Gettin' Close with Mike Marbach

In this episode of Gettin’ Close with Mike Marbach I sit down with Steve Kleinedler to talk about performing in improv, sketch, scripted theater, directing improv, sketch and scripted theater,  the dictionary and much more. And as always go to AudibleTrial.com/StarkRavenMad and sign up for a FREE trial and get a FREE audiobook of your choosing. Lots of books to choose from. Get one for free and help support the podcast at the same time. Thanks for listening!

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Hafthór Júlíus Björnsson, AKA “The Mountain” from Game of Thrones, is in Philly for the weekend. He’s going to be appearing at the Philly Ren Faire May 16th and 17th. You’ll have the chance to meet him, get your picture taken and if you planned ahead you’ll get to train and fight with him! He was awesome enough to give me some time to chat about the Ren Faire, Game of Thrones and being one of the world’s strongest humans. He also gave me one of my favorite things ever- an SRM tag that you’ll now probably hear at the start of every episode.

The song you hear at the top is an original composition by Fred Brown and Drew Evans specifically for SRM. So a big shout out and thanks to those guys! Also, check out lastnamepoems.tumblr.com. Fred writes poems using only the last names from a particular group/team of people. It’s neat. Check it out.

Lastly- the May Twitter contest is still happening! If you’re a new follower during the month of May you can win an awesome (presently unnamed) Game of Thrones related prize! So follow us @SRMPodcast. Also email us [email protected] with any questions, discussion topics, etc. And now, enjoy as I get close with The Mountain!

New followers in May are entered to win Hedge Knight & Sworn Sword graphic novels! Follow us for #GameOfThrones news & live tweeting.

— Stark Raven Mad (@SRMPodcast) May 20, 2015

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In this episode I get close with Aaron Nevins and Kate Banford. Most recently they co-hosted the 2015 Philly Comedy Awards. We talk a little about that night as well as the preparation leading up to the awards and the areas where improvements can be made. We also talked about the previous and upcoming Five Dollar Comedy Week with a preview of some acts and workshops. We also discuss each of their other projects including ManiPedi, Hang-On and more. They both have things coming up which you can check out below and hear more about on the podcast. As you listen, head over to AudibleTrial.com/StarkRavenMad and register for a FREE trial of Audible. You get a free audiobook download and you help me pay to host these long talks. Cancel before the trial ends and you pay nothing. Now, enjoy as I get close with Aaron Nevins & Kate Banford!

MANIPEDI PRESENTS “KAREN’S DREAM”

FIVE DOLLAR COMEDY WEEK

Original Five Dollar Comedy art created by Andrew Jeffrey Wright and design by Aaron Nevins.

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This episode of the Gettin’ Close with Me podcast features Philly’s Aubrie Williams! Aubrie has been involved in Philly comedy for several years now. Two of her most recent projects have shows coming up. The first is Goat Rodeo whose Disnyy Froozen will be ending its run at PHIT with a show on Thursday and Friday of this week at 9:00 p.m. The other project is none other than ManiPedi (seen above in a photo by Erin Pitts Photography). A group that’s been a stop for many great female sketch comedians in Philly. They recently won the Philly Comedy Awards for Best Live Sketch and Best Sketch Group. Their next show is coming up on Thursday, Februrary 12th with Gaper Delay opening and Friday, February 13th with (friend of the podcast) Brendan Kennedy’s Big Time Hollywood Sketch Show opening. It was a fun chat with Aubie. Enjoy it.

Speaking of the Philly Comedy Awards, I didn’t walk away empty handed! Stark Raven Mad: A Game of Thrones Podcast actually took home the gold. Next on the podcast will be hosts of the show, Aaron Nevins and Kate Banford. We’ll talk about the ins and outs and highs and lows of the show as well as the upcoming Five Dollar Comedy Week.

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In the first podcast of 2015 I sit down with Philly Improv pioneer, Matt Holmes. We discuss his comedy interests, the early days of longform improv in Philly, as well as the coaching, teaching and general theories of improv. You can see him in Matt& at PHIT on Sunday, February 1st (and once a month there after) and in the Steel Stacks Improv Comedy Festival on Saturday, January 31st.

Speaking of shows- I have one on Friday, January 23rd at the Brewery! I’ll be performing with one of the darlings of Philly improv, Kristen Schier! We’ve only performed once before as just the two of us, but had so much fun that we thought we’d do it again. So Friday we debut “Mishegas!”. It’s a super organic, flowy style of improv that I really, really enjoy doing. Hopefully you enjoy watching it.

