Whirlpool, written and directed by S. Becker. After breaking up with her first boyfriend, a teenaged girl befriends a counselor at summer camp who sparks more than her mind. Time passes, they drift apart, they meet again, they fall in love. A story that asks that time-honored question so accurately summed up by the Black Eyed Peas: Where is the Love?

Alice in Wonderland, adapted and performed by Alexander Richard Garza, based on the books by Lewis Carroll. In this 25-minute performance, Alexander Richard Garza takes a journey into the rabbit hole and is joined by Lewis Carroll's classic characters. In this curious adventure, Alice is an odd duck who disrupts the lives of everyone around her. Everything is fine until she shows up. She traumatizes a poor mouse for life, she sends two bizarre brothers into battle against one another, and she turns an otherwise normal Queen into a raving maniac. Wonderland will never be the same again!

i-Was robot, confession, written by B Makonnen and S Bickerton. A three-part performance of the confessions of an ex-robot.

Janus Geminus, by Chris Alonzo. Two best friends, whose romantic lives are careening in opposite directions, become untethered from reality as they relive the steps to a relationship ending while another is beginning. This surrealist memory play, which incorporates the myth of the Roman god of transitions, is the latest from the creative team behind “Hey Girl, It’s Ryan” (Best of Fest, 2015). Featuring Bina Chauhan and Kristin Chiles and directed by Laura Maxwell-Scott.

The Escorts, by Andreas Fabis, Lindsey Reeves, Aaron Saenz, and Shannon Dale Stott (The Escorts). We perform an improvised theatrical narrative inspired by an audience suggestion. We strive to present richly-drawn characters, relationships, and stories that always deliver a few surprising twists!

Animal Rescue, by Lillian Wright (Chrysanthemum). An aging telemarketer discovers she has more to offer than a sales script.

BRINE V: The Jail Don't Lock and Thoughts on Immigration, by Stuart Hersh. A boy raised in New England realizes that he is a Gringo and one of his grandparents entered the country illegally. Tales of the Travis County Jail.

Birth of a Saleslady, by Morgan Kauphusman. A small-town sales associate spends a colorful Sunday learning about the power of therapy with her favorite customers.

Reasons You Should Stay, written and performed by Max Langert (ScriptWorks Commission). I know you've already made up your mind, but please, just listen one last time before you leave . . .

Co*Star: The Record Acting Game with Vincent Price, conceptualized by Lee Eddy. YOU act scenes opposite your favorite actor. Directions: 1) Remove script from LP envelope. 2) Turn to any scene you want to play. 3) Place the phonograph needle on the corresponding scene that is on the record. 4) Listen carefully as the narrator sets the scene and the star on this record acts out his part and gives you your cue. 5) When your cue is given, read your lines at the proper pace so that the flow of the scene is natural and realistic. 6) Follow the script but you may add, change or improvise your lines as you wish. REMEMBER! Practice makes perfect.

The Finger Gun, by Zach Freeman and Morgan Wendlandt (Words Are Hard Theaterical Company [A Fake Company]). A mind-boggling tale about a quirky bunch of actors who must confront a complex murder case. What will these actors discover as they experience trials and tribulations?

Future Past Tense, by H.E. Thiel (The Heather-Kelly Project). A mother and daughter compare notes on dating methods!

Stroller Blades, Will Dwyer, Jae Long, Megan Mowry, Carla Shiflet, Joseph Simmons, Johnny Sullivan and Matt Summers (Stroller Blades). Stroller Blades is the result of iron-forged improv education straight from the legendary ColdTowne Conservatory. This group of students features actors, stand-ups, musicians, artists and straight-up civilians all brought into the world of improv by a love of comedy. See what scenes their diverse backgrounds conjure, and cherish it because this exact show will never be seen again.

