Home > It's Always Funny In Austin > Archives > 2012 > February > 07
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
The New Movement turns 3 this weekend
Henry Linser photo
The improv gang at The New Movement turns three years old this weekend with a bash at The 29th St. Ballroom at Spider House and more shows on Saturday at their East Austin theater (go here for more info).
I chatted with TNM’s Artistic Director Alexandria Berry about the scrappy theater’s upcoming anniversary.
Three years is an impressive milestone, how have you guys managed it?
Through our amazing community and our “all hands on deck” mentality, honestly. From the large outside events that we get to participate in like FunFunFunFest, to the more internal, like Megaphone Marathons, all of it is due to the students and alumni of TNM for devoting their personal time to make things awesome. Even this weekend is a great example of everyone working together. Jenna Marie Carey, an alumni of TNM, is spearheading the birthday celebration which is bringing 16 troupes to the 29th St. Ballroom on Friday from all three TNM cities (Houston, NOLA, and Austin) and that couldn’t have been done without a supporting and loving community.
One thing I admire about improv is the camaraderie and the passion it generates. There’s also the “yes, and..” rule that is nicely applicable to many parts of life. What do you love about improv?
I love that it is so easily translatable. Whether you are a writer, performer, or audience member, we are all a part of this journey. Its a state of mind, in many ways. We are in the business of making dreams come true, about saying yes to those far-fetched ideas, and seeing how we can pull it together through teamwork and support. Personally, my bucket list has been thinned out over the last 3 years because of improv and for that I’ll always be grateful. Its been life-changing. Sorry if I’m towing the line on hyperbole.
What’s the best scene you’ve ever been a part of? Let me clarify: what’s the best scene that’s suitable for print in a newspaper?
I have a group that I work with often called Handbomb, and its a great feeling to work with your best friends because they know what you are going for in a scene and just run with it. We did one that was very slow to start, just mostly greetings in these odd voices that were heavy with insinuation, but then it started building and everything just fell in to place. We kept the same basic dialogue but the drama got to this absurd level. It was so good I felt like I almost blacked out. I stepped off stage and thought about how easy that seemed and I wish I could remember how it happened because it was all a blur.
What does the future have in store for The New Movement?
In the near future we are very excited for our New Orleans branch to open. That’s happening the first week of March and some of us are going to NOLA for the festivities. Here in Austin we are pumped for our comedy festival Hell Yes Fest to be a part of the Moontower Comedy and Oddity Festival in April. After that we have events all year round that bring together our 3 communities like the Megaphone Marathons and Hell Yes Fest NOLA. In general we try to live by this code that keeps us present and ready for whatever comes our way, so the possibilities are truly endless when it comes to the future and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
