The Hideout Theatre

The Hideout Theatre is an improvisational theatre and comedy venue in Austin, Texas. Founded in 1999 by Sean Hill and Shana Merlin, it became a long-running center of Austin's improv comedy scene, offering performances, classes, and a coffeehouse venue. The theatre operated for more than two decades at 617 Congress Avenue in downtown Austin before leaving that location in 2026.

History

Before opening The Hideout Theatre in 1999, Sean Hill had performed with Monks' Night Out.[1] Shana Merlin joined Los Paranoias in 1998.[2] She also performed with the musical troupe Girls, Girls, Girls.[1] Merlin later said that joining We Could Be Heroes, co-directed by Hill and David Lampe, led to her first job out of college helping Hill open the theatre, where she helped build out the space, teach classes, direct shows, and work in the production office.[2] The theatre opened in a two-story building at 617 Congress Avenue that had previously housed several businesses and had been largely dormant during the 1990s.[3] The space included a 74-seat black box theatre, a 50-seat cabaret space, a workshop room, and a coffeehouse area.[3]

The theatre was created as a home for improvisational performance in Austin. Hill and Merlin's plans for the space included bringing the Theatresports model of improv to Austin, including the competitive improv format Micetro.[3]

In 2009, the venue was sold to members of Austin's improv community, including Kareem Badr, Roy Janik, and Jessica Arjet, who continued operating the theatre and coffeehouse.[4] In 2014, The Austin Chronicle covered The Hideout Theatre's 45-Hour Improv Marathon, describing an event with local troupes performing many genres and formats of improvisation over the course of the weekend.[5]

In March 2020, while the theatre was closed to the public during the COVID-19 pandemic, members of Parallelogramophonograph, described by KUT as The Hideout Theatre's in-house improv comedy troupe, created a virtual improv show performed by video streaming from separate locations. KUT reported that The Hideout planned to continue producing virtual shows and rebroadcasting older performances while in-person performances were suspended.[6]

Programming and education

The Hideout became known for long-form improvised plays and musicals, while also staging a variety of improv formats.[7] In 2017, KUT reported that The Hideout's holiday week featured nightly shows from December 26 to 31, including holiday-themed versions of multiple improv formats and New Year's Eve performances.[8] The venue also hosted performances associated with the Out of Bounds Comedy Festival; in 2011, The Austin Chronicle listed the Hideout Theatre among the venues for the festival's 10th year.[9] The theatre has offered improv shows, adult classes, children's classes, camps, and workplace training programs.[10]

The Hideout's classes have been offered to adults, children, and teens, and the theatre has described its curriculum as including multiple levels of six-week classes, student showcases, master classes, and custom workshops for groups and companies.[11]

Downtown location and relocation

For more than 26 years, The Hideout operated from its downtown building at Seventh Street and Congress Avenue.[7] In 2025, The Austin Chronicle described the venue as a Congress Avenue mainstay and a center of Austin's improv comedy scene.[4] The paper reported that the theatre and coffeehouse had also served as a venue for events associated with South by Southwest, the Austin Film Festival, and the Moontower Comedy Festival.[4]

In 2025, The Hideout announced plans to relocate after the owner of its Congress Avenue building planned to convert the property into a bar.[4] KUT reported that the theatre had signed a lease at Art Hub ATX, a creative complex near Interstate 35 and Woodward Street.[7] In March 2026, Fox 7 Austin reported that the theatre's final downtown shows were scheduled for March 20 and 21, and that the building had been sold for conversion into a bar.[12]

After leaving downtown, The Hideout continued operating shows at an annex location in North-Central Austin at 5555 N. Lamar Boulevard.[13]

References

  1. 1 2 Roe, Dale (April 22, 2012). "It's kind of a funny story ...". Austin American-Statesman. p. D01 – via NewsBank.
  2. 1 2 "Meet Shana Merlin: Trainer, Teacher, and Improviser". Shoutout DFW. March 17, 2021. Retrieved July 21, 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 Zilker, Shelley (December 10, 1999). "Home for Heroes (and Others)". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Whittaker, Richard (July 14, 2025). "Hideout Theatre and Coffee House Finds New Home at Art Hub ATX". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  5. ↑ Brenner, W. A. (June 18, 2014). "Austin's Improv Comedy Marathon 2014". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  6. ↑ Lee, Michael (March 16, 2020). "The Hideout Theatre Lets You Watch Live Improv From The Safety Of Your Home". KUT 90.5. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 Dahlenburg, Michelle (October 7, 2025). "After 26 years downtown, the Hideout Theatre embraces a new stage in South Austin". KUT 90.5. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  8. ↑ Lee, Michael (December 24, 2017). "It's Holiday Week At The Hideout". KUT 90.5. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  9. ↑ Whittaker, Richard (August 26, 2011). "Luv Doc Recommends: Out of Bounds Comedy Festival". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
  10. ↑ "Austin Improv Comedy Shows, Classes – The Hideout Theatre". The Hideout Theatre. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  11. ↑ "Classes". The Hideout Theatre. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  12. ↑ Shen, Angela (March 20, 2026). "Hideout Theatre closing downtown Austin location". FOX 7 Austin. Retrieved June 1, 2026.
  13. ↑ "About". The Hideout Theatre. Retrieved June 3, 2026.
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