Howdy, y'all! We're the Hideout, an improv theater that's located in the heart of downtown Austin! We have produced hundreds of improv shows, taught thousands of improv classes, and provided corporate training to countless businesses and organizations since 1999. We are also one of Austin’s oldest independent coffee houses, serving up caffeine, pastries, sandwiches, beer, and wine to Congress Avenue visitors for over two decades.
The real core of the Hideout is the amazing community that has built around us, consisting of hundreds of performers, students, improvisers, technical improvisers, kids, adults, teachers, comedians and enthusiasts.
It's probably no surprise that the GLOBAL PANDEMIC has taken a big hit out of our long term financial viability. We're hanging on thanks to grants, loans, and a random cash gift from The Tonight Show, but the fact is that we shut down in March 2020 in the interest of public safety.
We moved all of our classes, shows, and corporate work online, and regularly streamed on Twitch for the duration of 2020 and well into 2021. We set our grand reopening for July 2021 and had an amazing three weeks of in person shows and classes before Austin Public Health issued a Stage 5 alert (the most serious Covid risk level). We didn’t feel safe having our audiences and performers gather in such close quarters so, again, we went dark.
We monitor Austin Public Health’s guidelines weekly and are looking to reopen again once Austin is in Stage 4. Our reopening plan is as follows:
- Stage 5: no in-person classes and shows
- Stage 4: in-person classes and shows with all audience members and performers in masks, reduced audience capacity
- Stage 3: in-person classes and shows with all audience members in masks, at full capacity
- Stage 2: in-person classes and shows at full capacity, no mask requirements for unvaccinated audience members.
Once it’s safe to have in-person performances, it will be a gradual process to get The Hideout’s schedule and audiences back to pre-pandemic levels. The Hideout is going to need time and money while we all get comfortable with the idea of going out to see live theatre.
We hope you will consider supporting The Hideout as we work to get through this challenging time. We can't wait to get back on a physical stage and perform for you in person.
-The Hideout
About The Hideout
We do improv shows.
Improv shows are totally made up in the moment. That means the performers don’t know what they’re going to say or do, or know what characters they’ll play, until they step on stage. It’s unpredictable, and that’s what makes it so exciting.
We teach improv to adults.
We teach many levels of improv classes for adults. Our beginning level classes are all about having fun, meeting new people and bonding with others. Our upper level classes focus on developing characters, stagecraft and storytelling.
We teach improv to kids.
We teach classes year-round to children and teens. We have spring and fall semester classes during the school year and week-long improv summer camps during summer break. Our innovative Building Connections program teaches socialization and play to kids and adults on the autism spectrum.
We bring improv to companies and non-profits.
We offer private workshops and shows for companies and non-profits looking to bring something fresh to their teams. The skills we use to collaborate on stage are effective tools for anyone looking to work together as a team. We’ve worked with organizations big and small, including Whole Foods, The University of Texas, National Instruments, and many more.
