Last weekend my loose conglomeration of affiliated nerds gathered ourselves together and attended the third performance of Trek in the Park‘s public recreation of classic original series Star Trek episode Amok Time (also known as “The One Where Spock Is Horny”).
It was the kind of wonderfully silly communal event that makes me so happy to live in Portland. When the guy playing Chekhov gets applause just by saying “Yes, Keptin!” in the appropriate tone, you know that you’re in for a good time. (He later upped the stakes by nailing the Montalban-as-Khan accent in the preview for next summer’s promised episode, Space Seed.)
I was raised with Star Trek, and I was raised with skit theater, so the whole thing felt immensely correct. I took as many photos as I could bear to, given how much willpower it took to look away – and one nice video of the first fight scene, which the cast executed with consummate shirt-ripping skill.
So bravo to Adam and Amy Rosko and all their fellow Trek in the Park contributors. You put together something genuinely sweet, communal, and delightful. If you need a spare actress who’s also good with graphics and web design, call me, and I will buy you all popsicles.
The crowd reactions are almost better than the action itself.