Further Tales From Tripoli, by Bernadette Nason. An excerpt from a follow-up to the critically acclaimed, award-nominated Tea in Tripoli, this solo show covers the perilous 2- month period in Tripoli when Great Britain breaks off diplomatic ties with Libya, leaving 8,000 Brits without representation and one vulnerable Englishwoman with a brilliant suntan, a bucket of rice wine, and a psyche full of neuroses.

Performance Anxiety, by Nicole Beckley. A showcase of comedic two-person sketches that tackle the true issues of our day - like how to get attention for your self-published book, the finer points of committing a robbery, and what exactly makes something art.

Safety Check, Kalli Angel & Marina DeYoe-Pedraza (Light Sweet Crude Productions). After another terrorist attack overseas, a young woman learns that her sister may have been in the line of fire.

Nebraska, by Heather Thiel. It's the last day of Nebraska's unrestricted safe haven law, which allows parents to legally abandon children at state hospitals. But surely OCD teen Rob and his wild sister Minda are just here to ponder their birthplace and Great-Great-Great Grandfather Sitting Bull's role in the Wild West Show!

Austin/Austin, by Quinn Buckner and Ryan Austin (Austin/Austin). An improv duo performing their "Dungeon Masters" format. It is a look into the day-to-day life of people and creatures that live in a fantasy world. After asking for a suggestion or two from the audience to inspire them, they will kick off into a series of scenes set in a completely made-up world being created on the spot. No two shows are the same!

Park Bench, by Laura Romero. An original one-act.

Hootie Hooo Spoken Word Review Vol. 2, by Christopher-Michael, Doc, & B-Fran. Featuring national poetry slam artists Christopher-Michael, Doc, & B-Fran. They represent the best that Central Texas has to offer in the world of Spoken Word.

The Giveaway, written and performed by Aralyn Hughes. "It's one thing to have one 'Superman' show up but two gave it all away!"

Cam Whore, by Layla Beth Munk (Pregnant Stripper Productions). Based on the book (currently in progress by Layla Beth Munk) about a typical "night in the life of a webcam girl." It’s probably not what you think.

The Art of Idiocy, by Brian Newton Fuller (Chicobra, TX Productions). Reading stories of dumb decisions, immature hubris and ridiculous self-importance, from my book, the "Art of Idiocy - Public School Years."

The Crushed Ice That Lingers In My Forehead, by Alexander Richard Garza. This solo performance explores a man's mind, which is filled with emotions, philosophies, and a million characters running around without supervision. Alexander Richard Garza dares to crack open his own brain to tell a tale of, not madness, but something far beyond, something deep inside the wardrobe, past the magical land of Narnia. Call it a 70's variety show. Call it a dude with too much time on his hands. Call it what you will. It's a whole lot of something packed into less than 25 minutes.

Day 9 Prompt, by Tony Salinas. A short piece inspired by ScriptWorks 30/60/90 daily writing program.

Expecting, by Andrew C. Fisher. A short play about three people who go crazy because of a baby on the way. This joyous moment becomes a twisted affair when two friends, Ben and Jeff, discover that they're both in love with the soon-to-be mother. The two men struggle to usurp each other's place in Jessica's heart and home and in the process force her to choose between her own baby and the two bigger babies that want to father her child.

Gender Tsunami, by Ava Love Hanna (ScriptWorks Commission). A couple tackles complex gender identity issues first thing in the morning. Secrets are revealed. A tsunami may or may not be coming . . . and no one has had coffee yet. A new comedy featuring Paul Hanna and Ava Love Hanna.

Angela Returns, by Raymond V. Whelan (The Highland Lakes Players). Michael tries to comfort Dennis as he grieves for his wife Angela, who died during a horrific fire. The ghost of Angela dances, listens, speaks and watches as both men struggle to enjoy life.

Mother Enough? written and directed by Crystal Franz. From "doing it all" to "leaning in," Mother Enough? takes a bold, funny, and occasionally absurd look at the expectations, clichés, and practices surrounding motherhood in contemporary times. Co-created by actor Ashleigh Pedersen and dramaturg Claire Canavan.

