get in a circle on stage and play "spin the bottle". The spinner and the spinnee then do a scene that must include a kiss. When that scene is over... Spin again! starring: Jason Vines, Dana Yanoshak, Andreas Fabis, Ruby Willmann, Luke Wallens, Ryan Austin, Kayla Lane Freeman, Heidi Rogers, and Sam Schak.
    • Firth&Arjet: Always a Bridesmaid
  • 3/29/2012:
  • 4/4/2012:
    • I Saw You!, produced by Nicole Oliver: You know the "I Saw You"/"Missed Connections" ads that used to pop up in newspapers but now are huge on the internet? We will use a computer to randomly pick ads that people have placed on the internet like this one: I saw you, revolutionary music teacher now living in Oakland "You: brown hair, green jacket, pro-Palestine shirt, and black sunglasses, oh and I can€™t forget the brown shoulder bag. Me: IWW shirt and nothing cool on except for maybe a red star shining from my black heart. We should meet." The improvisers will then have either two choices - 1) Create that scene from the beginning of when the missed connection actually took place or 2) Create the scene from when they meet again.
    • Play Date!, produced by Karen Jane DeWitt: In this show, Karen Jane DeWitt, Kayla Lane Freeman, and Kaci Beeler act like themselves as tiny, adorable children! Who wouldn't want to see that? First, they each tell a little story about something funny that happened when they were kids. Then they take inspiration from those stories to do 3 person scenes as themselves as children. Regression therapy? Perhaps. But we're all along for the ride!
    • Headliner: In Our Prime
  • 4/19/2012:
  • 4/26/2012:
    • Campfire Songs, produced by Michael Brockman: Folks gathered 'round a campfire, making s'mores and telling each other stories. Except the stories will all be improvised songs and the campfire will be fake (hopefully). All the warmth and joy of a communal night around the fire, with more music and fewer bugs. starring: Aden Kirschner, Jordan Maxwell, Jason Vines, Peter Rogers, Amber Franklin, and Michael Brockman
    • Epic Telescope, produced by Peter Rogers and Marc Majcher: There's a game in Maestro called Half-Life, where we do a scene in a minute, then the same scene in 30 seconds, then 15, then 7... This is the opposite of that. The brave performers will start with a 10 second scene, and re-do it longer, and longer, and longer. As Peter Rogers, one of the producers, said: "This is probably completely impossible. If it crashes and burns, I will reveal that the whole thing was Marc's (the other producer's) idea." starring: Peter Rogers, Marc Majcher, Lauren Zinn Buck, Lisa Jackson, and Josh Gill
    • Firth&Arjet: Tomboys
  • 5/3/2012:
  • 5/10/2012:
    • Full Moon Rises, produced by Zac Grantham: There is a party game called Mafia. It's popular among geeks. There is a variation of that game with werewolves instead of mafia. Essentially people are either werewolves or villagers. Every night, the werewolves kill one villager. During the day, the villagers (and werewolves) investigate and kill one person they think is a werewolf. This repeats and eventually either all the villagers die or the werewolves are killed. The Fringe version is set in a late 17th century New England village. The performers randomly draw cards to assign roles to people. The scenes take place during the day as people try to determine who the werewolves are. Murder! Supernatural intrigue! Suspense! Improv!
    • The Pun Show, produced by Peter Rogers: The annual O'Henry Pun Off is coming on May 19th. Improvisers traditionally clean up at the event, which consists of competitive punning. To prepare, Peter Rogers is putting together a show which will feature nothing but puns. It'll be groan-inducing, but impressive. You'll laugh, you'll cringe, you'll find it un-bearable. Which, if you're a bear, is a pun.
    • Firth&Arjet: Tomboys
  • 5/17/2012:
    • My Best Fiend
    • Evil Peter Rogers, produced by Kevin Miller: Peter Rogers: affable, witty, introverted--and above all, exceptionally nice. Or so we thought. Turns out Peter Rogers has a dark side, an EVIL side, that comes out to play at the most random of moments. This format will insert Peter Rogers, playing himself, into a variety of real-world situations. At any moment, players from the sides can tag Peter out and become Evil Peter Rogers, sabotaging the situation in any way they see fit. Peter must then re-enter the stage and attempt to justify or salvage the horrible evil thing he's just done. starring: Kevin Miller, John Buseman, Brad Hawkins, Christine Giordano, Peter Rogers
    • Firth&Arjet: Tomboys
  • 5/24/2012:
    • The Improv Bachelor, produced by Brad Hawkins: It's like a dating reality show, only for improv duos. There will be an improviser chosen to be the Bachelor and three or four contestants. A director sets up some scenes, and the Bachelor is paired with each of the contestants in turn. The audience judges the scenes, and the winning pairing forms a duo which is given a slot in the next Hideout schedule.
