History

The journey of over a decade (2001-2011) has been a fascinating and eventful one for Scott Pacitti, his improvisational theatre groups, the Pink Turtle Sketchprov Experience’s and the Chuckleheads’ casts/cast members, his mentors/mentor organizations, the majority of the professional and private theatre groups and their leaders and collaborators throughout Charlotte, NC and vicinity, thousands of audience members, class and workshop participants of all ages (pre-kindergarten through senior citizens) without regard to sex, age, sexual orientation, religious belief, nationality, race, socio-economic circumstance, and intellectual and developmental abilities.

Over that decade they have: organized; booked; promoted; written; performed in; directed; cast; taught; hosted; and volunteered their time and efforts to hundreds of public, private, corporate, and charity shows, charity events, classes/workshops, and exposed thousands of individuals (participants and audience members) to the life-changing art form of improvisational theatre.

Let’s review where it all began and follow the interesting trail it continues to blaze…

2001
- Scott Pacitti takes his first improvisational theatre class. It is love at first scene. He soon performs with his first improvisational theatre troupe, Extreme Improv, at the former home of the Perch sketch comedy group in their theatre above Pecan and Central Avenue in Charlotte, NC, later at the Bayou Kitchen on 7th Street in Charlotte, and in various other venues for public and private audiences.

2004
- Scott forms his first improvisational theatre troupe, the Pink Turtle Sketchprov Experience. He and they perform in various venues in and around Charlotte including the Dilworth Neighborhood Grille for public and private audiences.

- www.pinkturtle.net is launched.

- He begins offering and teaching improvisational theatre workshops for adults of all ages.

- He and the Pink Turtle Sketchprov Experience become members of the Metrolina Theatre Association (MTA.)

- He makes the first of many annual trips to Chapel Hill/Carrboro, NC to enjoy the improvisational theatre shows and workshops of the “Dirty South Improv Festival” (later renamed the North Carolina Comedy Arts Festival.)

2006
- Mr. Pacitti founds his second improvisational theatre troupe, the Chuckleheads, whose name he borrows from a fellow member of the troupe, Ryan Sullivan, from the group Ryan had previously founded that used the same name.

2007
- Actor’s Crib, Inc. (ACI) is formed as a corporation and is also granted 501c3 non-profit tax status. Its mission is to entertain, educate, and affect social change through improvisational theatre.

- Scott is selected by the Metrolina Theatre Association to conduct a “How to Audition Workshop” and assists with their planning in affiliation with the MTA’s first annual “Unified Auditions.”

2008
– Scott begins teaching improvisational theatre basics workshops and classes in conjunction with the Jewish Community Center, the Jewish Day School for their middle school students, and also with Albemarle Middle School in conjunction with the national Citizen School program.

– Mr. Pacitti completes the inaugural “Artist as Entrepreneur” program sponsored by the Arts and Science Council of Charlotte. This begins an ongoing fruitful and invaluable partnership between Scott and the ASC.

- The Chuckleheads are added to the roster of performers/performing acts of the exclusive Arts and Science Council’s Talent Bureau, whose talents are offered to the corporate partners of the ASC as entertainment for their annual ASC fundraising drive kickoff meetings and events.

- Scott returns as a collaborator on the MTA’s Unified Auditions planning committee.

– He in conjunction with another Artist as Entrepreneur graduate returns to present a module in the latest of the highly successful continuation of that course for the benefit of artists in and around the Charlotte area.

2008-2009
- He begins a collaboration with the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center as a class member of their “Teaching Artist’s Training Program” in addition to providing content and entertainment for one of their “Get to Know the Program” series in conjunction with (the national touring company of) the Second City improvisational theatre organization and their theatre show at the Blumenthal Performing Arts Center in Charlotte.

- Scott provides instruction in improvisational theatre basics and produces a production in conjunction with Kelly Slusarick and her Act Up ! children’s theatre and the Old Courthouse Theatre and the Glenn Center in Concord, NC.

2009
– Mr. Pacitti is approved as a contracted service provider with the After School Enrichment Program (ASEP) of the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System (CMS) to provide improvisational theatre basics instruction.

- Mr. Pacitti turns his full time attention to ACI and the Chuckleheads.

- ACI begins a partnership with Visit Charlotte (a member organization dedicated to publicizing, assisting, and encouraging the partnership of its members who are affiliated in every conceivable way with the hospitality industry of Charlotte and vicinity.)

- He is chosen by the Board of Directors of the 45th annual Festival in the Park in Charlotte to become the talent coordinator for their inaugural “Theatre Stage.”

- www.actorscrib.com is launched.

2009-2010
- In his role as sole instructor and contracted service provider with ASEP ACI visits over 40 schools and completes over 100 hours of improvisational theatre basics training and workshop instruction to children in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School System with grades ages pre-kindergarten through middle school.

2010
- Scott (to fulfill ACI’s mission statement regarding affecting social change) begins volunteer partnerships with organizations whose purpose is assisting adults with developmental disabilities including: LifeSpan; UMAR; Nevins, Inc.; ARC; and RSS (later renamed InReach.)

- He provides instruction in improvisational theatre basics for adults at the Gaston School of the Arts in Gastonia, NC.