Above & Below: a collaborative experience in words, image, and sounds by W. A. Brenner, Roy Moore, Content Love Knowles, and Emily Breedlove. This round robin of inspiration began with a conversation, continued as a poem, exploded in form and color, and then sang forth in harmony, movement, meaning. The piece is the culmination of a process of collaborative witnessing. The artist, inspired, creates. The creation inspires another artist, whose emotional and symbolic response takes another artistic form. In the performance space, while the images are projected onto the walls, the words are expressed in music by singer and instrumentalist.

On the Other Side, by Aubrey Hicks. On the Other Side is about a woman learning to love and open her heart again after a tragedy ends her last relationship. Life is all about second chances, but on the other side someone may not get the chance to write another love-letter to his beloved. This play is about love, sacrifice, companionship, and hope. In the end, on the other side life won’t be a grim experience, rather it will be a beautiful journey towards joy by holding the hand of that special someone.

Monkey Off Back Circus Still In Town, written and performed by Dick Satori. A high-larious yet cautionary tale of a recovering yogi crackhead clown who ran away to join the circus only to find himself in smoky church basements, yoga ashrams, and the odd strip club. A magically theatrical, radically fanciful, fully bacchanal, solo show of a Lifetime! (it’s autobiographical) Story-telling, stand-up, circus stunts, & savasana! (Oh my) The show is an official selection of NYC’s SOLOCOM Festival with plans for a national tour before going to Edinburgh Fringe and off Broadway. Find international award-winning variety artist and comedian Dick Satori at CircusStillInTown.com.

Deathrattledotcom, by Jeffery Swan Jones (Icarus Rising Theatre Co.). Deathrattledotcom takes place in the near future when social security, Medicare, and Medicaid have been effectively eliminated in America. Corporations attempt to take their place with their own programs for the old and indigent. Carl and his mother Jackie have been told of a corporate option as they prepare for Jackie's hospice care. They meet a representative from deathrattledotcom who explains how natural death can be recorded on video for the pleasure of internet subscribers. Featuring Lana Dieterich as Jackie.

Cascade, by Cat Drago and Sarah Marie Curry. Cascade presents a poignant examination of the bond between two unique and complex characters, exploring their relationship with a flood of emotional moments in an improvised domestic drama. Sarah Marie Curry (Austin Critics Table Best Actress Nominee 2014) and Cat Drago (Nothing and Everything, Happily Ever After, RISEN) began Cascade in April of 2014, with the hope of making their audiences laugh as well as cry, and to surprise and delight each other.

Life is a Chair, written and performed by Leng Wong (Lucky Chaos Theater and Productions). A monologue. Delivery inspired by brushstrokes of iconic artists and styles. (Additional performers: Allen Lea and Sandra Ibarra.)

Two Fathers: The Vietnam Vet & The Vietnamese Refugee, by Christine Hoang & James Hughes (Color Arc Productions). This is a story about our dads. 2015 marked the 40th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon. Both our dads served in the Vietnam War. James' dad was commissioned as a lieutenant in the US Army. Christine's dad was a Captain in the South Vietnamese Army where he worked alongside American allies. We tell their stories in tribute to their service and their sacrifice, and because we love them.

Cunctipotence, by Gloria Adams, Danielle Bellone, Teresa Johnson
"Cunctipotent": from the Latin cunctus, "all," and potens, "powerful." All-powerful deriving from a female source, or in other words . . . cunt magic. Three badass Austin women use poetry, storytelling, and spoken word to explore their own magic and raise their voices in praise of cunctipotence.

60 Like Myra, by Mahani Zubedy, in collaboration with Joy Cunningham, Tara Khandro, and Donna L. Stevens. Directed by Amparo Garcia-Crow; produced by Dillo Media. Join Donna L. Stevens (from “Older Ladies ” YouTube fame) and her “sexty” noisemaking counterparts as they consider how sixty is a big assed number that gets bigger every year.