    • Switch-Tag Story, produced by Mitchell Deane: Improvising one long story is difficult enough. But what happens when the actors playing the characters keep switching? At any given point the improvisers will check in with each other and all people on stage and people in the wing will switch characters. Also at any given point, people from the wings can tag a person out and play their character. Madness.
    • Firth&Arjet: Tomboys
  • 5/31/2012:
    • Super Team, produced by Ryan Austin: Super Team is improv inspired by The Avengers! What are the Avengers like when they're not saving the world? Well, maybe they bicker, maybe they're best friends, but we're catching them on a day where the world isn't in grave danger and we're watching them interact, argue, love and exist. If Joss Whedon didn't give you enough of it in the movie, we'll give you 22-25 minutes of it! cast: Andrew Pish, Brandon Martin, Nicole Beckley, Quinn Buckner, Ryan Austin
    • Teach a Man to Pish, produced by Kareem Badr: Andrew Pish recently moved to L.A., but that hasn't stopped him from being around Austin all the time. Hideout owner Kareem Badr decided to grab Pish while he could, and the two will be doing a show together.
    • Guest Headliner: mmmmK
  • 6/7/2012:
    • Belly Mouth, produced by Jason Vines: This picture is all you need to know.
    • Gremlins, produced by Mitchell Deane: This may be the craziest Fringe show yet. Remember Gremlins? Remember the rules? Don't expose them to light. Don't get them wet. And never, never feed them after midnight. Well this is like that, but replace mogwai and gremlins with some random celebrity or historical figure. Ummm.... Maybe you'll just have to come see it.
    • Firth&Arjet: Once Upon A Time
  • 6/14/2012:
    • Myth Debunkers, produced by Eric Heiberg: An improvised version of Myth Busters, the TV Show. Does a cat always land on its feet? Will combing your hair with wedding cake make your hair grow back? Will being nice to others make you happy? Let's find out.
    • The Better Half of Two Guys, produced by The Better Half and Two Guys from Yonkers: Take the three girls from The Better Half that play boys (Regina, Ashley, and Madeline) and mix Two Guys From Yonkers, who will be playing Two Gals from Yonkers for that night. It's a gender-bending, group mashup of a Fringe show.
    • Firth&Arjet: Once Upon A Time
  • 6/21/2012:
    • Stand-upProv, produced by Jeremy Sweetlamb: It's a common occurrence for stand-up comics to carefully refine their acts over years of performing... tweaking the timing and words until it's a finely crafted piece. In this improvised stand-up show, that's all out the window. Each comic is given a set list that they have never seen before as they hit the stage. It might just say "The one about duck", and we'll have to figure out what that means together. They have 5 or 6 minutes to improvise their stand-up set list.
    • The Borrowers, produced by Asaf Ronen: Look, let's be honest. A lot of musicians, writers, actors, and filmmakers have spent a lot of time writing/saying/singing a lot of beautiful words. Why should we have to make up our own, when there's already perfectly good words out there ready to use? In this project, the situations and characters will be new and improvised, but the words will be... familiar. All the dialogue will be lovingly borrowed from existing movies, songs, novels, etc.. cast: Kayla Lane Freeman, Halyn Lee Erickson, Jason Vines, Jordan T. Maxwell and Asaf Ronen
    • Firth&Arjet: Once Upon A Time
  • 6/28/2012:
    • After School Improv Reunion: The cast of After School Improv, the first ever Hideout Student Mainstage, reunites for this look into the future... The After School Improv "10 year High School Reunion". We'll see how everyone has changed. The cheerleader who now has 8 kids and 5 ex-husbands. The Jock that now digs graves for a living. The nerdy guy who is now a mult-billionaire. The mousy girl who is now a supermodel and so on. The learning doesn't stop in high school, and we've all still got lessons to learn.
    • Firth&Arjet: Once Upon A Time
  • 7/5/2012:
    • Celebrity Alter-Ego, produced by Andreas Fabis: Yeah, yeah, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter... WHATEVER. That's only the tip of the iceberg. Come see these intrepid performers unveil the secrets of some of history's greatest women and men. Joan of Arc, volcano whisperer? Albert Einstein, werewolf counselor? starring: Peter Rogers, Topping Haggerty, Kevin Miller, Robin Anderson, and Lindsey Reeves
    • Audition, produced by Alex Gray: The next big show is casting and four hopefuls are competing for a coveted space in the production. The brilliant (some say sadistic) director has come ready to put everyone through their paces. These lucky four have come to play and play they shall...
