Directing &
Teaching
Teaching Improv in South Korea in Winter
I solo directed my first improvised play, After School Improv: An Improvised After School Special at The Hideout Theatre in 2009 as the opening work in their new season of mainstage programming. When I started out in theatre, I never wanted to be a director. I didn't want to lead. I didn't want to teach.
But - there came a time when I had a vision and there was no one else around who wanted to bring it to life - or perhaps even COULD bring my specific vision to life. So, at a very young age, I fell backward into directing. I enjoyed it so much, I kept going, and have since directed dozens of productions, both improvised and scripted.
As a director, I love having a WHOLE vision before me - including the macro and micro-elements. I envision the piece as an audience member, an actor, a technician, and a designer. I aim to delight, surprise, inspire, and energize my audiences as well as my co-collaborators. We work hard in rehearsal and play hard onstage. Respect is paramount in the process. The final piece should be a wild ride. Theatre shouldn't feel like "eating your vegetables" - even when it comes to sensitive subject matter. I strive for peaks and valleys in my productions - heart & soul, wit & bullshit, confidence & vulnerability. I'm an avid theatergoer myself, and I like to leave a theater feeling like I could run around the parking lot.
Killer Girls - A Pop Horror Revenge Play
American Berserk Theatre (2018)
I've won directing awards from the B. Iden Payne Awards and the Austin Critics Table Awards
Kaci Beeler is an Austin, TX artist offering graphic design, custom art and murals, acting and writing services, teaching, directing, and more.
I've been teaching improvised theatre for over 15 years now. I've taught improv in over 11 countries and 70+ cities including London, Seoul, Tokyo, Beijing, Dublin, Paris, Strasbourg, Finland, Barcelona, Vancouver, Montreal, Sydney, Melbourne, and all over the United States.
I love connecting with creative partners in the teaching/learning process. My favorite creatives to work with are those that have some experience but would love an outside eye to help them polish their craft. I believe that teaching on a peer-to-peer level is effective, inspiring, and fun.
My Specialty Topics Include:
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Romance & Intimacy
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Staged Violence
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Consent Practice
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Deep Genre & Theatricality in Improv
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Stylized Acting
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Commercial & Film Acting
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Narrative & Story Theory
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Character Work
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Group Hivemind & Bonding/Connection
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How to Devise a Script Using Improv
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How To Improvise a Full-Length Play
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Taking An Idea All The Way To Opening Night
The Kindness of Strangers - Improvised Tennesee Williams (2017)
Some of My Favorite Directed Projects:
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Charles Dickens Unleashed - The Hideout Theatre (2009&2011)
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Holy 1960s Batman, Batman! - The Hideout Theatre (2011)
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Fandom - Improvised Fanfiction in Your Favorite Worlds - The Hideout Theatre (2012)
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F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald Save The World! (2014-2017)
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Reform School for Wayward Girls - The Hideout Theatre (2014)
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Boy Howdy! An Improvised 1960s TV Western - The Hideout Theatre (2015)
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Peter Pan & The Great Unknown - The Hideout Theatre (2015)
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Heavens Mr. Darcy! Improvised Erotic Jane Austen (2015-2017)
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The Kindness of Strangers - Improvised Tennesee Williams - The Hideout Theatre (2017)
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Orphans! The Improvised Orphan Musical - The Hideout Theatre (2018)
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Killer Girls - A Pop Horror Revenge Play - American Berserk Theatre (2018)
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Dead Men Don't Speakeasy - A 1920s Immersive Interactive Murder Mystery - American Berserk Theatre (2019)
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Crucibullshit - An Improvised Witch Trial Comedy - with Katy Wiggins (2023)
Orphans! The Improvised Orphan Musical - The Hideout Theatre (2018)