Shyla Ray
Shyla grew up around improv, as a cast member of The Texas Renaissance Festival and Cavalier Days, and has in recent years returned to improv with the passion of a cheetah falling upon prey. She currently performs with The New Movement and Bare Moxie in addition to teaching kids, teens, and adults at The New Movement conservatory.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Shyla is a consummate teacher and comes to teaching improv by way of teaching Art History, International Studies, Science and whatever else needs covering. She has taught students at The New Movement, St. Patrick’s Episcopal School in DC, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, AISD, the CLC conference, Austin College, American University, and is quite proud of having presented a paper at the National Gallery of Art. She contends that her enthusiasm for improv is infectious and that she supports burgeoning comedy skills in the way a mother gorilla introduces her tender offspring to the delights of the jungle.
TRAINING EXPERIENCE
Shyla is proud to be a homegrown product of The New Movement philosophy, as her primary improv study has been under Tami and Chris. She has also been coached by instructors from The Institution Theater, taken scene study with the director of The Hyde Park theater, and been taught by instructors from the Annoyance Theater. She notes among her other major learning experiences numerous college plays, acting on stage at the Bass Concert Hall, and spending over 8 years doing street theater.
ABOUT SHYLA RAY
Shyla has appeared as a fairy in a TV commercial and a zombie in an independent film: that’s type-casting for you. She has a masters in Art History from the premier feminist program in the country, lives at a seminary, was briefly in a death metal band, and gets dreamy eyed about stupid jokes. Upon returning to Austin Shyla began taking improv; her first show was opening for Chicago’s BassProv and she is rapidly amazing festival credits with invitations to play at the Oklahoma Improv Festival and the New Orleans Improv festival. Like a bird of paradise undertaking intricate choreography to impress his mate, only an escalation of exciting things is expected from Shyla in the future.
Specially tailored for the >20 set, The New Movement is offering classes that form community and get students to acquiring comedy skills, showing off, and cracking everybody up in no time! We believe the comedy scene in Austin has a little missing piece where an astonishing young group of students and performers should be, and we are going to complete it. Level 1 is eight weeks long and we will focus on an introduction to the precepts of “long-form” improv, getting everyone comfortable on stage, and working towards a proficiency at jamming together as a class. There will be a culminating performance where family and friends can admire the group’s comedy work.
