Starting this Saturday, Start Trekkin’ brings fully-improvised “Start Trek” episodes back to Congress Avenue for an eight-week run. Meanwhile, Coldtowne Theater speaks to an issue more contemporary than intergalactic exploration: our tanking economy. With free shows and free beer. Yes, you read that right....

Come to the Midnight Special variety show at Coldtowne Theatre for Austin comedy savant Fred Bothwell, but stay for the show. Over the course of the hour, there is much to enjoy, from a gong show (which you, too, can win!), to improv, to musical goodness. ...

Switchboard, the all-female improv super-troupe comprised of Second City alumnae Debra Downing-Grosz (UCB theater, Second City Chicago), Rebecca Sohn (The Annoyance Theater, Second City Chicago), and Jean Villepique (iO Chicago, Sceond City, The Office, 30 Rock), performs at the Coldtowne Theater tonight and tomorrow night....

The most overrated aspect of mainstream film is production quality—3, 2, 1 Kill! proved that in November when the improvised movie event was scripted, filmed, and edited live at the Alamo Ritz. Luckily enough for the film snobs among us—this script is so indie that it doesn’t even exist—3, 2, 1 Kill! returns to the Alamo Ritz this Sunday for another round of seat-of-its-pants storytelling....

Upright Citizens Brigade founders Matt Walsh, Matt Besser and Ian Roberts perform tonight (United States Art Authority) and tomorrow (ColdTowne Theater). Tickets online. // At the SXSW South Tent tomorrow, the Bowery Poetry Club and others perform, from 11:30-3pm. Wammo emcees! Full schedule after the jump....

It has been almost eight years since the last episode of the Upright Citizens Brigade aired on Comedy Central. But beginning well before the series took to television—from its roots as an improv and sketch comedy troupe in Chicago to the opening of the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatres in New York City and Los Angeles—the Upright Citizens Brigade has been in the process of constructing a comedy empire....

The third annual see.hear.speak fest opens on Thursday and closes on Saturday, with shows nightly at 8 & 10 at Coldtowne Theater. Bringing a few big-name comedy groups to town, this year's fest has quite the lineup....