    • Firth&Arjet: Once Upon A Time
  • 7/5/2012:
    • The debut of Mother F***kin Action Heroes!, produced by Jason Oliver: the nice version: Mother F***ing Action Heroes! is one part narrative improv and two parts uppercut. We bring you an original story inspired by the action hero movies of the 80's and 90's. If you have been waiting for improv based on the action hero movie genre, then your dreams are coming true. the a***ole version: Mother F***ing Action Heroes! don't do shows. MFAH shows up and audience form around us. If you feel like having your funny bone upper cutted through your a***ole, then you better damned well show up to the Hideout and get served a dish of laugh candy. Fun f***ing fact about this show: Steven Seagal showed up to the audition and tried his hand at the narrative improv based off of action hero movies from the 80's and 90's that we do around here. Cast member Jared Stepp slapped him back to Under Siege 2.
    • Firth&Arjet: Once Upon A Time
  • 7/19/2012:
    • Confessions of an Improv Class, produced by Jon Bolden: Jon says: "I had the same group of students from Level 1 to Level 5. By the time we closed our series of graduation shows, featuring story telling, we had a pretty cool story about ourselves. It was my first time leading students all the way through an improv program, and obviously their first experiences with improv. We thought a great way to say goodbye to a few folks that have to part ways was to have one last show using our level five format (the living room) and basing our stories on experiences with the class and how they got into improv."
    • The Triumphant Return of The Tech Nightmare, produced by Cortney DeAngelo & Cindy Page: One of the most surprisingly delightful shows of the 43 Hour Improv Marathon this year was The Tech Nightmare. Cortney and Cindy controlled the show from the booth, playing sound effects and music at random, and screwing with the lights randomly. They also dolled out punishments harshly and with evil fervor. This is also the now famous show where the audience took over the show and sang Bohemian Rhapsody in the dark. Who knows what will happen this time. A whole new crew of victims lines up for the slaughter.
    • Firth&Arjet: Once Upon A Time
  • 7/19/2012:
    • Falcon Barbecue, produced by Drew Eiden and Mike Kauffman: Two improvising buddies from Chicago are on a road trip. They're in two groups together in Chicago, and both went through all the classes at iO. Now they're going to try their hand at some duo improv as they see and perform at The Hideout Theatre for the very first time in The Free Fringe. Come witness the birth of... Falcon Barbecue
    • Sh*t Ton of Hugs, produced by Jason Vines: This show comes to you from the mind of the man who brought us the gender bending Drag show, The Floor is Lava, the one where people had faces on their bellies, and that one involving crumbly tamales we're never going to speak of again. This time around, it's "Sh*t Ton of Hugs". Someone must be hugging at all times for the entire show. It sounds simple, but what happens when the scene is a gunfight, or dinosaur wrestling, or a solo scene, or anything else the fevered mind of Jason Vines can think up? Is this show just an excuse for Vines to get some comfort and love without having to admit he needs a hug? It's possible. But a sh*t ton of hugs should also be a sh*t ton of fun.
    • Firth&Arjet: Once Upon A Time
  • 8/2/2012:
    • Deeply Superficial, produced by Bob Olmstead: Your friend is well-meaning and looking out for you, so she gives your email address to a friend of hers she thinks might be a good match for you. But the email you get from this potential partner in love not only includes a list of requirements you must meet, but ends with the sentence: "And in the name of full disclosure, I'm a deeply superficial person." What do you do in this situation? The only thing you can do. Blow her off and create an improv show based on the email. starring (so far): Jordan T. Maxwell, Kristin Firth, Cassidy Santaguida, Cortney DeAngelo
    • Drowning in Mitchell Deane, produced by Brad Hawkins: Mitchell Deane (whose real name is Granville Mitchell Deane III, or so he says), is a unique and beautiful snowflake of an improviser and a person. It can take him 30 minutes to answer a simple yes/no question, and no time at all to make you laugh hysterically. Look, the man cannot be explained, and he can definitely not be duplicated. But this show will attempt to do just that. A cast of brave improvisers will attempt to perform as Mitchell Deane. And just to spice things up, Mitchell will also be in the cast. starring: Ryan Austin, Brandon Martin, Ruby Willmann, Ryan Hill, Ellen Pittsford, Sarah Swofford, and special guest star Mitchell Deane
    • Firth&Arjet: This week Firth&Arjet will be presented with a mystery format by Christopher "Ceej" Allen. They will have no idea what the format is until they step on stage.
  • 8/9/2012:
    • Firth&Arjet Free Fringe Finale: Firth&Arjet has been with the Free Fringe since it began. Now Firth is leaving Austin to go to Philadelphia for school, so we're going to celebrate the duo in this final show presenting everything Firth&Arjet. During their time together they've created five custom show formats and on this special night they will present every one of those shows. There will also be guest appearances by the lady sketch troupe Confirmed Bachelors (performing Thursday will be Amy Gentry and Valerie Ward) and the master storyteller Paul Normandin.
