Fun at First Sight

By Judith Schomp

I was elated when I was cast in “What the F@$#”, because it was going to be my first ensemble piece in Austin. The only thing I knew about this new city, after moving from the improv community in Chicago, was that the Hideout was a theater I should definitely try out. When I got the email that I was in the show, I didn’t know what to expect.

Over the course of our 2 months of rehearsals, I’ve been able to form some of my first friendships in Austin. The amount of playfulness that we have on stage, off stage, at bars, in the Hideout coffee shop, and even over group texts is tremendous. I was worried about moving to yet another improv town and taking forever to be accepted in the community. I was so wrong with my amazing cast, though—it was fun at first sight.

It was refreshing to go to practice every Sunday and learn how to create a strong narrative with people I was just getting to know. Our director, Ruby, was patient, open, and informative toward us every step along the way. One of my favorite things about being in this show is that we have all so seamlessly been able to come together, from a variety of improv backgrounds, and improvise like we’ve been playing together for years.

My favorite vocabulary word in improv is “play”. I love that feeling of stepping on stage, not knowing what’s about to happen, and then completely trust falling into the scene with your castmate. It’s all about having fun with the unknown, and each member of “What the F@$#” is a Fun Master. We play in each scene like it’s only us, and yet by the end of a practice run we’re able to somehow put a whole story together with all these characters and story arcs.

I’m so grateful to be a part of the first Student Mainstage, and I couldn’t have enjoyed myself more up to this point. Even if our shows consist of the worst improv of our lives (what would that even be like?), I’ve gotten to grow as improviser with some pretty amazing people already. In each show, we’re going to have some fun no matter what. It’s safe for me to say, being a part of this show has been “all work and all play.”

What the F@$# runs every Saturday at 6pm in February. Get tickets here.