Here’s a long overdue official announcement of The Improvised Play Festival, happening in just a few weeks at The Hideout.
The Improvised Play Festival is a celebration of narrative and/or theatrical improv in all its forms.
Last year was the very first festival, and it was a great success.
First, our out of town headiners:
Improv Playhouse of San Francisco
This project is straight from Bay Area Theatresports in San Francisco.
They’ll be doing two shows for the festival: an improvised one-act play and an improvised movie. No gimmicks… just 100% committed, experienced, incredibly well connected narrative improv from people who’ve been doing it a long time.
cast: Tim Orr, Regina Saisi, Lisa Rowland
Bunker 13, from Wing-It Productions in Seattle
I saw this show when I was in Seattle a few years back, and I’m thrilled they’re coming down for the festival.
Bunker 13 is a personal look at the lives and friendships of five soldiers during their downtime in the Vietnam War, as they await orders, get letters from home and combat their homesickness.
cast: Steve Lange, Conor McNassar, Mike Christensen, Ryan Miller, Dan Zertuche
Festival-wise, there will be a party/gather each of the 3 nights of the festival. The performers from Improv Playhouse will be teaching workshops, and there will be t-shirts for sale, like in this mockup:
Here is the complete schedule:
Thursday, April 12th:
8PM: Furiously Missing / The Escorts
The official kickoff show of The Improvised Play Festival. Come for the ribbon cutting, and stay for two theatrical groups made up primarily of performers who got their start at The Hideout.
9PM: GrimmNoir / Local Genius Society
The darkness of fairy tales meets the darkness of film noir. Then, Local Genius Society presents Beach Cops! Your head may explode from the wild variety in this set.
10PM: Spirited
The wildly popular Hideout Mainstage show from 2011 returns: Improvised dreamscapes in the style of Lewis Carroll, Sendak, and Miyazaki
11PM: Steam, Rose-Colored Goggles, and the Flight of the Victoriana
The Victoriana finished its inaugural flight in early 2012, as a multi-week serial improv epic, created by Gnap! Theater Projects. Now it returns for one more steampunk adventure story.
Friday, April 13th, 2012
8PM: After School Improv
Just like those After School Specials you used to watch as a kid, except this time it’s funny on purpose.
9PM: PGraph Presents Dick and Jane
Parallelogramophonograph presents an improvised noir story set in the world of Jane Austen. When manners and murder collide, chaos is the order of the day.
10PM: Improv Playhouse, from San Francisco, present The Naked Stage
This award-winning, highly praised theatre company from San Francisco presents an improvised one-act play in the truest sense of the word: one scene and no set changes… just 100% entertainment.
11PM: Available Cupholders
Austin improv legends The Available Cupholders return to show what a group that keeps pushing the envelope can accomplish. Always hilarious and surprising.
Saturday, April 14th, 2012
7PM: Process
The Hideout’s current mainstage show seems like it was created for this festival. Process takes an insider look at the act of creating live scripted theatre. Follow the cast and crew of an imaginary play all the way from bombing and nailing their auditions, rehearsing their lines, blocking out their staging, to performing their parts big and small on opening night. The egos! The drama! The drama in drama!
9PM: Bunker 13, from Seattle!
A personal, improvised look at the lives and friendships of 5 soldiers during their downtime in the Vietnam War, as they await orders, get letters from home and combat their homesickness. From Seattle, and the renowned Wing-It Productions.
10PM: Improv Playhouse, from San Francisco, present The Naked Screen
This award-winning, highly praised theatre company from San Francisco presents a completely improvised movie on stage. Genre, characters, action, and plot are all pulled forth from the ether.
11PM: Confidence Men
Improvised plays in the style of David Mamet. This touring, highly praised group is from right here in Austin, TX.
MIDNIGHT: The World’s Only Narrative Improv Jam
You’ve never seen a jam like this before! Cast members from all the various shows in the festival, other improvisers, and audience members are invited to perform in this narrative improv jam, where we’ll experiment with making up stories on the spot together, with absolutely no previous prep. Alcohol might also be a story trope we utilize. FREE!
You can find out more information, and get your tickets at:
http://www.improvisedplayfestival.com
or get your tickets directly at https://hideouttheatre.com/improvisedplayfestival