ASAF RONEN
Co-Producer
ELLEN PIZAREK
Co-Producer
SHANNON MCCORMICK
BOARD CHAIR
ASAF is the author of Directing Improv: Show the Way by Getting Out of the Way. He regularly performs, teaches and produces in Austin where he is the Founder/Dean at the improv school, The Seed,. He has been the Education Director at The Institution Theater for eight years and the Conservatory Director at ColdTowne Theater.He has taught and performed improvisation in Canada, Great Britain, Norway and in twenty-eight of these United States with such groups as the B. Iden Payne Award winning Confidence Men (improvised plays in the style of David Mamet), Immigrants: The Musical (a Hamilton-inspired longform that explored the cast’s immigrant experiences), and imp (mostly silent improv). He was also producer on Trust Us This Is All Made Up, a documentary on legendary improvisers TJ & Dave that premiered at Austin’s South by Southwest Festival in 2009 and helped develop the improvised film Days of Delusion with director Scott Myers. In 1999, Asaf founded the improv website, YESand.com of which he was Editor-in-Chief.
ELLEN is a mom, molecular biologist, ceramic artist, and improv comedian who was almost on Jeopardy once – so yes, she knows things.She has been performing and practicing improv since 2010, and has appeared in the Ocean State Improv Festival, Big-Little Improv Festival, and of course, Out of Bounds. Her previous longform improv appearances shows include God vs. the Devil, Doctor When, Off the Reef, Tall Tales of the High Seas, and Mischief Managed. She also co-created, directed, and produced FLOW: Funny Ladies of Wrestling. Ellen has been part of the Out of Bounds staff since 2017. She loves secrets, pizza, and can name all the U.S. presidents in order…so she’s basically your weirdest and most delightful trivia night ringer.
SHANNON is a thirty-year veteran of stage and screen, as well as a writer and director. He has appeared in films and TV shows such as Breaking Bad, Les Misérables, Day 5, Red vs. Blue, RWBY, and Camp Camp. He has been involved with Out of Bounds since its inception in 2001, serving at various times as producer and now on the Board of Directors. He remains active in the local in the Austin improv community, with troupes Get Up and Just Be Sweet as well as many limited run improv productions.
COURTNEY HOPKIN
Marketing director
NATE ARCHER
Technical
Director
KEITH RUCKUS
Events director
COURTNEY has been working in the Austin theater and improv community for 30 years, appearing in so so many plays and improv shows around town, teaching so so many improv classes at The Hideout Theatre and making graphics, posters and whatnot for shows all over Austin! Courtney’s first time performing in Out of Bounds was back in 2006!
NATE is a technical improviser, performer, and filmmaker who’s spent the past several years behind the boards and up in the rafters of Austin comedy. From 2018 to 2024, he served as Technical Director and then General Manager at Fallout Theater, working on shows like Fuck This Week, Egg Party Presents, Tear You Apart. Recently he was the technical director for Attend the Tale and Villain. He’s also brought his skills to dramatic productions, but comedy has always been his home base. This is Nate’s third year with Out of Bounds.
KEITH has been creating unforgettable events in Austin, Texas for over 13 years. A veteran purveyor of live experiences, Keith’s work in macro-scale productions earned him a singular honor in 2017 when Mayor Steve Adler proclaimed it “Keith Ruckus Day” in recognition of his contributions to the city’s cultural zeitgeist.
In 2025, Keith was named a Finalist for the Austin Under 40 Awards in the Arts, Music, & Entertainment category. He’s also one-half of the duo behind Butt Stuff Bingo, Austin’s longest-running adult-themed comedy game show, and the owner of Ruckus Karaoke, a fan-favorite nightlife staple and two-time Austin Chronicle “Best Of” finalist.
From bold concepts to seamless execution, Keith brings energy, creativity, and a deep love for Austin to every event he touches.