Academy, and a Meme.

Heard from the Entertainment Director this morning. Turns out that they DO want me to teach Improv 1 and Improv 2 at the KCRF Academy this year. Even though I only got 4 days notice, I said yes…mostly because I loved teaching those classes last year, and I also see it as my own small contribution to making things better out there. If I can reach even a quarter of the performers and make them just a bit better at improv, that goes a long way to making the Festival better, in my opinion. So, yeah. My good deed for the season.

So, all of you who have to take Academy this year: I’ll be your Improv instructor again. Academy is on an abbreviated schedule this year (good thing): Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday, and Monday evening, this week and next.

Also: and I will see a bunch of you at All Call, which is on Thursday night. As a stage show, we don’t technically have to be there, but we had planned to, just for the social aspect. Now, of course, I’ll have academy stuff to talk about as well.

1. What is your full name? Gareth-Michael Skarka
2. What color pants are you wearing? Faded Denim
3. What are you listening to right now? “Knight on the Town”, Kula Shaker
4. What’s the last thing you ate? Cinnamon-raisin English Muffin, last night. (which reminds me…I need lunch.)
5. Do you wish on stars? Nope.
6. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? Green
7. How is the weather right now? In my office it’s in the low 70s, which is all that matters.
8. Last person you talked to on the phone?
9. Do you like the person who sent you this? I grabbed it from , so, yup.
10. How old are you today? 36 years, 49 days.
11. Favorite drink? Non-alcoholic – Coke, alcoholic – Vanilla vodka and ginger ale.
12. Favorite sport? Participate: Fencing. Watch: Three-way tie between Football (soccer), Baseball, and American Football.
13. Hair color? Brown.
14. Do you wear contacts? Nope.
15. Siblings? Yes. Younger brother, Jason, 32.
16. Favorite month? October.
17. Favorite food? Given that there are scads of dishes that I really like, I’m going to be very, very specific here: An extra-cheese and meatball pizza from Brothers Four pizzeria in Center Moriches, NY.
18. Last movie you watched? Watched a bit of Velvet Goldmine last night.
19. Favorite day of year? Christmas, actually. (Strange, I know.)
20. What do you do to vent anger? Lose my temper, unfortunately.
21. What was your favorite toy as a child? My Star Wars action figures. No question.
22. Summer or winter? Winter
23. Hugs or kisses? Kisses.
24. Chocolate or vanilla? Vanilla.
25. Do you want your friends to write/email back? I presume the question refers to this quiz. Since I’m not emailing it, I don’t really care.
26. Who is most likely to? or , I suspect.
27. Who is least likely? , since she usually doesn’t have the time.
28. Living arrangements? Rent a condo with . My oldest daughter lives with us. So do two cats and a dog.
29. When was the last time you cried? Honestly can’t remember. (Not in a macho sense, either….just nothing too “cry-worthy” has happened in quite a while.)
30. What is under your bed? One of the afore-mentioned cats, most likely.
31. Who is the friend you have had the longest? My best friend, Dave, whom I’ve known for about 21 years now.
32. What did you do last night? Watched Queer As Folk and then Bill Maher’s new stand-up comedy special, I’m Swiss with .
33. Favorite smell? It’s a tie between the ocean and Fall leaves.
34. What inspires you? Many things. Too many to list.
35. What are you afraid of? Loss.
36. Plain, buttered, or salted popcorn? The less healthy the better. Load it up.
38. Favorite flower? None. Allergies. Hate the little fuckers.
39. Number of keys on your key chain? None. I have no key chain.
40. Can you juggle? Nope.
41. Favorite day of the week? Thursday. No reason.
42. What did you do on your last birthday? On my birthday? Not much. FOR my birthday? A multi-birthday Midget Tiki Luau party at The Manor.
43. How many states have you lived in? 4 (New York, Kansas, Georgia, New Jersey)
44. How many cities have you lived in? One: New York City. The rest were just “towns” by comparison.
45. How many times have you moved as in completely moved all your stuff to a new place (excluding dorms)? 17. Yes, 17.
46. How many countries have you lived in? 1.
47. How many cars have you had? I’ve personally owned 3.
48. Pet duck or pet rock? Rock. Ducks are nasty little buggers.
49. What is your favorite game? Whatever I’m writing at the moment.
50. What is your favorite mindless activity? Watching movies/TV.
51. How many times this week have you doubted the path your life is taking? None at all.

8 Replies to “Academy, and a Meme.”

  1. Be seeing you at all call and in academy. I would assume that your classes will again be required.

    Not surprised it was sprung on you. They’re doing absolutely everything last minute this year.

    D.

  2. To be honest, I actually think the shorter schedule will help. I think that last year’s Festival was over-rehearsed and over-prepared….it actually sucked the energy out of the performers, many of whom were sick of it all before the first Opening Cannon.

  3. I think the shorter schedule will actually screw people who need to fit in more than about 6 hours like me.

    One of the reasons they had it last 3 weekends was so people could fit it around vacations in July. Now it’s all just crammed in at the end, when people should be prepping.

    Ultimately, the overrehearsal part of it has infinitely more to do with the insanity of boredom that passes for apprentice training and the absolutely silly amount of scenario/court rehearsals.

    The festival was a damn better place when rehearsals were the 3 weeks of Academy and nothing more.

    Hell, to be perfectly frank, the festival was a fucking infinitely better place when the Academy was a single weekend taught by Michael and Marilyn Marzella. People were actually given skills they could use.

    Good luck with the classes. I know you will work hard to make them the best they can be.

    D.

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