Looking for a fun date this weekend? Got $10?
Heroes of Comedy has a new improv show on Saturday nights at The Hideout theater that you should consider.
Improv comedy, which has gained increasing popularity in the past decade, centers on original, off-the-cuff comedy and lots of audience participation. Shows such as "Whose Line is it Anyway" have brought this form of entertainment to the mainstream, and improv comedy troupes have sprung up in major cities, colleges and even high schools.
"Start Trekkin,'" which parodies the long-running televisual shrine to the copious acting skills of William Shatner, opens April 2.
It begins with the audience creating a scenario involving nine players who are dressed as the crew of the spaceship. But up until the audience gets there, that's the extent of the show.
The audience is polled at the beginning, questioned by the cast as they fish for interesting plot ideas and twists with which to create the show.
"They get to name the ship," said Heroes of Comedy member Andy Crouch. "They come up with a scene, some moral dilemma ... because you know Star Trek always dealt with social issues."
But don't expect the leaden pace and predictable plot of the show's namesake. After the scene is laid before the cast, they present an original and often hilarious episode where anything can happen. The audience is kept on the edge of their seats, waiting to hear where the story goes next.
And it's a different captain, crew and ship every week. You can, however, consistently expect paper mache scenery, melodrama and aliens in ridiculous costumes.
The cast of "Start Trekkin'" is well-versed in the art of improvisation. Cast members come from all walks of life and represent other improv troupes in Austin such as Girls, Girls, Girls and the Well Hung Jury.
Most of the players have four to five years of experience, and some of them even came up through the Heroes' improv classes to join the troupe. Amassed from promising new talent and seasoned veterans, the cast promises the quick wit and offbeat humor essential to any great improv experience.
"Start Trekkin'" is a revival of a show presented at the Hideout last year that had sold-out crowds. Some audience members returned to see the show multiple times.
The show's concept was brought over with Sean Hill when he left Bay Area Theatresports in San Francisco and opened The Hideout. Comfortable, with a cafe and a fun, relaxed atmosphere, The Hideout is a theater in high demand for its performance space.
Heroes of Comedy, which has been together for five years, began performing there about a year after the theater opened, and, many shows later, the company is still bringing down the house.
"It's a lot of fun," Crouch said. "Improv's just a ton of fun in general."
The show proved so popular that the cast decided to bring it back this year. It is a theater experience that audiences will enjoy and should not missed.
Currently, the troupe offers multiple improv classes as well as two performances a week.
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