Category: School News

This is hard. This wave of the Delta Variant pulled the rug out from under our well planned life. All of us. So we are going to postpone the start of classes until October in hopes that the current wave will have slipped back to Stage 3 or or better, 2. 

So let’s start again. 

This October, Merlin Works Institute for Improvisation will have a range of In-Person classes for you to attend. We’ll have Improv, Musical Improv, Stand Up , Storytelling, and some Master Classes with our good friend, Asaf Ronen. Plus we have a venue for shows! Stuff is happening In-Person in October at Merlin-Works. 

Please stay safe. Get vaccinated if you can. Wear a mask to stop the spread and then come join us in October. 

Also, we would like all our friends to please place their tongues between their lips and gently blow. Because that best expresses how we at Merlin Works feel today. (See Shana’s Instagram Post for more on this.)

Women in Improv

Matt Vance is doing 2000 word article about GGG for Austin Woman Magazine. We’re very excited about it. He’s come to a show and a rehearsal and he’s also conducted some interviews with the Girls.…

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Whack!

This weekend I read the book A Whack on the Side of the Head by Roger von Oech. I really enjoyed it. He lays out the ten blocks of creative thinking, many of which were…

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Feedback

Giving and receiving feedback is one of the trickiest parts of improv, or any field for that matter. There is already so much fear involved in a creative situation, that a negative comment, taken the…

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Austin Air Guitar Regional Championships

I’m looking to add a news/announcements section to the website, so I can easily list upcoming classes, shows, and events. For example, on Tuesday I was a celebrity guest host for the Austin Air Guitar…

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Summer Training Somewhere

I’m looking for a good place to go for improv/acting training this summer. I really need to get out of town, get some perspective and get inspired from some teachers. It’s hard to find training…

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Creativity Curriculum Development

I am now working with the Visual Communication Department at Austin Community College to develop curriculum to bring more creativity and interactivity into the classroom and then teach this curriculum to the professors in the…

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Call for New Format Suggestions

After the success of improv shows like Start Trekkin’ and 24 (minutes) and even Shakespeare Unscripted, I’ve become a firm believer in the power or long form genre improv. It’s fascinating to study. The audience…