- ACI begins affiliations/collaborations with Arts Access, the NC Arts Council, YMCA of Mecklenburg County, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Parks and Recreation, Hands on Charlotte, and the York County (SC) Arts Council.

- Scott provides improvisational theatre basics workshops for children affiliated with the Rock Hill Community Theatre and the York County (SC) Arts Council.

- He returns for the second year as the talent coordinator with the 46th annual Festival in the Park and its “Theatre Stage.”

- Scott is invited and accepts an invitation to become a member of the Festival in the Park Board of Directors.

- The Chuckleheads perform as an opening act in conjunction with Collaborative Arts’ annual Charlotte Shakespeare Festival

- The Chuckleheads perform at the 75th anniversary of the Kool Park Pool in Hickory, NC.

- He performs as member of the scripted comedy-drama-musical “Fangs” performed at Carowinds Amusement Park in conjunction with their fall-themed Scarowinds.

- He provides improvisational theatre basics training and collaboration in conjunction with Discovery Summer (U.S. Department of Education’s 21st Century Community Learning Initiative) and writer/performer/creator Chip Brazil’s television production and live stage production of “Avenue C” (workshops held at, television show filmed at and theatre show presented at) the Ultimate Life Church in Fort Mill, SC.

- ACI begins a partnership with the new Mint Museum of Charlotte as both the “ArtVark” mascot and as an occasional collaborator, entertainer, and educator at Mint Museum special events.

- ACI begins a collaboration with Aw Shucks Farm (Bonnie Griffin) in Monroe, NC where he provides entertainment and education services to groups of school children (of all ages) from multiple counties throughout North and South Carolina.

2010-2011
- ACI/the Chuckleheads contracted service provider status with ASEP is renewed.

2011
- ACI overhauls its Board of Directors and elects members to leadership positions to ensure that it/they meet(s) the needs of the non-profit corporation and continue(s) to fulfill its mission statement.

- Scott is invited by the ASC and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to attend several private and public meetings with the intent of helping maintain ACI’s and other local non-profit organizations continue their forward momentum and to assure that they fulfill their missions.

– The Kreativity Klub is created in conjunction with ARC of Mecklenburg County and the Kiwanis Club and their monthly Aktion Club meetins to encourage and showcase all creative endeavors of adults with developmental disabilities.

- The Pink Turtle Sketchprov Experience brand name is resurrected (and simplified to Pink Turtle Improv) to allow both beginner improvisational theatre students and established students who are looking to strengthen and practice their on-going improvisational skills (through workshops, rehearsals, and in shows) and as a feeder improvisational theatre troupe to add to the roster of and to replace departing members of the Chuckleheads.

– Planet improv (PI) (the business and the website ) is established to more clearly delineate the entertainment aspect of Mr. Pacitti’s improvisational theatre ventures (as a production company for the Chuckleheads, Pink Turtle Improv, and any future improvisational theatre troupes) from its philanthropic (educational and affecting social change goals of ACI’s mission statement) activities.

- PI is invited to conduct a public improvisations theatre workshop at the Mint Museum in Charlotte in conjunction with their monthly public event in March entitled StateMINT.

- PI begins a partnership (creativity workshops) with the Springcroft at Ashley Park (aged 55 and over) housing facility in the SouthPark area of Charlotte.

- PI and the Chuckleheads are invited by Theatre chair Tim Baxter-Ferguson to be guest lecturers for his theatre arts class at Limestone College in Gaffney, SC.

- PI begins a partnership with Charlotte Creates to educate and inspire community leaders on the critical role of creativity and innovation in our new economy.

- PI partners with the Upper Peninsula YMCA for two weeks and four sessions of Komedy Kamps for Kid in Fort Mill, SC.

- PI collaborates with Professors Christie Amato and Caroline Swartz of the University of North Carolina Charlotte with their MBA Innovation Class project.

- He and PI begin their second season of collaborating with Aw Shucks farms (Monroe, NC.)

- Scott returns for his third year as talent coordinator with the 47th annual Festival in the Park and its “Theatre Stage.”

- PI is invited to begin a long-term collaboration with the York County Arts Council (Rock Hill, SC) beginning with an August 2011 performance to kick off their 2011-2012 programming season.

- 05.02.11 – www.planetimprov.com officially launches.

-Scott Pacitti collaborates again with the University of North Carolina Charlotte and their Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) group/team as they prepare for a national competition.

- Small Business Week 2011 (05.16-20) – Planet Improv/Scott Pacitti participated in multiple events to celebrate this annual recognition of the small business owner/operator/employee/customer.

Wednesday, May 18 they/he attended the “Entrepreneurial Success 2011″ half-day seminar sponsored by Central Piedmont Community College and their Corporate and Continuing Education Institute For Entrepreneurship at the Harris Conference Center in Charlotte.

Friday, May 20 they/he attended the “Networking To Grow Your Business” seminar sponsored by The Employers Association in Charlotte.

2011 and beyond

- Planet Improv, Actor’s Crib, Inc., the Chuckleheads, Pink Turtle Improv, Scott Pacitti, and its/his multitude of past, present, and future collaborators will continue to motivate and empower as many individuals as it is blessed enough to encounter. They will remain steadfast in their mission to entertain, educate, and affect social change through improvisational theatre.

If the past decade is any indication it will continue to be a wondrous soul-enriching journey.