Improv makes it up on the spot

 It's every actor's worst nightmare: You're on stage, in front of the audience, in the middle of a scene, and suddenly you can't remember your lines.  You stammer and try to remember but fear and anxiety overwhelm you and keep your mind blank.  Then you look down and realize you're naked.

While that scenario might be an actor's biggest fear, it's what defines the show for an improviser. Well, except for the being naked part.  Improvisation, commonly referred to as improv, is the art of winging it, making up the dialogue, the scene, the song, or whatever it might be on the fly.  Improvisers take to the stage with no idea of what the show will be like.  They might have a loose format, or pull suggestions from the audience, but nothing is written down or memorized.  Everything that happens is created live in the moment as the audience watches.

Though ad libbing and improvisation have always been a part of theater, improv comedy has taken on a life of its own and exploded in the last few decades.  The legendary Second City improv theatre in Chicago launched the careers of such comedy greats as Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Tina Fey, Steve Carrell, Mike Meyers, Stephen Colbert, and many many more.  In the late nineties, the British improv show Whose Line Is It Anyways? made it's American debut with host Drew Carrey and introduced improv to mainstream audiences. Though the classic improv strongholds are based in L.A., Toronto, and Chicago, Austin boasts a fertile, and rapidly expanding, improv scene of its own.

Since 1999, the Hideout Theatre has been a central hub for Austin's spontaneous comedy scene, hosting classes and weekly performances. Last spring Jessica Arjet, Roy Janik, and Kareem Badr, improvisers who perform regularly at the Hideout, bought the theater from its old management and infused it with an even greater dedication to promoting improv in all its shapes and forms.  The Hideout now offers classes for all levels of performers, with introductory Level 1 classes starting each month, as well as putting on a full slate of improv shows each weekend.

Though it might seem scary for the uninitiated, the advantages of learning improv are numerous. Veteran improviser and Hideout instructor Andy Crouch says, "Most people are looking to loosen up their lives a little bit, have a little more fun and explore something that is both frightening and intriguing."  People get into improv for a million reasons, whether they want to perform on stage, be better at public speaking, or simply polish up their English.

When asked where people with an interest in improv should start, Crouch says, "I think the first show you see is Maestro at the Hideout." Though it does take place at the theater where Crouch is employed, he recommends Maestro for many reasons.  Not only is it the longest running improv show in Austin, Maestro features a rotating who's who of local improvisers from the city's many different theaters (see sidebar for more details) playing together in a game format some what similar to Whose Line Is It Anyways?. Since the scenes are made up on the spot, often with bizarre restrictions, Maestro goes places that neither the audience, or the performers, ever see coming.  A typical show could feature a performer having a Shakespearean dialogue with himself one minute, then move to a blind date involving demonic possession the next.

Whether you want to get in on the action or watch from the sidelines, Austin's improv scene is definitely something that needs to be seen to be believed.  Shows happen every weekend and new classes start up all the time.  Though that actor's nightmare might seem like a fate worse than death for the stage frightened, learning improv does have one obvious advantage: You'll never be at a loss for words.

Austin Improv
In the world of Austin improv, the Hideout is just one of many venues that offer classes and events. For resources on improv performances, classes and events, visit the links below:

• Austinimprov.com
• Hideouttheatre.com
• Coldtownetheater.com
• Newmovementtheater.com
• Gnaptheater.org
• Theinstitutiontheater.com