ABOUT

“★★★★★ It was a rare treat to watch this highly skilled company.” - Theatre People Australia

Parallelogramophonograph (since 2005) is an Austin, Texas-based theatre company that loves to make up dynamic improvised plays and theatre in the moment.

Since their premiere in November of 2005, Parallelogramophonograph has been more than just an improv troupe. Fiercely dedicated to the craft and art of improvised theatre, PGraph has held a weekly show non-stop for over 15 years. Early on in their time together Kaci Beeler, Kareem Badr, Roy Janik, and Valerie Ward knew they wanted to do something different onstage. Intrigued by the challenge of telling fantastic fully-improvised stories together as an ensemble, PGraph spent years developing original formats and studying the arts of theatre, improv, and storytelling. They've toured the country and the world performing and teaching their unique brand of improv with ensemble appearances in over 65 cities in the US, Canada, Australia, France, and the UK.

Renowned for their theatricality, playfulness, and hive-mind-like ensemble, their goal with every show is to push both themselves and the art of improvisation to new and dizzying heights while taking the audience along for a joyous ride.

They've received a B. Iden Payne for "Outstanding Work in Improvised Theater", an Austin Chronicle "Best of Austin" award, and several Austin Critics Table nominations.

Awards and Honors

"Best Improv Troupe" - Austin Chronicle

"Outside the Box (and String) Award" - Austin Critics Table

"Most Continuously Innovative Improv Troupe" - Austin Chronicle

"Outstanding Work in Improvisational Theatre” - B. Iden Payne Awards

"Best of Fest" - FronteraFest

"Best Improv Troupe" - Austin Improv Collective

"Best Theatrical Event” - Austin Critics Table

PGraph has performed nationally and internationally in over 65 cities and at many festivals including the Chicago Improv Fest, Slapdash Festival in London, Vancouver International Improv Festival, Twin Cities Improv Festival, Montreal Improv Festival, Seattle Festival of Improv Theater, Toronto COMBUSTIONfestival, Out of Bounds, Out of Bounds West, The Big Ha! Festival in Omaha, The Providence Improv Fest, Boston Comedy Arts Festival, The Hawaii Improvaganza in Honolulu, and the Frontera Fringe Fest in Austin.

PGraph made their European debut at the 2011 Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, where they lived and performed together for an entire month. This led to their 2012 UK tour including stops in London, Brighton, and Bristol. In early 2014 PGraph toured Australia for 3 weeks and performed and taught in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Sydney – with a notable 5-night season at The Butterfly Club that garnered a 5-Star review from Melbourne’s Theatre People.

As individuals, they also perform, teach, and direct shows at The Hideout Theatre, and generally make their presence known in the growing Austin artistic community. You can read even more about them (and their travels as a group to Edinburgh) in this 2011 Austin Chronicle Arts Feature.

But to truly know what PGraph does, and how well they do it, come see them in person! PGraph performs in PGraph Presents every Thursday night at 8pm at The Hideout Theatre.(http://www.hideouttheatre.com/shows/PGraph).