Breaking It Down: A Guide, created by The Back Pack: Katie Kohler, Justin Morley, Jeremiah Rosenberger, and Pete Betcher (The Back Pack). A whimsical piece using movement, music, and a sprinkle of magic. The fourth entry into FronteraFest for the group and the newest work in a long line of short, fast-paced pieces.

The Youthenizers, by The Youthenizers. The high school improv class from Skybridge Academy showcase their skills with their first public performance. They hope to Youthenize you!

The Day The Coloreds Integrated, by Tommy LeVrier. The cheerleading try outs coincide with the first day of integration in a small East Texas High School in 1966 in this dark comedy. Directed by Jay Reher.

My Portuguese Boyfriend, by Carol Ramsey. The true, personal story of a American woman's travel back in time to her grandmother's Portuguese village, where women were meant to be married and escape was nearly impossible.

A Good Run, by Patricia Eakin. A bittersweet comedy celebrating friendship, love and Austin hippies.

Great Stories Do 3 Horrible Things, by Steve Moore (Physical Plant Theater). Steve Moore of Physical Plant Theater claims to offer some insight into how stories work.

The Way of All Fish, by Elaine May (Maggie Bell and Corrie Baker-Puscas). The first of the three hit comedies produced Off Broadway under the title Power Plays, this is a ping pong power game played between a self absorbed executive and her seemingly drab secretary. Over an impromptu dinner together, the executive's condescending graciousness drains away as the secretary explains her fantasy of gaining immortality by killing someone famous and successful: someone like her boss.

Tied Up (working title), by Aimée Gonzalez. Excerpts from a new full length play, directed by Ellie McBride.

Church of the Century Kid, by Todd Mein and Indigo Rael. A religious revival combined with a philosophical, scientific, and humorist approach to imagine yourself living for 100 years and realizing your dreams through transcendent experimentation and nostalgia, while helping yourself age with grace and living vicariously through your childhood. Birth, love, death, rebirth. Clocks, slinkies, hula hoops, swingsets, old people, babies. It's also about two narcissists interacting with humans and traveling through time.

Yellow Bike, by Lydia Blaisdell (ScriptWorks Commission). Two women wait outside the ER and discover a surprising connection. A look at entanglement in the Tinder era. Directed by Cara Phipps with performers Maddrey Blackwood and Rachel Gilbert.

The Knuckleball Now, by Craig Kotfas, Michael Joplin, Ace Manning and Lee Eddy (The Knuckleball Now). The Knuckleball Now is an Austin improv troupe dedicated to high speed, high risk comedy. With a starting rotation of Craig Kotfas, Michael Joplin, Ace Manning and Lee Eddy, TKN gets inspiration from the crowd's last received text message. Performing what they call PEAK & POP which creates a series of quick scenes that build a positive energy and a collection of themes and characters . . . soon the audience and players will have a bond with "inside jokes" . . . Each show is a "You had to be there moment" . . . Recently bestowed the RUDY KLOPTIK B. Iden Payne Award for Outstanding Improv Troupe 2014-15.

How Soon After? Choreographed by Ellen Bartel and Kelsey Oliver (Ellen Bartel Dance Collective). I am continuing to explore “non-fiction dance” in order to attend to profound personal stories in a performative way. In How Soon After? I want to share a dear friend’s real-life situation: her life with Huntington’s disease, a terminal degenerative illness she inherited from her dad. I’m aiming to be an advocate for Huntington awareness, help my friend cry out for attention, and expose her courage, sense of humor and humanity. Dancer Kelsey Oliver is asked to explore dualities in movement mostly through controlled-knowing and abandonment-powerlessness. I am offering as a dance the act of performing these dichotomies set to the audio of Stephanie’s story. As a friend of Stephanie, the text I chose is eight minutes edited from a forty-minute interview with good friend, Adam Sultan. The edited selections suggest the most profound challenges and poignant feelings from the interview to help us understand her courage, humor, and humanity. The audience is left to feel whatever is necessary to feel about the presentation. Music by Keaton Henson, edit by Ellen Bartel.

