FAQ
Q: What are the essential dates?
A: The AIL Festival & Competition is on Saturday, December 5 in the morning (possibly going as late as 1 or 2pm). We recommend 8 to 10 rehearsals in the lead up to the Festival, but you could schedule those however you like. If a group rehearsed once a week for 10 weeks, they would likely start in mid September.
Q: ARE THERE Any other planned events?
A: We will offer an optional Train the Trainer session for teachers and coaches in early September based on your availability. And we will likely host a two-hour bonus workshop with a Hideout instructor on Saturday, October 24 for any students who want to come out and participate in that. If you want to schedule a mid-semester showcase in early November for your community of parents and friends (at your school or at The Hideout) we’re happy to coordinate with you on that as well.
Q: What can you expect from the Dec 5 Festival & Competition?
A: Each troupe will perform a showcase of 8 games in a 20 to 25-minute set. There will be a host to set up the games and keep things moving along. There will be a panel of professional improvisers to score the improvisation and then give supportive notes (with a healthy dash of constructive feedback) in person afterward. Outside of their performance, troupes will have a chance to take workshops with Hideout instructors on fun specialty topics. We’ll also build in some fun socializing opportunities for students from different troupes to get to know each other (maybe even a big Jam at the end).
Q: How serious is the “competition” aspect?
A: Serious enough to get the kids to lean in and invest in the process, but NOT serious enough to generate bad feelings or lose track of the fact that improv is a fun, supportive and ultimately collaborative art form. Scores will be posted for everyone to check them out, but there will be no big awards ceremony announcing winners and losers.
Q: Can you give more details on how the performance works?
A: The host will set up a series of 8 performance games—briefly explaining the rules for the audience and the improvisers, setting the game in motion, lightly directing to keep things on track, and calling the end of the game. Players will be drawn randomly for each game but may pick their role within the game. Games will be drawn randomly from a possible pool of 24 performance games (one from each of the following 8 categories: Opening Game, Presentation Game, Yes And Game, Gibberish Game, Character Game, Change Game, Jump and Justify Game, Closing Game).
Q: What are the 24 Performance games?
A: Top That • Story Story • Category Die • Slide Show • Pop-Up Story Book • Typewriter • Speak in One Voice • Oracle • Dance Diamond • Gibberish Interview • Foreign Film • Gibberish Poet • Year Book Photos • Good/Bad/Worst Advice • Hitch Hiker • Sit Stand Lie Down • Instant Soap Opera • Musical Eye Contact • New Choice • Alphabet Game • Slow Motion Olympics • Home Shopping Network • Fortunately Unfortunately • Freeze
Q: What is the role of the Hideout-provided host?
A: The host’s mission is to set the players up for success, keep things on track, and then be hands off enough to give the players a chance to succeed or struggle in healthy ways.
Q: Do players need to be super familiar with all 24 games?
A: No! Games will be explained clearly so that players should be able to succeed even in a game that they are not that familiar with or haven’t practiced multiple times.
Q: Can you say more about the scoring and feedback?
A: Judges will be scoring across six different criteria to assign the show a point score: 1) Do the players look like they’re having FUN? 2) Are showing up in a BRAVE way and making bold choices? 3) Are they improvising in the spirit of YES AND? 4) Are they playing the GAME as described in a fun, focused way? 5) Are they connecting and supporting each other as an ENSEMBLE? 6) Are they COMMITTING to their characters and choices? Judges will also be looking for opportunities to give each player a bit of individual positive feedback and the group as a whole a couple of suggestions for “opportunities for improvement.” Notes will be given live after the showcase.
Q: Where will the Festival & Competition happen?
A: That depends on how many groups we have participating this semester. Once that becomes clear near the end of August we will start looking in earnest for a suitable venue. (Please reach out if you’ve got a lead on a fun space for something like this!)
Q: How many players can participate?
A: We recommend a minimum of 8 participants in your improv troupe or club and a maximum of 24. The Festival/Competition showcases are designed for groups of 6 to 12 performers, so if your troupe has 8 people hopefully 6 of them can make the final showcase. And if EVERYONE shows up for the showcase, you could split a group of 24 into an A team and a B team to compete separately.
Q: Can The Hideout provide a coach for an improv troupe at your school?
A: If you don’t have a teacher or parent who is able to run a group at your school, The Hideout might be able to provide a coach. Reach out and let’s talk!
Q: Do you have to use The Hideout’s AIL curriculum in your rehearsals?
A: Nope. As long as you feel like your students are prepared to show up and have fun playing the games that will be set up for them, you can rehearse any way you like.
Q: how much does it cost to participate?
A: For this first semester of the Academic Improv League, it’s going to be a case-by-case conversation, so let’s talk! Some schools might opt to pay a group participation rate. Others might prefer for us to provide a per-student registration through our website. We just need to make sure that we’re covering our costs to make the event happen and pay for the venue and staffing (host, judges, support, etc.) and any admin costs along the way. Ultimately, we will work hard to make this experience accessible for anyone who is excited to participate.
Q: Why just games? what if we want to do more advanced scenic improv?
A: If this semester is successful, we’ve got grand plans to test a “Make a Scene” version happen in a spring semester sooner than later.
Competition Games Pool
“Get in the Game” — Fall 2026
Ready to Join?
Ask your school contact how to get your troupe involved. Or reach out to The Hideout Theatre for more information, email classes@hideouttheatre.com
The Hideout Theatre · Austin, TX · Since 1999