Improv Class

I woke up the morning after the Romulus Ate concert feeling terrible (I'm guessing only 20% was my hangover). I've been feeling under the weather lately, and I'm pretty sure it's a cold. Anyway, I took it easy on Monday because I didn't have to work and wasn't planning on leaving the apartment until 7 for a free improv class at the Coldtowne Theater. I had been researching improv classes in Austin to have something fun to occupy my time, and I happened to find this theater. There were really no pictures of the location on the website, so you can imagine my surprise when I showed up to find a tiny building that was sharing a wall with a video store. I wish I could find a picture of it but it looks like they really don't want you to see it.

Although the appearance was disappointing, I had heard a lot of great things about the place and decided to give it a shot. The class was mostly a preview of what we could expect from a level one improv class. We did several exercises together, one of my favorites being the "yes, and.." game. The basic idea was for one person to make a statement and then the next person has to agree and build on that statement. At times it was difficult, because you're tempted to change or shoot down what the other person says, but you're forced to be creative and support each other. There are classes currently in session, but hopefully I can join in on a class that's already started because the next session doesn't start until a week before I leave.

After the class, we were all invited to stick around for a free performance called the Monday Night Mash. I stayed to watch, and it was so great! There were three different troupes that performed. The first group was a improv group that will make up songs for their sketches. The next group did one scene for about twenty minutes of them in an elevator. It sounds dull but that was actually my favorite one. Even if I can't get into a class there, I will definitely be a regular at the theater. It was a blast!