Worst First Date, by Lance Hunter and Lahari Samineni (Worst First Date). Worst First Date is an Austin-based improv duo who perform an improvised narrative show where two characters who have never met before go on their first date. Then things tend to go awry.

Beautiful Thangs Come From Trailer Parks, Y'all, by Jack Darling (The Darlings). Jack Darling picks up the pieces after a violent attack, journeying through the darkness and back with a little help from a thing called *magic*.

Abbott & Carmelita, by Megan Thornton (Company 400). On January 20th, 2015 Greg Abbott becomes the 48th Governor of Texas. Carmelita, student body president, will travel from Llano to Austin to witness the inauguration--and she will get there with or without your support. Told through Company 400's finger puppetry, Abbott & Carmelita is a story of ambition, tenacity, and four tons of brisket. Company 400 is Blaine Fonnesbeck, Topping Haggerty, Chadwick Smith, Regina Soto, and Megan Thornton.

Beaten Up By a Girl, written and performed by Samm Hill. A hilarious and touching one-man show about the travails of growing up as a bullied, socially awkward band geek in the early '80's Houston suburbs. An even more complicated situation arises when Kim, the overweight Buddhist girl from Encino, arrives and immediately falls in love with him. Developed with Jane Morris.

On the Banks of Waterloo, by C.M. Gill. This one-act play in three scenes examines the conflicting voices and visions vying for Austin's future and definition. Directed by Zac Thomas.

Maybe Sally Loves You, by Raymond V. Whelan (The Highland Lakes Players). Two Iraq War veterans meet in California at a race track where they share dreams of love and luck.

Skirmishes in the Comfort Zone, by Roy Griffin. Monologue.

Angel Sector, by Oryan West. This one-man show takes a look at the state of human affairs from the perspective of a burned-out angel named Max, who once a year has to report on how adequately humans are evolving within his sector. At stake is an annual vote on whether to continue funding the Angel Program, put in place hundreds of years ago to help humanity evolve towards a more peaceful and just world. But faced with a report filled with examples of bitterness and selfishness and violence and hate, Max is now asking himself whether humanity has evolved at all. And now it's his turn to vote.

Sheshesheshe, by Megan Mowry, Laura de laFuente, Stephanie Ard, Jessica Vasami, Katie Cowan, and Lindsey Moringy. (Sheshesheshe)
Sheshesheshe is an all-female improv troupe that performs and studies at ColdTowne Theater. Taking suggestions from the audience they create cohesive, memorable, high-energy shows.

Lazer Wolf, by Lazer Wolf. Graduates of Merlin Works Singing Improv class perform long-form musical improvisational comedy shows.

Handful of Minutes, by Hank Schwemmer. A series of very short plays for life-size people.

Darth Brooks, by Ashley Blom, Josephh Stahlman, Christian Payne, Dalton Allen, and Drew Wesley. Darth Brooks is an improv troupe, bringing a totally unique premise to each show. They begin by building characters who begin to monologue, leading to a high-energy, character-driven montage of improvised comedic scenes from there. This dark comedic powerhouse was incubated at ColdTowne theater and have set their dork side of the force out into the theater world at large.

I Am Mister Miyagi, written and performed by Megan Tabaque, directed and dramaturged by Gabrielle Randle. An excerpt from a longer work in development, this staged reading of I Am Mister Miyagi tells the story of a Hapa woman and the psychological consequences of her most successful Halloween costume.

