Louis Birdsong

Louis may be a familiar face now, but his journey started in Houston, immersed in a family that leaned more toward football than theater. He found his place, though, in high school theater and improv games, describing those first stage experiences with warmth and some self-deprecation. His career as a landscape architect began in Austin, but turned out to be much more than landscaping—it was about pursuing his love for humor, improv, and community. In an introspective reflection, Louis admits that “I just turned 30 about a month ago… I feel like… 20s can definitely be described as stuff that was a big learning period." While his career helped him spend time outdoors, something very important to him, the indoors helped him fuel his creative energy.

As Louis settled in Austin, he dove into both improv and stand-up, discovering that while each holds a special place for him, improv became more than entertainment—it was almost a form of therapy. Louis reflects, “I started realizing I had more of a love for improv, rather than what I felt like I really wanted from stand up.” He’s candid about the “roller coaster of confidence” that comes with each art, and how teching shows at ColdTowne and Fallout gave him invaluable performer’s wisdom from behind the booth. “I love that side of it," it allows a focused experience with the performance playing out on stage. Whether it's a change of lighting, hitting play on a musical component, or facilitating a background slide, teching requires full attention, which often translates to learning and feeling like you're part of the show.

These days, Louis is finding more joy in improv, pulling back from relentless gigging to focus on things that feel right, like pursuing his arborist certification and deciding which projects to pour his energy into. He admits to “letting chaos rain” but is now aiming for focus and fulfillment. His optimism shines in every answer, even when he confesses to the occasional “toxic positivity” and scatterbrain energy. Looking ahead, he’s all about growth on his own terms, and having fun while doing it. In addition to recently landing the weekly show Fuck This Week, the 3rd season of The Rose, he's excited about future plans with Syd Goin for their duo, Lucid. Things seem to be in full bloom when it comes to Louis.