SHOWS
"Crack! The Improvised Puppet Musical"
 "Crack!" - 2010
Crack! returns to Salvage Vanguard Theater this summer, presented by Gnap! Theater Company. This year the show is growing, and has 6 performances at the Salvage Vanguard Theater -- playing the first 3 weekends in August on Fri/Sat nights @ 8pm. The show will also have a bigger cast and a new guest start each night.
What is "Crack!" about?
"Crack!" debuted Thanksgiving weekend, 2009, and returns to SVT for a run of 6 shows in August. The show is created by mixing highly volatile puppet characters with a band of uninhibited improvisers. The result is a hilarious variety of songs, scenes in Act 1, and a completely improvise musical in Act 2 -- all conceived and performed on the spot and starring puppets. This is not your average puppet show, and it is definitely NOT a show for young children.
Who is "Crack!" appropriate for?
Adult audiences love "Crack!" but parents want to know if they can bring their kids. Mature themes like sex, drugs, & moral compromises, as well as questionable language and puppet violence may surface as the cast unleash their inner imp. All this may make the show not appropriate for young children. It's hard to say what exact age is right to see "Crack!" - parents should use their discretion based on the maturity level of their children. However, we promise you this - if you DO bring your teens to "Crack!" they will love the rebellious anarchy of the show! |
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Crack! 2010 Guest Stars
Gnap! Theater Projects presents "CRACK! The Improvised Puppet Musical" This year the show is growing, and has 6 performances at the Salvage Vanguard Theater -- playing the first 3 weekends in August on Fri/Sat nights @ 8pm. The show . We will also have a bigger cast, including a different Guest Star each night. This year's Special Guest Stars will include:
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( Friday, Aug. 6th) has a sense of comedic timing that always sticks its landing. The first joke Albert Im ever wrote was a submission to Laffy Taffy. Back then Laffy Taffy came in squares and the jokes were printed on the inside of the wrapper - it was a very different time. The joke had something to do with trickle-down economics, but he never got a response. Comedy's a tough business. |
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(Saturday, Aug. 7th) is an improvisational actor, abstract expressionist artist and advocate of the culture of spontaneity. Co-founder of Austin's ColdTowne, he teaches sketch, improv, and acting. He is a champion punster, Air Rocker, and Air Sexer. Arthur won acclaim for his original one-man show, Dear Frailty, and the designation as Best Actor in Austin from the Austin Chronicle. |
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(Friday, Aug. 13th) is a cornerstone in the Austin improv community and owner of the Comedy Sportz Austin show. Author of "Plays Well With Others", Les has brought improv to a countless mass of people, on and off stage. Praised by performers and audiences alike, Les really understands the art of entertainment.
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(Saturday, Aug. 14th) has trained at iO Chicago and the Annoyance Theatre. His improv groups include Ratliff & Jackson, The Glamping Trip, and You're Not My Real Da. He has performed in Stool Pigeon, Coldtowne's All-Stars, and Austin Secrets. Former musical director for the troupe Girls Girls Girls, John was voted Best Musical Improviser by the Austin Improv Collective in 2007. |
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(Friday, Aug. 20th) is a man without qualifications. And yet we asked him to do this show and he agreed. Check out his monthly debate and lecture show, The Dionysium , at the Alamo Drafthouse. |
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(Saturday, Aug. 21) is not only an acclaimed performer, improviser, and teacher, she is a founding member of Girls Girls Girls, an all female improv musical troupe. Shana has been described as an "Austin improv maven" and "charming and stupendously talented" by the Austin Chronicle. She's been performing in cities around the world, and is a wizard at making people laugh. |
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Ensemble
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grew up loving music and puppets. She pursued an opera career as far as a solo gig at Carnegie Hall, then moved to Austin. She studied at Coldtowne theater, then was cast in Gnap!'s One More Night and Guilds of Steel, as well as the troupes Blink and Techno Forest of Doom. Crack combines her dreams of singing and puppeteering, and, when playing with dogs and cats and training tigers are somehow added to Crack, she will have reached the apex of her life. |
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starting off with High School Comedy Sportz in Houston, TX. Bryan moved to austin to Co-found Gigglepants Improv. as well recieve a Bachelors of Science in Nursing. Currently performing regularly with the Institution Theatre and Gnap Theatre, Bryan also dabbles in professional acting on film. Soon to be seen in the riveting and oscar worthy "Vampires Suck." In theatres August 18th! Bryan joins the 2010 "Crack!" cast. |
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loves laughter above all things. He sings, improvises, and puppeteers toward this goal. Patrick has studied acting at CalArts, University of Dallas, and St. Edward's University, but regards them as silly places, and prefers the company found in the houses of comedy. Pat joins the 2010 "Crack!" cast. |
