The final performance is scheduled for March 21 before operations move to a new location on North Lamar Boulevard.
AUSTIN, Texas — One of Austin’s most popular improv comedy spaces is closing its downtown doors for good. The Hideout Coffee House and Theatre, a Congress Avenue staple for 26 years, will host its final show this week.
“This beautiful, unique thing is just gone – gone from here at least,” said co-owner and longtime performer Jessica Arjet.
According to staff, the building has been sold and the new owner plans to convert the space into a bar. Arjet said the change has been difficult to process.
“I find that really, really sad that somebody can just come and buy a place and then tell you to leave,” she said. “We paid our rent on time. We did everything we were supposed to do, and yet we still don’t have the ability to keep going.”
With the downtown venue closing, the team is already planning its next act. As they work to find a permanent home for the theater, performances and classes will move to their two-classroom annex located on North Lamar Boulevard.
“One of the things improvisers do best is just jump in, not knowing how it’s going to end,” she said. “And so we’re jumping into this moment not really knowing how it’s going to end, but being OK that the journey is going to take us someplace interesting at least.”
Arjet hopes to resume shows at the annex in May. Until then, The Hideout is inviting the community to help send off the downtown space with one last round of laughter. The final performance is scheduled for March 21.