Five Austin Arts Events That Celebrate Nature

Because you know we’re all just a bunch of animals

"...ecofeminist sensibilities through video, installation, sculpture, photography, and performance works.Through Sept. 24. 916 Springdale Bldg. 2 #101, 512/939-6665. bigmedium.org..."

Aug. 26, 2022 Arts Column by Wayne Alan Brenner

Five Things to Do Online Locally Right Now

Still not risking crowds? We've got your socially distanced virtual back

"...families of improv – the Hideout Theatre, Fallout Theater, Merlin Works, ColdTowne Theater – have "yes, and"-ed up a..."

Jan. 21, 2022 Arts Column by Wayne Alan Brenner

The Green Knight

Dev Patel and David Lowery enchant with this astounding Arthurian myth

"...present and immediately identifiable, but the names Arthur, Guinevere, Merlin, and Excalibur are never mentioned. Similarly, those with deeper..."

July 30, 2021 Movie Review by Richard Whittaker

Fallout Theatre Hosts Hardass Trivia Tournament of Champions

Comedy competition of cultural arcana comes to Twitch

"...And, no, we’re not forgetting that MerlinWorks continues its bring-improv-to-the-world teaching mission and that Tom Booker..."

Nov. 2, 2020 Arts Post by Wayne Alan Brenner

Unscripted: Sexy Future Space Lady

What says summer fun more than out-of-this-world lovin' with a Sexy Future Space Lady? Especially improvised!

"...plays, TV shows, or genres as springboards for new works they concoct on the spot. Last summer, Death by..."

May 18, 2018 Arts Feature by Robert Faires

Austin’s Fallout Theater Phoenixes up from The New Movement Ashes

New bosses, different from the old bosses, herald a fresh start

"...received from the Hideout and Coldtowne, the Institution, and MerlinWorks. When all of the chaos was happening, we received..."

May 8, 2018 Arts Post by Wayne Alan Brenner

Girls Girls Girls' Broad Ambition

In this improvised musical, the women of this acclaimed troupe take it to the Eighties and take over the workplace

"...other people. Hella scary, right? Well, not for Shana Merlin, Cynthia Oelkers, Amy Averett, Kimberly Cox, Caitlin Sweetlamb, and..."

April 27, 2018 Arts Review by T. Lynn Mikeska

Guide to Austin Improv

The venues, events, troupes, and individuals who have transformed Austin into a "Yes, and" boomtown

"...acclaimed duo Get Up (the other half is Shana Merlin), the guiding force (and talented star) of such shows..."

Aug. 26, 2016 Arts Feature by Robert Faires

MerlinWorks Works the Improv Wizardry at ZACH

Teaching that whole yes-and thing at the city's shiny core of theatre

"...The other schools remain with their originating venues, but MerlinWorks, that Shana Merlin-helmed powerhouse of improv training, has been..."

Jan. 16, 2015 Arts Post by Wayne Alan Brenner

Still the Fading Stains of Some Bad Improv Blood

Because: You have Five Families, you're gonna have some dysfunction.

"...at what those Hideout, ColdTowne, New Movement, Institution Theater, Merlin Works, and OOB people had to say about this..."

Aug. 28, 2014 Arts Post by Wayne Alan Brenner

Making Offers No One Can Refuse

The Five Families of Austin improv go Out of Bounds with the 13th annual comedy festival

"...The Hideout. Merlin Works. ColdTowne. The New Movement. The Institution Theater. Ladies..."

Aug. 29, 2014 Arts Feature by Wayne Alan Brenner

Comedy Out the Wazoo and In Your Weekend: Now!

Unless you'd rather just, what, twiddle your thumbs until Moontower?

"...the perfect capper to an improv weekend is the Merlin Works improv showcase at ZACH Theatre, featuring the all-star..."

April 9, 2014 Arts Post by Wayne Alan Brenner

Get Up Into the Arts Midwest Conference

Get Up – as in, Shannon McCormick & Shana Merlin

"...That amazing duo of improvisers. Merlin lately flexing her prodigious improv-teaching powers at Zach Theatre...."

Sept. 10, 2013 Arts Post by Wayne Alan Brenner

Do Women Rule The Austin Comedy Scene?

Kat Ramzinski suggests that, yeah, they sure as hell do

"...Crapshoot Improvised Comedy (Fridays at The Institution Theatre); Shana Merlin of Merlin Works: Improv at Zach Theatre; Alex Berry,..."