Mishegas! at the Brewery

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In this episode I get close with Philly performer, old friend, and all around awesome person- Jessica Snow! We talk about many of her projects including but not limited to the near decade old, very popular short-form improv show- The N Crowd, the creation, cast/director changes, and overall run of PHIT House Team Davenger and her transition into director and building PHIT Harold Team Trash Island . We also talk about what got her into all this, improv auditions, the growth of Philly comedy overall and much more. Listen and enjoy!

FREE AUDIOBOOK  DOWNLOAD FROM AUDIBLE.COM FOR LISTENING!

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In this episode I get close with the most renowned comedy troupe in the world- the Cambrdige Footlights! They were kind enough to sit down with me to chat before one of their two shows at Philly Improv Theater (the Footlights have shows at PHIT every summer). You might not know the names of the people in this particular podcast, but based on the show they put on you likely will at some point. You definitely know many of the Footlights’ alumni. Hugh Laurie (House), John Cleese, Eric Idle and Graham Chapman (Monty Python), Emma Thompson (a lot of good things), Jon Oliver (Community, Daily Show), Michael Frayn (playwright), David Mitchell (Mitchell & Webb) and many, many more.

We talk Footlights History and structure as well as how they put together their shows including the touring show and their “smokers”- a show every two weeks with a full hour of new material each time. Yeah. Throughout the podcast I’m joined by the 5 person cast (Alex, Ben, James, Ryan and Tom), their director (Jamie) and two touring managers (Helen and . Thank you to them for doing it and you for listening!

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My guest for this episode of the Gettin Close podcast which was recorded live at the Philly Improv Theater, was the very funny Tim Butterly. I know Tim mostly through the shows he does at The Sideshow with Mike Rainey- The Not For Nothin’ Podcast. Easily one of the funniest things that can never be done often enough. It was a really fun conversation that covered growing up, being dorks, drugs, Godzilla and more. You can catch Tim at Helium all through this weekend with comics Tom Segura and Craig Robinson. If you don’t already, follow him on Twitter @TimButterly.

The Philly Podcast Festival has shows through Sunday, 8/24 at Tattooed Moms. Click the link and check out the full schedule. There’s also a live recording of Stark Raven Mad: A Game of Thrones Podcast tonight at 7pm at PHIT. That’s gonna be really fun as we’ll be chatting about season 4, giving out some “awards”, talking about some casting news, making predictions and more. If you’re a fan of Game of Thrones you should go.

ALL INTRO CLASSES ARE ONLY $199 RIGHT NOW AT PHILLY IMPROV THEATER!
All intro improv/sketch classes are only $199 through 8/25 at noon. That’s $100 off the full enrollment cost. As a PHIT student you get FREE admission to all PHIT shows, access to improv practice groups for FREE and access to exclusive workshops and other special offers given only to PHIT students. So, if you’re interested in comedy, making people laugh, looking to get more confidence in front of crowds or just looking to meet new people then check out PhillyImprovTheater.com now! You could end up on one of these podcasts and would that really be that bad? ha.

Above photo ganked from the Free For All Comedy Folks.

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A few weeks ago, one of the improv duos in town for Philly Improv Theater’s Duofest 2014 was kind enough to sit down with me to chat. That duo was Jack & the Wolf, otherwise known as Jack Farrell and Wolfgang Stein. I know both from my time in Chicago, though I was closer to Jack due to going through classes with him and performing with him for years across various teams, mainly “Club Group Team”. Jack & Wolfgang were kind enough to talk to me about how they got started individually, as a duo, performing in Chicago and improv in general. Also, I could be mistaken, but I think today is both of their birthdays! How patriotic! I present, this all American edition of the Gettin’ close podcast. Light some fireworks, grill up a big, fat juicy burger and burn a $100 bill and enjoy as I get close with Jack & The Wolf!

I had the microphone on the wrong setting, so you’ll hear them (sometimes loudly) and me (often softly). One of these days I’ll get sound right. Probably not.

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The Gettin’ Close podcast returns! After months of inactivity I was finally able to get this going again and now with a new microphone. So we’re back and slight better than ever! This podcast features long time Philly sketch comedy group, Secret Pants. They’ve been around for a decade so there is a lot to cover and still there was some stuff that just didn’t make it in. For example, I didn’t get to discuss the rumored off-stage romance between two of them. I won’t say who. The podcast is a great insight to the formation of the team, how they’ve stuck together this long and how their work has evolved. It’s a also good for upcoming sketch groups to listen to as each of them has great advice to give. Sound is overall good, but there’s some shaking of the microphone. It’s been a while, but I’m glad to again be able to say… Listen as I get close with Secret Pants.

If you want to help support Secret Pants in their upcoming shows some key dates are listed below:

Guitly Pleasures (doing improv!)

TV Party (co-hosting)

Free to a Good Home (worst of show)

Wouldn’t Change it For the World (best of show)

Tickets available soon!

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