About
Move Your Tale brings Improv to schools, libraries, and organizations serving youth, educators and families.
Searching for classes or shows for youth? Check out our community focused branch, Excused Absence Comedy.
Who we are
Move Your Tale was founded by Kristin Henn in September of 2007 as a resource for families and youth with an interest in performance, improvisation and storytelling. Since that time, Move Your Tale offers ever increasing opportunities to explore these things and more through education and performance.
In the Fall of 2011, Move Your Tale launched a collaboration with ColdTowne Theater, home to Austin’s premiere comedy conservatory. In addition to serving as a home base for MYT and providing us with a venue to host our work, partnering with ColdTowne gave us access to talented and experienced faculty and performers.
In 2015, MYT launched Excused Absence Festival, the first Youth Comedy Festival in Texas. Each year the festival adds a growing number of performers and educational opportunities, continuing to provide youth with a unique opportunity to grow as comics and as people. The Festival is also an opportunity for talented, experienced adult performers to share their work with a new audience.
Following the success of the Festival, we made the decision to split the organization into two interconnected branches. Excused Absence Comedy now serves as ColdTowne Theater’s Youth Program. ExAb offers classes, camps, birthday parties and year round performances to kids and teens in the Austin area. Move Your Tale offers Improv for Learning and provides classes, shows and events for schools, libraries and organizations.
What we do
Hands on, high energy Library and School Programs for Youth, Educators & Families. Our classes and shows create opportunities for groups to apply the tools and ideas of Improv to life off stage and in the moment.
Shows are fast paced and fun, driven by audience suggestions and volunteers on stage. It’s fine to enjoy quietly from the audience, or jump into the action. Our performers are trained improvisers who appear regularly on stages throughout Austin.
In the tradition of Improv and Creative Drama, our classes, workshops and camps are process focused. While they may culminate in public performance, Move Your Tale’s primary goal is to build trust within a group, facilitate collaboration and help participants to build flexibility and confidence. Support and laughter are at the heart of our work, and both can help your group say “Yes” to one another and the challenges they face together.
What we offer
Workshops, Classes and Shows tailored for your group’s needs.
In all of our endeavors, Move Your Tale and Excused Absence Comedy strive to provide participatory, collaborative performing arts experiences and the opportunities to create, communicate and entertain.