The Theft Forum

Scott Hearne and Clifton Highfield interview Jill Bernard at The Out of Bounds Comedy Festival. Jill Bernard has been performing with ComedySportz-Minneapolis since 1993 and is a founding member of Huge Theater in Uptown Minneapolis. For more Jill Bernard, head to jillbernard3.blogspot.com.

Scott Hearne interviews cast members from “Beware of Female Spies”.

Beware of Female Spies plays at 8:30 every Saturday in January 2014 at Coldtowne Theater.

At America's top spy agency, Special Patriotic Operations Over Foreign Secrets, a whip smart female spy is the top agent. Trouble is her fellow agents of S.P.O.O.F.S. aren't always seeing the mission in the same way. Each week she fights calculating villains and patriarchal double standards as well as the sexual tension between herself and her male counterpart.

Inspired by the shows Archer, Alias, Veronica Mars, Torchy Blane, and Get Smart, Beware of Female Spies is an improvised comedy take on the classic spy genre with a romantic screwball comedy twist.

Starring: Seth Johnson, Nicole McCracken, Alejandro Garcia, Liz Dykes, Aaron Walther, Taylor Overstreet, Brett Tribe, Chrissy Shackleford, Sanjay Rao, and Ashley Nugent. Directed by Emma Holder. Produced by Seth Johnson and Katie Thornton.

Jane Morris, a founder of the Second City ETC in Chicago, Jane has been a writer, performer and director for the Second City and in her own venues for the past 20 years. Dubbed “The Harriet Tubman of Comedy” by friends, Jane and her husband, Jeff Michalski have owned and operated UpFront Comedy and the Comedy Underground in Santa Monica and is currently the managing director of the fanaticSalon in Culver City. Jane had numerous television credits, most recently “Behind the Candelabra” with Matt Damon for HBO. For a full list of Jane’s television and movie credits visit her IMDB page.

Scott Hearne interviews Shannon McCormick. They discuss his formative years in Iowa, first experience with No Shame Theater, meeting his wife while living in the Czech Republic, the formation of Get Up! with Shana Merlin, and the compelling elements of narrative improv.

Shannon McCormick is an improviser, actor, director and writer in Austin, Texas. He is the founder of Gnap! Theater Projects, a company member of The Salvage Vanguard Theater, and a former producer of the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival. He is a member of the improv troupes Get Up! and False Matters. Shannon has appeared in numerous films, television/web series, and plays. e.g. Breaking Bad, Red vs. Blue, Les Miserable, and The Intergalactic Nemesis.  

You can watch Shannon perform in False Matters: Improv in the Style of Philip K. Dick, Fridays at 10 PM in October and November 2013 at The Institution Theater.

Scott Hearne interviews Indigo Shift and 710 Split live on The Hideout Coffehouse Stage at The Out of Bounds Comedy Festival 2013. Indigo Shift is Jordan T. Maxwell, Kacey Samiee, and Jeffrey Amos. One night only, because there's only one night left! Indigo Shift is an improvised, dystopian cabaret heavily influenced by The Doubtful Guests, Dresden Dolls, and The Decemberists. We follow a troupe of performers (Solomon Strange, Anita Deva, and Colin) as they perform one final show for the last night on earth. 710 Split is Jordan T. Maxwell and Jeffrey Amos. They are an improv duo based out of Los Angeles, CA/Austin, TX.   

Scott Hearne interviews Cody Dearing and Chrissy Shackleford about Indy Movies. Stunts! Explosions! Blood! Comedy! They discuss how to create sketchprov; incorporating stunts, cap guns, costumes, and blood packets into a show; and writing a "dramatic" show as a group. Indy Movies is a part scripted/part improvised full length play that combines the thrill of your favorite action movie with the gore of your favorite horror flick. Indy Movies shows every Saturday at 8:30 pm in August and September of 2013 at Coldtowne Theater.    

Scott Hearne interviews Kareem Badr. They discuss different Pgraph formats, The Violet Underbelly (noir improv), Lord Wensleydale's Last High Tea, narrative/genre improv theory, and running The Hideout Theatre. Kareem Badr is an actor, director, and improviser in Austin, Texas. He has toured and taught improv internationally, originated numerous show formats, and pioneered the teaching of instinctual, narrative storytelling. He is a founding member of Parallelogramophonograph (Pgraph) and General Manager and co-owner of The Hideout Theatre.

Scott Hearne interviews Tom Booker. They discuss growing up in Oklahoma, studying improv with Del Close and Mick Napier at the same time, the founding of The Annoyance Theater, one of thousands of ways to fail as an actor in LA, the burdens of owning a theater, and the reasons Austin, Texas rocks. Tom Booker is an actor, director, and improviser in Austin, Texas. He has studied sketch and improv at Second City Chicago and ImprovOlympic. He is a founding member of The Annoyance Theater in Chicago and has been a director and instructor at Second City Los Angeles. He has appeared in several television shows, a few movies, and nearly a hundred commercials. 

Scott Hearne interviews Aden Kirschner and Shana Merlin from Girls Girls Girls: Improvised Musicals (GGG). They discuss the history of GGG, the musicians, GGG's rehearsal types, advice for managing an improv troupe, and GGG was the first troupe to rehearse at RLM! GGG is Amy Averett, Kimberly Cox, Sarah Marie Curry, Megan Flynn, Aden Kirschner, Shana Merlin, Cynthia Oelkers, and Caitlyn Sweetlamb. GGG has been performing improv in Austin, TX for ten years and has performed in numerous comedy festivals and shows. Check out Girls Girls Girls: Improvised Musicals presents  - Boys of Summer; Every Friday July 19 - August 23 at The Institution Theater! 

Scott Hearne interviews Andy Crouch. They discuss Andy's comic strip, how he became the Education Director at The Hideout Theatre, his passion for Shakespeare, his workshop - "Andy is Mean to You", the evolution of the Austin Improv Collective, and his improv philosophy. Andy Crouch is an actor, improviser, improv director and teacher, and the Education Director at The Hideout Theatre in Austin, Texas. He has directed Theatresports, Live Nude Improv, and Improv Shakespeare. Check out Andy's work as a director: Thursday through Sunday select dates in July 2013 - Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing; Fridays in August 2013 at 8 PM for Fakespeare (Improvised Shakespeare) at The Hideout Theatre!