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studied and performed a wide variety of different kinds of improv since 2005. In January 2009, Sara became excited about the idea of improvising with puppets and started the Puppet Improv Project. After a year focusing on building and performing puppet improv, she created the show "Crack! The Improvised Puppet Musical" Sara is excited to see the show grow this year and is looking forward to playing in the ensemble again. |
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, who greatly enjoys animating inanimate objects, is a New Yorker, a San Franciscan, and an Austinite all rolled into one. She has performed and directed improv for many years, traveled many places, and is adorable in an enigmatic sort of way. She is currently a member of Gnap! Theater Projects, The Dancy Street D’Orchestra, and Comedy Sportz. |
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spent 10 years studying engineering, geophysics and philosophy of literature before discovering the lucrative world of improv comedy, writing and acting. She struggled everyday to overcome her debilitating disease of laughter until she found ColdTowne Conservatory in the spring of Ought Eight and performs there weekly with her improv troupe, Murphy. Lisa improvises in a variety of shows at both the Hideout and ColdTowne theaters. This summer, she joins the 2010 "Crack!" ensemble cast as well. |
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is one of the original Crack! ensemble cast members. His interest in singing developed while singing Russian and Ukranian Christmas carols in high school. From choirs, musical theater, to improv the journey has been a happy one. Howard performs musical improv with the Dancy Street D'Orchestra, and is returning this summer to be in the 2010 "Crack!" ensemble. |
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performs regularly at The New Movement Theater, and with my new project Abstract Rainbow -- which has puppet sketches! He is an original ensemble cast member of "Dusk! Improvised Tween Erotica" and recently traveled with the show to the Chicago Improv Festival. A long time fan of puppets and a past PIP performer, Patrick joins the 2010 "Crack!" ensemble cast this summer. |
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has been improvising since 2000, while dabbling in choral singing, acting, dance, guitar, and screenwriting. He's written several pieces for KOOP's Writing on the Air, and currently improvises with the musical troupe Dancy Street D'Orchestra and the non-musical troupe Blink. |
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is celebrating his 20-year anniversary performing, teaching and directing improv. He can be seen in Austin and festivals around the country with Confidence Men: Improvised Mamet, the improvised comic book adventures of Ka-Baam!!, and many other shows. He currently teaches through The Institution Theater and runs the website YESand.com. |
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has been improvising off stage long before he knew what that meant. Some of his best friends are puppets. He is currently studying improv at the Merlin Works Institute for Improvisation. Jesse joins the 2010 "Crack!" cast. |
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has done a lot of theater, musical theater, and puppet stuff. Plus he's crazy -- which makes him fit in perfectly with this show!! Clay joins the 2010 "Crack!" cast. |
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, a member of the critically acclaimed troupe, Parallelogramophonograph, has performed in a variety of long-form improv shows with her troupe including "Improvised French Farce", as well as with several long-form improv shows at the Hideout Theatre, including "Improvised Shakespeare". She is also a member of the duo, "Adventure Squad" and part of "GEWT - Girls Embassy World Tour." Valerie, the original director of "Crack!", returns this summer to be in the 2010 ensemble cast. |
"Crack!" - 2009 |
On November 27-28 2009, "Crack! The Improvised Puppet Musical" took over main sage at SVT. What a fun show! We got a standing ovation on "opening" night, from a rowdy and fun loving audience. The "closing" night audience also had fun and laughed a lot, including my parents and grandmother, who (on a rare appearance) came to see the show. The cast was a joy to work with, and delivered the ZING needed to make this not only a fun show to play in, but a fun show to watch. Lesson learned... puppets are punny!
 
A special thanks to Valerie Ward who directed the show and managed to wrangle all the crazy imps and their puppets. And to Michael Brockman, who worked with us through rehearsals, scored the opening number, and played with us both nights of the show. To Shannon McCormick, our producer who believed in the show and put his weight behind it. And of course to our cast -- Asaf Ronen, Madeline Malka, Curtis Luciani, Madi Goff and Howard Katz -- for making the show a hit. To our puppet tech, Todd Hart, who added his tallent and support to the show. To our special guest, Jordan Maxwell, whose improv singing and comedy took the show to another level. To our lighting techs Avi & Lindsey, who stepped up to make the show memorable, and our video crew, Michael & Brandon, who preserved the show for posterity.
We've been asked to bring back the show this summer in a 6-show run. We're going to be doing it the first 3 weekends in August. So, if you didn't get to see our show, you will have a few more chances. And if you wanted to get a chance to play in the show, we will probably start casting in June, so send me an email.
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