    • Actor's Nightmare: Improv with a script! Jessica and Kristin have chosen existing two-person scripted scenes the other doesn't know about. For each scene one of them will have their scene, their lines, their blocking determined by what's written. The other one will improvise with no idea what "should" happen next.
    • Duologues: Based on an audience suggestion, Jessica and Kristin create unique characters with two simultaneous monologues. Throughout the rest of the show they alternate scenes and monologues to explore the characters and reveal their relationships. The show is theatrical in style and remains truthful even when culminating in absurd situations. Silly and Sublime, Ethereal and Grounded, Real and Outlandish.
    • Firth&Arjet: Always a Bridesmaid
    • Firth&Arjet: Tomboys
    • Firth&Arjet: Once Upon a Time
  • 8/16/2012:
    • Object Stories, produced by Neal Tibrewala: What is worth? What gives an object value? Let's find out in the most ridiculous way possible! 1. Let's take valueless objects 2. Give them value by making up stories about them 3. Auction the newly made-awesome objects off to the audience. Bring an object if you like! We'll do the legwork for you by improvising a totally untrue story all about it, and then selling it for cold, hard cash. starring: Peter Rogers, Neal Tibrewala, Troy Miller, Halyn Erickson, Valerie Ward
    • The New Game People!, produced by Roy Janik: Brand new, never before seen improv games will be invented on the spot based on audience suggestions. starring: Alex Dobrenko, Jon Bolden, Ruby Willmann, Roy Janik
    • Headliners: In Our Prime
  • 8/23/2012:
    • Dear Diary, produced by Jen Kaplan: 'The "Dear Diary" idea came about when Sam Schak, Nicole Oliver, and I were hanging out one night at the Dog & Duck and got to talking about things that we used to write in our diaries when we were younger. The show will start with one or all of us reading out loud from our old diaries and doing a show inspired by those old, extremely embarrassing, real-life thoughts. I think it would make for a hilarious show, but one that's grounded in the reality of what goes on in our heads when we're young and trying to figure out life, love, etc.' starring: Jen Kaplan, Sam Schak, Nicole Oliver, and their innermost secrets
    • iO Summer Intensive Show, produced by Karen Jane DeWitt: This summer five Austin improvisors traveled to Chicago for the iO Theatre's Summer Intensive! Watch them put their five weeks of training to work in this Chicago-style show with an Austin flair. starring: Nicholas Saenz, Kayla Lane Freeman, Karen Jane DeWitt, Aaron Walther, Peter Rogers
    • Headliners: Your Dad's Friends
  • 9/6/2012:
    • Storybook Rhymz, produced by Chris Sebilia: The 7 Dwarves whistle while they work, But beatbox with Snow in their off times. Cinderella€™s stepmom is a jerk, But did you know she spits sick rhymes? The Big Bad Wolf ate a granny himself And his big bad rhymes put a Grammy on the shelf! Crass City presents Storybook Rhymz - improvised stories and rap songs by characters from your favorite tales. Cast: Chris Sebilia, Cassidy Santiago, Eric Heiberg
    • May I speak to Batman?, produced by Ellen Pittsford: Comic books only tell the exciting parts of the story. Maybe when superheroes aren't fighting evil, they take their dogs for walks. They get a beer with some buddies. They kiss their wife goodnight. And they keep their identity a SECRET. Come see what happens as our completely improvised superhero walks the line between living two lives! starring: Deano Jones, Jordan T. Maxwell, Jessie Pascarelli, and Ellen Pittsford
    • Animal Farm, produced by Jessica Arjet: Animal Farm - Swift like a Cheetah, clever like a Fox, we all have a bit of an animal in us. Now when Sarah Marie and Jessica let that animal side out, guess what happens? Two hilarious characters emerge to perform some crazy, silly, sublime stories for you. All Improv is Equal, but some is more Equal than others....
  • 9/13/2012:
    • Once upon a time there was a wonderful person named Ruby Willmann. And everyday Ruby loved/taught/performed Improv all over Austin and beyond. Until one day Ruby announced she was leaving for Peru in September. And all her friends flocked to the Hideout to perform with her in one more show before she left town. What show you ask? Why Ruby's Free Fringe Fancy Pants Extravaganza!!!! When & Where is the show? At the Thursday Free Fringe at the Hideout Theatre on September 13th. This will be a Fancy Pants themed show with Ruby in Every Scene. Each performer will get one scene with her to say goodbye.
  • 9/20/2012:
    • Stretch Dumbstrong, produced by Jason Vines: Squishy face. Squishy body. Squishy, squishy squishy. That's all you need to know. From the man who brought you Drag, The Floor is Lava, and friggin' Tamales.