Sugar Water Purple, by Kenah Benefield, Ryan Darbonne, Derick Fields, Jarrett King, and Chris Villafano (Sugar Water Purple). Sugar Water Purple is Austin's first and only all-black male improv troupe. We perform a high-energy, long-form show based closely on the famous "Harold" format. We were born out of the training ground of ColdTowne Theatre, and are made up of actors, improvisers, writers, musicians and stand-up comedians. During our brief existence, we've opened for some of ColdTowne's flagship improv teams and were finalists in ColdTowne's Cagematch tournament in the fall of 2015.

Crying Room, by Rita Anderson (ScriptWorks Commission). Crying Room is a monologue play about Melissa, a nervous talker, who waits out a wedding for the funeral to follow--where she'll be a pallbearer. It's a celebration of life, love, and friendship. Performed by Shannon Grounds.

Untitled, by Dawn Bishop. A dancer on a bench.

Two Eggs, by Stephen Bittrich. While getting ready for a date, Jane has to contend with a pesky neighbor with an interesting personality disorder.

For Worse, by Tristan Y. Mercado. A couple experiences cold feet minutes before their wedding.

I Don't Know Why You're Saying That, written and performed by Vanessa Gonzalez. Vanessa recaps events from her life in attempt to figure out why her family, friends, and complete strangers say certain things to her.

Loaded Gun Theory Decides Your Doom, by Loaded Gun Theory. You show up at Hyde Park Theatre ready for another night of Fringe Fest Fantasticness. Probably an autobiographical monologue, an interpretive dance, and of course, improv. Likely set to music. But what's this? Suddenly, a bunch of assholes show up and put you in charge. Will you go back in time to rescue Undersea Explorer Jeanne De Chateau’s wife from a watery grave or ignore what even your own past self tells you to do and try to escape to the surface? Only you can . . . DECIDE YOUR DOOM!

Punks, by Sandra Ybarra & Luke Wallens (Butter). Through kick-butt music, theatrical clowning and the forlornness of emo/gothic melodrama, here comes the everyday life of what it means to be a punk clown. The tragedy of brushing teeth! The attitude of frisbee throwing! The overwhelmingly average date at the movies! Many of these and other adventures will be explored by two improvisers until the drab of life is either laughed off and/or drained away.

My Seasons with the Houston Astros and the the Montreal Expos, written and performed by Ken Webster. Award-winning actor/director Ken Webster explains his strange obsession with former major league catcher John Bateman. Webster's Twitter Feed started as a diary of the 1966 Houston Astros season as seen through the eyes of Webster's favorite player from childhood, the late John Bateman. The diary--part fact and part fiction, part baseball and part history and popular culture--has been featured in several stories by sportswriters. Webster describes how he became an amateur historian, chronicling his favorite player and the years 1966-1971.

Ethyl Formate, by Sam Gorena. A man looks at something in the galaxy and sees more in himself. One-man monologue.

Life's No Way, by Aaron Johnson & Anders Nerheim. A play about robots, refugees, and the marriage of twenty-somethings with feet so cold they can't even run. A short play with tall tale.

Unspoken, words by Heather Bishop, music by Danny G. A musical spoken word performance by artist Heather Bishop from her collections "Spark" and "A Tree Like This."

You Are My Sunshine, by Brianna Veselka. One woman show -- monologues about life, etc.

Austin Playback Theatre, by Austin Playback Theatre. Playback is an improvisational theatre developed by Jonathan Fox in which the troupe elicits stories from the audience and uses a variety of forms to play them back. Stories run the gamut from first orgasm to spending time with a parent with Alzheimer's. Our goals are to honor the dignity of each offering/individual/story, build understanding and uncover the commonalities, the "red thread," fostering meaningful connection.

The Palmistry of Paradox Magic, by Tim Mateer, Allison Moseley & Patrick Costigan (Tim Started It!). A fragmented storytelling collaboration.

The Old Maid and Her Old Goose. An old maid is charged with instructing her young niece about the art of love on the eve of a Fancy Ball. When a rapacious libertine commandeers the lesson, a contest is born to determine whose approach to love is most potent. A new play by Kyle John Schmidt, directed by Elizabeth C. Lay.