Feb. 21, 2013 Arts Post by Wayne Alan Brenner

Home Is Where the Art Is

Time for FronteraFest's 'Mi Casa Es Su Teatro' fun

"...3:30pm: The Brothers Merlin Loaded Gun Theory offers a sneak peek at its..."

Feb. 8, 2013 Arts Post by Robert Faires

Merlin Enchantment at Zach

Shana Merlin, that is – making improv magic with Wizards

"...January saw the debut of the Institution Theater. Now Merlin Works, the improv institute founded by Shana Merlin, blasts..."

Jan. 13, 2013 Arts Post by Robert Faires

FronteraFest 2013

Performance jamboree's 20th brings back old faves and welcomes new stars

"...night, Tuesdays through Fridays, 8pm, you get five different works of 25 minutes or less, and on Saturday the..."

Jan. 11, 2013 Arts Feature by Robert Faires

How Sweetlamb It Is

The Out of Bounds Comedy Festival's founder returns to power

"...experiment? That spirit really informs the way our scene works now, whether people actively realize it or not."..."

Aug. 31, 2012 Arts Feature by Wayne Alan Brenner

Merlin works? Gandalf goes on vacation?

DJ Manateemann warps space and time!

Nov. 22, 2011 Arts Post by Wayne Alan Brenner

Austin Improv

Three of Austin's top improv troupes get to play away this summer

"...channel the testosterone-fueled attitude and style of David Mamet's works, and Parallelogramophonograph, the B. Iden Payne Award-winning creators of..."

July 2, 2010 Arts Feature by Robert Faires

Culture Class

The 2009-2010 Austin Critics Table Awards

"...was not a year for sweeps. The most honored works were Forklift Danceworks' The Trash Project, which won three..."

June 11, 2010 Arts Feature by Robert Faires

Ladies Are Funny Festival

More East Coast comics and a full night of stand-up add more laughs to LAFF

"...the other two are Valerie Ward of Parallelogramophonograph and Merlin Works' Shana Merlin – producing the diverse array of..."

April 30, 2010 Arts Feature by Wayne Alan Brenner

Everybody Must Get 'Stoned'

Improv Guru Keith Johnstone brings his Maestro to the Long Center

"...he'll be here this week, teaching a few already-sold-out workshops and riding herd over some of the best improvisers..."

Jan. 15, 2010 Arts Feature by Wayne Alan Brenner

Top 9 Creative Arts, Ah, Things I Was Lucky Enough to Experience This Year

Theatrical and cartographic deconstruction plus improv pwnership equals a fine '09

"...and Michael Joplin – and with Dusk, the Shana Merlin-led take on the Twilight series of vampire soap-operatics...."

Jan. 1, 2010 Arts Feature by Wayne Alan Brenner

There Will Be Blood

... And bloodsuckers and zombies and ghosts and murderers all over our stages this week

"...to elicit screams of terror the way some Halloweenie works are, but it certainly takes its cue from ones..."

Oct. 23, 2009 Arts Feature by Robert Faires

Off the Cuff and in Your City

A roundup of Austin improv schools

"...noobs of all kinds. These schools offer classes and workshops in a variety of styles, schedules, and prices; we've..."

Aug. 28, 2009 Arts Feature by Wayne Alan Brenner

TV Eye

BBC America celebrates its HD premiere with a week of sci-fi programming

"...(both on the newly rechristened SyFy channel) and NBC's Merlin, with the marvelous Anthony Head (aka Giles from Buffy..."

July 17, 2009 Screens Column by Belinda Acosta

TV Eye

PBS' POV kicks off a new season with New Muslim Cool

"...a black Muslim woman. Instead of being incarcerated, he works as a spiritual advisor, offering prison inmates alternatives to..."

June 19, 2009 Screens Column by Belinda Acosta

TV Eye

Jay just won't stay away

"..."TV Eye," here are more highlights from the broadcast networks' upcoming fall TV seasons. This week, a look at..."

May 29, 2009 Screens Column by Belinda Acosta

Risk Immersion

Time again to sink deeply into FronteraFest's exhilarating experiments in performance

"...program offers the Best of the Week, culled from works presented Tuesday through Friday, and the fifth week features..."

Jan. 16, 2009 Arts Feature by Robert Faires

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