    • Lower Decks, produced by Peter Rogers: Did you know there were 428 crew members of the original Starship Enterprise under Captain Kirk. The Death Star was peopled with thousands. It was the size of a friggin' moon! The stories and movies are always made about the high-ranking officers on the bridge or the command base or whatever. The go-getters and the good-looking top brass. But what about the regular schlubs just trying to get along? What about them? What exactly goes on... in the Lower Decks? starring: Gene Zhou, Eric Heiberg, Cat Drago, Thedward Blevins, Lacy Shawn, Quinn Buckner, Brad Hawkins, Jason Oliver
    • Headliners: In Our Prime
  • 9/27/2012:
    • Gamers of a Certain Age, produced by Alex Gray: A group of older men is gathering like they have every week since high school. At first, it was to play D&D but over time it has become an excuse to get away from their lives and talk to the only people who understand them - their adventuring buddies. They're there to play the game, but can the quest be won when real life keeps getting in the way?
    • Tech Nightmare, produced by Cindy Page: Improvisers are great and all, but they have too much control over their own destiny. It's time for the true puppet masters to shine... the tech booth! For one show only, the tech booth is entirely in charge. Lighting, sound effects, and music are all played at their whim, and the improvisers don't play along, they are severely punished.
    • Your Dad's Friends presents Politiprov: It's time for some timely, relevant improv. Your Dad's Friends takes us behind the scenes of two warring political campaigns. We won't know what the issue is until the audience decides, but it's bound to be contentious. The drama is intense, the stakes are high, and the fate of humanity (or some small town's curfew hours) hangs in the balance!
  • 10/4/2012:
    • Gamers of a Certain Age, produced by Mike Nystul: A group of older men is gathering like they have every week since high school. At first, it was to play D&D but over time it has become an excuse to get away from their lives and talk to the only people who understand them - their adventuring buddies. They're there to play the game, but can the quest be won when real life keeps getting in the way?
    • A Thoroughly Modern Lady in King Arthur's Court, produced by Scott Hearne: A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court, except...instead of a man from the 19th century, a woman from the 21st Century is transported to King Arthur's Court. Magic, intrigue, costumes...Madness ensues!
    • Animal Farm: Swift like a Cheetah, clever like a Fox, we all have a bit of an animal in us. Now Sarah Marie Curry and Jessica Arjet let that animal side out, guess what happens? Two hilarious characters emerge to perform some crazy, silly, sublime stories for you. All Improv is Equal, but some is more Equal than others....
  • 10/11/2012:
    • LADIES NIGHT! Join the Hideout for the third ever Ladies Night at the Free Fringe. Funny, talented ladies from all over the Austin improv scene will be converging on The Fringe to mix it up. The ladies will be divided into 3 troupes who will each decide on a format and then almost immediately perform it. Expect the energy in the air to be incredible.
  • 10/18/2012:
    • You, Only Better, produced by Eric Heiberg: In improv, we often use the audience to help come with with words or titles to help inspire our shows. But in "You, Only Better" we're going to take the lives of two audience members and create highly-fictionalized books/movies based on their lives. Then we'll see the amazing mashup that occurs when those two stories are combined. Will the fictional version of your life reflect your actual life at all? Will you like it more or less? There's only one way to find out.
    • The Great Debate, produced by Paul Normandin: Let's face it, sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between the politicians on either side of the political fence. And during a debate, it's hard to tell who's winning and who is losing. To know how to feel, we need to listen to the spin. That's what we're here for. This show will present and improvised debate, but throughout, a panel of experts with wildly different perspectives will tell us how we should feel. Trust us, it's better this way.
    • Headliners: In Our Prime
  • 10/25/2012:
    • Tech Nightmare, produced by Cindy Page: This show was birthed in the insanity of the 43 Hour Marathon. The tech booth is put in complete charge of the show, AS THEY SHOULD BE ALL THE TIME. Sound effects, lights, and music all change on their whim. And if the performers don't do what they're told, they are PUNISHED.
    • Happy, Healthy, Funky (or, You Should Be Dancing), produced by Kat Greco: One of the principles of improv taught at The Hideout is to be "happy, healthy, sexy." That is, let your character be someone whom others would want to hang out with or someone others are at least interested in. Make connections with other characters. Make bold choices and stick to them. Is there any type of music that embodies the spirit of "happy, health, sexy" more than funk? Think about it. Funk quickens the senses, lightens the spirit, inspires confidence and forges joyous connections between people on the dance floor. It's powerful stuff! But can funk inspire happier, healthier, sexier improv? In tonight's show, we'll find out! Periodically we will pause our show for a funky dance break. When we're done, we'll pick up where we left off with a new sense of vigor, purpose, confidence and connection.
