Improv
and Stand Up Instructor, Stephen Austin
Stephen
Austin was first bit by the performing bug while attending
San Gabriel High School, just outside of Los Angeles. He split
his time between performances with the Acapella Choir and appearances
in productions such as "Man of La Mancha" while remaining
active in the schools football, basketball wrestling and track
programs.
After a tour of duty with United States Navy, a momentous event
occurred. Stephen made his first visit to a comedy club. The soon-to-be
World Famous Comedy Store in Hollywood. A "home"
was found and a stand-up comedian was born. Stephen watched and
learned from some of the best up-and -coming stars of the day
such as Vic Dunlop, Sam Kinison, Bob Saget and Gary Shandling.
This experience led to a two-year stint with Los Angeles' premier
improve troupe , the L.A. Connection. You can still catch
Stephen performing stand-up and improv at clubs and events around
the country.
While studying theater arts at UCLA, Stephen returned to the acting
arena with his portrayal of "Ray", the younger brother
in a local production of "Lone Star". His performance
was highlighted with such a natural sense of comedic timing that
it caught the attention of a director casting her upcoming production
of Neil Simon's "Plaza Suite". Stephen was given the
role of the over-stressed, financially-strapped "Roy",
the father of the bride.
Over the years, Stephen has appeared in such television shows
as "Space Rangers" (a pre-cursor of things to come),
"Melrose Place", "Beverly Hills 90210", "The
Pretender", and "Sliders" His film credits include
"Apollo 13", "Little Rascals", "Batman
& Robin", "Con Air", "Fear and Loathing
in Las Vegas", "Super Dave, The Movie".
Upon completing a year's internship with L.A's.West Coast Ensemble,
Stephen found himself spending more and more time on the set of
a fledgling sci-fi show call "Babylon 5". Being a life-long
fan of the genre, this felt like a true gift from the gods (or
in this case, "The Great Maker").
After appearing in several episodes as various background characters,
something wonderful happened. Donovan Brown, the actor who had
portrayed the "Pak' Ma' Ra Ambassador" in the first
season was moving-on to other opportunities and Stephen was asked
to carry the torch. Beginning with the second season and until
this day, Stephen Austin and the carrion-eating "Pak' Ma'
Ra" are forever inter-linked. (If that's not a visual-I don't
know what is.)