Out of Bounds Report No. 3: Get Up, The Premiere of Double Eagle Short Films Festival, and So Much More Tomorrow Night


The return of Get Up, Friday on the Apples Stage of the Salvage Vanguard Theater, 10 pm.

Out of Bounds Comedy Festival co-producer Shannon McCormick performs as one half of improv duo Get Up tomorrow night at the Salvage Vanguard Theater, Friday 29 August - 10 pm. McCormick and partner in comedy Shana Merlin deliver the unexpected with innate humor and acting ability. Nerdvana (Los Angeles, CA) mix up improv and sketch, making funny nerds funnier and sexier than "Beauty and The Geek". Before these two dynamic duos hit the Apples stage, audiences will be treated with the first Double Eagle Short Films Festival, which showcases comedic art on film at 6 pm, and improv by "smart, clean" 88 Improv (Omaha, NE) and the critically hailed Unexpected Company (Warwick, RI) at 8 pm. Tickets for the Apples stage shows are available here.



Let's not forget the Oranges stage and ColdTowne Theater...

On the Oranges stage: At 5:30 there's a panel discussion, "Improv Into Income", geared toward performers attending the festival, but free and open to the public. After the friendly panel, get ready for a rumble with Battle of the Sexes III - Improv Throwdown. It's the gals versus the guys in a series of scenarios and games where the audience decides the winner. The battle featuring improv pros from across the nation begins at 8 pm. Junk (Austin, TX) and pHrenzy! (Chicago, IL) make comedy chemistry with improv at 10 pm. (Get Tickets)


The OOB edition of Stool Pigeon plays at ColdTowne - Friday, 29 August @ 11 pm.

Friday night at ColdTowne: OOB expands its comedy repertoire to include stand-up, featuring the comedy of Austin comic Bryan Guttman (9 pm) and New Yorker Jamie Lee, of VH-1 fame (10 pm). Other comics include Kerri Lendo and Nick Ramirez, and one of the shows is hosted by Chris Trew (Terp2it). There's also a who's who of Out of Bounds performers teaming up for A Very Special Stool Pigeon I, in which the headlining stand-up comics encounter improv. These shows are expected to sell out fast, so get your tickets here.

Tomorrow: Out of Bounds Report No. 4 - More Comedy and More Stool Pigeons

~ diy danna

Out of Bounds Report No. 2: Apples & Oranges at The Salvage Vanguard Theater


Austin's Look Cookie improvises on the Apples Stage of the Salvage Vanguard Theater Tonight @ 10.

The Out of Bounds Comedy Festival continues through Labor Day weekend, with weekend panel discussions, workshops, and performances on two stages - Apples and Oranges - until Sunday. By the way, it may not be too late to register for workshops starting tomorrow at the Hideout Theater. OOB reduced the number of classes and number of people to provide longer, more in-depth sessions. Go to http://www.outofboundsimprov.com/2008/workshops08.html for more info.

Today and tomorrow, Thursday, 28 August, enjoy improv and sketch comedy on the Apples and Oranges stages at the Salvage Vanguard Theater starting at 8:00 pm. The choice is tough, but depending on your comedy style preference, you can't really go wrong. Here's a KTC highlight of another exciting night Out of Bounds:

Today (Wednesday, 27 August)

Apples Stage - 8 pm

The Starter Kit (Austin, TX) gets things started with a variety of improvisational techniques, followed by another Austin troupe that should win an award for funniest name, You're Not My Real Dad, featuring four older guys who aren't afraid to talk about the chips on their shoulders. Scatter! (Houston, TX) is another testosterone filled troupe that offer an energetic, longer set of improv.

Oranges Stage - 8 pm

Taking cues from the audience, Austin improvisers Snackers aren't light on teamwork and fun. Murphy (Austin) is a long-form, Chicago style troupe from the ColdTowne Conservatory. $10 Bourbon is as adult as the name suggests, developing improv from audience ideas and their own reflections about life.

Apples Stage - 10 pm

Featuring two of my favorite improv comedians I had the pleasure of watching at the Hideout two years ago, Bryan Roberts and Kerri Lendo, Look Cookie (Austin, TX) is an oddball family of improv sluggers big enough for a softball team. Improv for Evil (Austin) plunder and pillage at random on stage, proving that tyranny can be funny.


Grandma June's Sewing Circle (Chicago, IL) - Thursday @ 8pm on the Apples Stage

Tomorrow (Thursday, 28 August)

Apples - 8 pm

Forming from a large Austin troupe "Think Tank", and obviously inspired by The Three Musketeers, The 3 Actorteers take sketch comedy seriously. Grandma June's Sewing Circle (Chicago, IL) has been performing excellently crafted sketch comedy for five years.

Oranges - 8 pm

Austin's Skipfield doesn't skip lightly through comedy with engaging long-form narrative improv. They're followed by the talented foursome Curtis Needs A Ride (Fort Worth, TX), determined to become an improv staple of Austin. Far way from the islands, the long-form improv troupe Galapagos (Phoenix, AZ) takes a single suggestion from the audience and runs an entertaining marathon with it.

Apples - 10 pm

A band of improv performers from Camden, NJ called Quaint Little Coffee Shop runs on a platform of universal free coffee, while sketch duo from NYC Rue Brutalia provide sharp wit honed from biting the big apple.

Oranges - 10 pm

Improvisational troupe Midnight Society (Austin, TX) is described as "a blind date at ColdTowne Theater that worked". The Victims of Dallas, TX perform an indescribable long-form set of improv.

If you've liked what I've described so far, what the heck are you waiting for? Buy individual or package tickets here!

~ diy danna

The Out of Bounds 2008 Report No. 1: Inaugural Event Tonight With Comedy Representative Maria Bamford


Tonight you can Tivo/DVR that other event happening in Denver, CO.

Since 2002 Out of Bounds has campaigned as one of the very best comedy festivals in the U.S. Co-produced by actor/comedian Shannon McCormick and founder/comedic mastermind Jeremy Lamb, the event has expanded from a comedy improv weekend on one stage to a two stage, seven-day event with panel discussions, workshops, and stand-up and sketch comedy performed by the finest comedic talents in the country. Oh, yeah - and there's a miniature golf tournament for fest performers.

The workshops and panels don't start till this Friday, but there are some exciting performances happening every day through Labor Day, September 1st in the capital city of comedy. Kill The Critic will highlight each day, starting with tonight's inaugural event:



Local comedy gem Matt Bearden is the MC for the opening show at Esther's Pool, with stand-up comic Maria Bamford, star of the SuperDeluxe.com sitcom appropriately titled "The Maria Bamford Show", and one of the funny ladies of Comedy Central's new series "The Comedians of Comedy". According to OOB's official portal to the comedy dimension, you can rent the first season from Netflix. Bamford's hair may be less pink these days, but she's still funny. (Not Dane Cook funny, but she's really trying to hack away at it.) Sketch 'n' improv duo Lovey Lovey - ColdTowne Theater's Michael Jastroch and Tami Nelson - also stars. (Think Nick and Nora Charles meet Mike Nichols and Elaine May for cocktails in Austin.) The smart comedy starts at 9pm. Get your tickets here.

Tomorrow: Report No. 2 - Apples and Oranges at The Salvage Vanguard