    • Headliners: Your Dad's Friends
  • 11/1/2012:
    • Ralph Rogers: Look, just trust us on this one. We play-tested it, and it's hilarious. A scene cannot end unless Peter Rogers utters the line "Hey Guys, there's a lot of vomit out there." TRUST US.
    • Jessica and Peter: It's a Peter Rogers double-header, as Jessica Arjet and Peter combine forces to unleash their duo power on the world.
    • Bedfellows: A series of 3 vignettes, all about intimacy and relationships. With Andreas Fabis, Dana Yanoshak, and Jessica Arjet.
  • 11/15/2012:
    • NaNoWriMo Special National Novel Writing Month is a fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing on November 1. The goal is to write a 50,000-word (approximately 175-page) novel by 11:59:59 PM on November 30. In this very special fringe, we'll be interviewing six different authors about their works in progress, hearing an excerpt from their stories, and then improvising as yet unwritten scenes to help figure out what comes next. This should be an exciting blend of literature and improv. The authors: Justin Davis, Gloria Bankler, Jessie Pascarelli, Cindy Page , Ruby Willmann (via Skype from Peru!), and Kareem Badr
    • Headlining will be In Our Prime.
  • 11/29/2012:
    • Plaid Boys, produced by Kayla Layne Freeman: There is a troupe called Bad Boys made up some some funny dudes. They're smart, they tend to wester Western style shirts, and they all have classes. This is not that troupe. It may resemble that troupe in both content and form, but look closely and you'll notice some rather significant differences.
    • Improv Saved My Life, produced by Jason Vines: Improv saved their life. This is their story.
    • Headliners: Your Dad's Friends
  • 12/6/2012:
  • 12/13/2012:
    • The Twelve Scenes of Christmas, produced by Jon Bolden: We all know that The 12 Days of Christmas is the best Christmas song. That fact is not up for debate. Exhibit A: 5 GOLLLLLDDDEEEENNNN RINGS. Case closed. It is therefore hoped that The Twelve Scenes of Christmas will be the best improv show ever. There will be 12 scenes. The first scene will involve 12 people, the second scene will have 11, etc, etc... all the way down to the pear tree. Starring (so far): Caitlin Sweetlamb, Michael Joplin, Jon Bolden, Lisa Jackson, Mia Iseman, Andy Buck, Adam Trabka, Courtney Hopkin, Peter Rogers, Marc Majcher, Ryan Austin
    • Merry Xmas Tech Nightmare, produced by Cortney DeAngelo: The ever popular Tech Nightmare returns. Ordinarily the people on stage call the shots, but in this show the tech booth has taken over. The performers are utterly at their mercy... and if they don't do exactly what they're told, they are punished. This time with a Christmas flair! Strange and sometimes otherworldly Christmas songs will inform the nightmare landscape of the show.
    • Jessica and Alex: Jessica invites her friend Alexander Hilary to join her for an intense 2 person improv show.
  • 12/20/2012:
  • 12/27/2012:

2013 Shows

  • 1/3/2013:
  • 1/10/2013:
    • Mystery Project, produced by Jason Vines: We have no idea what Jason Vines is up to this week. But this is the man who brought us Drag!, The Floor is Lava, Sh*t Ton of Hugs, and the infamous Tamales. We only requested that he not make a mess (see: Tamales). Other than that, it's wide open.
    • What Are You Scared of?, produced by Gloria Bankler: It's a chain of intimidation. One improviser invites another improviser they're scared to perform with to do a scene with them. They in turn, have invited someone else... and so on. Will we learn a lot about human nature? it's entirely possible.
    • Blue Monsters!, produced by <redacted>: Okay - First thing is that monsters don't believe in humans. If you don't get that the whole show falls apart. Also you should know that monsters have families - of course they have families - otherwise where would baby monsters come from. Third if you happen to be playing this show for kids at some random, unnamed theater, for two months, then maybe you have some ideas, thoughts, or curse words that you'd never say in front of kids, but geez do you wanna pull that stuff out once in awhile. So this Thursday, in the Free Fringe, a bunch of people who perform for kids at an unnamed theater, in an unnamed weekly kids show, will let it all hang out. If you ever wondered what monsters are really like - this is your opportunity.
  • 1/17/2013:
    • The Fellowship of The Fringe, produced by Paul Normandin: The Lord of the Rings is one of the most-read and most cherished books of all time. So maybe all the elves and wizards and giant eagles and the painstaking attention to detail have something to do with that... But we suspect it's really about the story structure. In this show, we'll take the basic, classic setup and improvise the details on top of it. A band of variously skilled individuals comes together to destroy a great evil. Except maybe this time instead of taking The One Ring to Mount Doom, they're taking a particularly stale baggette to the top of the Eiffel Tower. Actually, let's hope it's something a little cooler than that. But that's in your hands, audience!
