The Hideout Theatre, Austin’s longest-running improv theater, buzzes with energy on a recent Saturday night.
“The house is now open for The Fully Improvised Movie in the downstairs theater,” house manager Arthur Dale calls.
Audience members, carrying drinks from the adjoining coffeehouse, take their seats. Co-owner and artistic director Roy Janik greets them with a smile. “Give yourselves a round of applause for being here!”
Tonight’s show is a feature-length story created from a randomly chosen genre. The Hideout stages all kinds of improv, but it’s best known for long-form, improvised plays and musicals.
Founded in 1999 by Sean Hill, the Hideout has trained improvisers and entertained audiences from its two-story building at Seventh and Congress for more than 26 years. But in early 2026, its shows and classes will move south.
A familiar story
The Hideout's downtown building was sold last year, and the new owner plans to convert the space into a bar.
“There was some delirium as we accepted the reality,” says co-owner and general manager Kareem Badr, who runs the Hideout with Janik and fellow improviser Jessica Arjet. The trio took over ownership in 2009.
For Badr, the loss is personal.
“This stage we’re sitting on right now, this is where I learned what improv was, and how to do it,” he says. “I’ve crawled all over this building at all hours, fixing things.”
“I’ve met so many people here. I met my current partner here,” Arjet says. “I’ve seen so many children grow up here.”
When the news hit, the three owners met up to decide what to do.
“We all thought about it,” Badr says, “and decided, yes, we’re gonna try. Because if we’re gonna go down, we should at least go down swinging.”
The Hideout situation isn’t unique. Over the past decade, Austin theaters like ColdTowne, Salvage Vanguard, The Institution, the Rude Mechs, and recently, the Baron’s Men all lost spaces after their buildings were sold. Some relocated. Others closed.
The Hideout owners knew their requirements made the search even harder.
“We’re very specific because we’re a theater, classrooms, and a coffeehouse,” Arjet says. “There’s just nothing else like that.”
A theater they've always wanted
After six months of searching, the Hideout signed a lease at Art Hub ATX, a creative complex just off I-35 near Woodward Street.
Opened in 2023 by artist G.D. Wright, Art Hub ATX transformed a former insurance building into more than 100 artist studios and galleries.
“The vibe there is great,” Arjet says. “It feels very creative. We’re going to be able to move in and very easily become part of that community.”
“It really feels like funky old Austin,” Badr adds. “And that’s one of the things I’ve always loved about the Hideout. It’s always felt like a little funky piece of old Austin.”
Right now, the 40,000-square-foot area looks like an office suite. Soon, it will hold a 100-seat theater, two classrooms with a movable wall and a coffeehouse.
“We're literally, from the ground up, making the theater that we want to call home for at least another 10 years,” Janik says. “And hopefully many more than that.”
Almost everything will change.
“We’re gonna blow out everything to the roof, which will make the whole space feel super open,” he says.
One part of the space will stay the same: the restrooms. The previous tenants, the Girls Empowerment Network, left affirmations scrawled across the mirrors.
“It says, ‘You’re perfect, now work it,’” Janik laughs. “Which is super delightful.”
A community that has each others' backs
The Hideout’s strength lies in its community. Performer Diego Armando came to Austin in 2021. After seeing a show at the theater, he signed up for classes and completed all nine levels.
“The Hideout is my third space,” he says. “I can go there on a Saturday, hang out in the coffee shop, see people I know, and then perform or watch a show. We need third spaces, we need community.”
The Hideout improv community is built on trust, he says, and that’s why the theater will thrive in this move.
“You need to know people have your back for a 90-minute show,” he says. "And if we’re moving to a new location, it’s because we all want to keep doing it, with these people.”
A new era
The transition brings challenges, but also a sense of possibility.
“It’s daunting, because a move is daunting,” longtime improviser Kaci Beeler says. “But it’s also really exciting to be in a place where there’s so much creativity.”
One new change everyone’s excited about?
“Parking spots,” performer Ellen Pizarek laughs.
“Having ample parking spots is a total game-changer,” Janik says. “The number one question we get is: ‘Where can I park?’”
The renovations won’t be cheap. The Hideout has launched an online campaign to raise $500,000, though the total cost is expected to reach $750,000.
“It’s going to take a community – all of the people we know and love, and who know and love us, to help us fundraise this money,” Badr says.
The Hideout will celebrate its downtown era with a special weekend of shows Nov. 13-16. Holiday programming will continue through the end of year.
And in early 2026, improvisers like Mallory Schlossberg hope audiences will follow them 4 miles south on I-35 — to help launch the next era of the Hideout Theatre.
“It’s really exciting to know that we get to go into a new space and hear and see what it has to offer,” she says. “It’s a whole new chapter of stories to be told.”