    • Headlining Group: In Our Prime
  • 1/24/2013:
    • This is a very special Free Fringe. It's the Free Fringe Festival, in fact! Instead of one or two experiments, we're going to do a whole bunch of 'em... for about 5 minutes each.
    • Watching us Watching, produced by Mike Nystul: Watch us watching some improv. Sometimes the audience is as entertaining as the performers.
    • Fast and Furiously Missing, produced by Cassidy Santaguida: The premise is that Vin Diesel has invited himself to be in Furiously Missing and we couldn't say no. Special guest star: Vin Diesel, and he always plays himself.
    • 5 Minute Dinner Party, produced by Jason Vines: Jason Vines, Sarah Swofford and Taylor Overstreet had dinner together tonight. They will perform an improvised format they came up with at dinner. Enjoy!
    • Clown 101, produced by Thedward Blevins: Fresh from Deanna Flysher's 3 day Naked Comedy intensive, these brave clowns in training bare it all on stage.
    • Awkward Silence, produced by Cindy Page: Thirty seconds of silence is a nice way to start a two-person scene, but what happens when you stretch thirty seconds to three minutes, and two people to a crowd of six?
    • Left Wing Poultry, produced by Amy Carpenter: Chicken and human performers come together for a longform improv show that is sometimes political, sometimes controversial, yet always heartwarming.
    • Everything is Bigger, produced by Sandra Ybarra: We only got 5 minutes to make something good happen so we go to go big...the sky is the limit.
    • Mad Tea Party, produced by Brad Hawkins: Each chair has a property that affects the characters, and the characters keep changing seats.
    • TBD, produced by Chuy Zarate:
    • Arcie Cola in da House!, produced by Arcie Cola: "I won't need nothin but a light on the stage."
    • Plus projects by Andy Buck and Madeline Chauvin!
  • 1/31/2013:
    • Vin Diagram, produced by Kevin Miller: A one man cop buddy flick in 10 minutes. Vin Diesel is Detective Nick Chowder, a one man wrecking crew. Prince is a beat cop who just got his new assignment to detective. These two must find a way to use their vastly different styles in post-apocalyptic Minneapolis. This is a one man show that cannot be missed! starring: Kevin Miller
    • Starborn, produced by Ryan Austin: Hey Starchild. Let's be David Bowie humanoid space aliens. We will leave our home planet of Kanamite 12 to visit Earth and prepare it for our occupancy. We will heal the planet with our superior technology, telepathy, and beauty. We will talk to its inhabitants, we will rid them of their self-imposed obstacles (using our technology, telepethy, and legends of our home world). They will be our slaves. We are SOOOO much better than them. We are the starborn, 12th tribe of the 12 tribes of Kanamite. Starring: Mia Iseman and Ryan Austin
  • Headliners: Your Dad's Friends
  • 2/7/2013:
  • 2/7/2013:
    • Bob's 50th: One life, so many people that change it, move it, make it better and sometimes make it much worse worse. All heroes do not wear Tights and Capes. This tale will be of the unsung heroes of plain pants and simple blouses that change our lives every day. This show is tribute to the everyday person that performs a heroic act in our life. Follow our single, adult male encountering 50 as he encounters people that have affected his life.
    • Blind Date: Regina Soto and Madeline Chauvin wondered why dating is so awkward but acting ridiculous onstage comes naturally. So they thought....what if they had blind dates onstage? So with the help of "man-wrangler" Sandra Ybarra, and the support of the improv community, Regina and Madeline harassed their friends to find them blind dates. They won't see the dates until they get on the stage, and won't know anything about them. Of course, there's always the chance that nobody will show up...which means Regina and Madeline will have to, well, improvise.
    • Headliners: In Our Prime
  • 2/28/2013:
    • Teach a Man to Fischer: An opening set to cleanse the pallet. Nothing too shocking about this show, just friends who haven't gotten to improvise together in a while. starring: Terrill Fischer, Roy Janik, Peter Rogers
    • Waiting for Batman, produced by Eric Heiberg: It's 1964. Commissioner Gordon (Curtis Luciani) and Chief O'Hara (Eric Heiberg) have come against yet another dubious crime from a criminal mastermind. Once again, they are stumped and have called Batman on the Bat-phone. Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara discuss life, crime, and each other's wives while Batman is making his 22 minute journey to the Commissioner's office.
    • Off Book, produced by Gloria Bankler: One improviser has memorized lines from a scene that the other improviser has no clue of. The on-book improviser never deviates from the script. The improviser, well... improvises!
    • Headliners: Your Dad's Friends
  • 3/7/2013:
    • Fandom Redux: Fandom, The Hideout's mainstage show from January and February to tackle fictional worlds that didn't make it into the initial run. What will they take on now that they've already done Harry Potter, Hunger Games, Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and so on? They don't know! But one of them will definitely be Ghostbusters. And one of them will definitely be an audience choice. This show sold out its run at 12 dollars a ticket. This time it's free, so get your ticket online ahead of time.
  • 3/14/13:
    • Dark for SXSW
  • 3/21/2013:
    • What Are You Scared Of?, produced by Gloria Bankler: It's a chain of intimidation. One improviser invites another improviser they're scared to perform with to do a scene with them. They in turn, have invited someone else... and so on. Will we learn a lot about human nature? it's entirely possible.
    • Chris Allen's 10 Year Improversary He's been a staple of the Austin Improv scene for, well, exactly 10 years! And now he's going to celebrate. Whether you know him as Chris Allen, C.J., Ceej or the unspellable sound of a throat clearing, this is the show for you.
    • headlining group: In Our Prime
  • 3/28/2013:
    • Heiberg Heiberg Heiberg, produced by Courtney Hopkin: Eric Heiberg has been a mover and shaker and hugger and force of goodwill in the Austin improv community for years and years now. But in just a few days, he's leaving our fair city for Minneapolis. This show is his 57th last hurrah.
    • "It's Always Sunny In Austin, Texas", produced by Kareem Badr: Awful people with terrible ideas that, when executed, lead to utter chaos. It's a wonderful world. And yes, Eric Heiberg is in it.
    • headlining group: Your Dad's Friends, featuring guest star Eric Heiberg
  • 4/4/2013:
    • Kat Improvises, produced by Scott Hearne: Stand up comic Kat Ramzinski, has never done improv before, but there's a first time for everything . In tonight's Free Fringe, Kat will be thrown head first into the fray with a group of experienced improvisers. So what happens when a stand up comic with zero improv background sits in with an improv group? Wonderful chaos.
    • Our Friends From Across the Pond, produced by Kaci Beeler: Jules and Heather are fantastic improvisers from the United Kingdom. They've come all this way to be a part of the Improvised Play Festival. In the meantime, we're keeping them busy by throwing them into shows. In this show they will be foregoing their heritage and playing Americans the whole time. And the Americans performing in the show... will play British people.
    • headlining group: Jessica Arjet and Clifton Highfield
  • 4/8/2013:
    • Overdirection Overthruster, produced by Thedward Blevins: Too many directors and too much direction. Multiple directors simultaneously: directing the same scene physically rearranging players putting dialog in their mouths telling them how they feel making them rewind.
    • P.A.L.S., produced by Brently Heilbron: Improvised "Super group" Watchmen influenced dark super-hero league. P.A.L.S... which stands for a number of things depending on who you ask.
    • headlining group: In Our Prime
  • 4/25/2013:
    • Twenty Minutes of Hosting, produced by Peter Rogers: The time has come for the fine art of hosting to get recognized as being worth in its own right. Peter Rogers and Marc Majcher host the top of an improv show for 20 solid minutes.
    • The Imaginary Show, produced by Kevin Miller: Whatever imaginary show Peter and Marc wind up introducing at the end of their 20 minute hosting set is the show that Kevin and Company will attempt to do. ANYTHING could happen.
    • headlining group: Your Dad's Friends
  • 5/2/2013:
    • Deane Martin, produced by Brandon Martin: Have you ever wondered what it might be like to hang around a group of very successful lounge singers from the 50's-60's era? How much scotch, cigars, and Philandering might go on amongst celebrity friends? Let's find out in "Deane Martin, a look into the lounge"
    • Theatersports for Non-Improvisers, produced by Roy Janik: Theatresports debuts this Saturday at the Hideout, but before that happens some of the cast is going to cut loose in the Fringe. Two teams can challenge each other to anything at all, so long as it does NOT involve an improv scene or game. Most push-ups? Best hug? We shall see!
    • headlining group: Jessica Arjet & Lisa Jackson
  • 5/9/2013:
  • 5/16/2013:
    • BITTERFEST!!: Time to take the comedy out of improv, am I right? Kill the laughs and bring on the tears. We'll have three troupes perform tragedy.
    • Goat - known for this format, serious and dark.
    • The Awkwards - take their usual funny quirky tone, and let it have dark consequences.
    • headlining group: In Our Prime
  • 5/23/2013:
    • The Slappy Sessions, Live!, produced by David Moses Fruchter: A live honest to goodness recording of guided improvisation and interviews for use on the KOOP radio show "Slappy Pinchbottom's Odd Preoccupation." Not to be missed.
    • Pick Your Own Black Vault, produced by Peter Rogers: The Black Vault meets Pick Your Own Path. Come control a spontaneously created Lovecraftian horror story, Choose Your Own Adventure style. If you die you can go back, but you can never forget.
    • Headliner: Jessica Arjet & Tyler Bryce
  • 5/30/2013:
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