IRTE's Jeff O'Leary

Hey, everyone.

For our final installment of "Meet the Groovy Gang" we're going to ask Jeff O'Leary a couple of questions about his character, his cartoon watching, and any groovy adventures he might have had as a kid.

Did you watch cartoons like Scooby-Doo or Josie and the Pussycats when you were young?

I was a big fan of Scooby Doo. Unfortunately I never got to see Josie and the Pussycats when I was a kid.  My favorite cartoon of that era was Hong Kong Phooey.  It blew my mind that the main character  transformed from a mild mannered janitor into a kung-fu superhero by jumping  into a filing cabinet.  It also has the greatest cartoon theme song of all time which I will gladly sing for anyone who asks me.

Tell me a little about the character you're playing in "The Groovy Gang Adventures". What inspired you to create him or her?

I play Chompers, the talking Alligator. The character was actually created by Nannette [Deasy] – he was part of  the back story for her character Lorna Blue when IRTE did the show “Hint!”. I always assumed he was Lorna Blue’s imaginary friend but now I know that he is real. Very, very real.

The lovable flesh-eating 'gator, Chompers.

Did you belong to a groovy gang when you were a kid?

Even cooler -- I was on a team of superheroes! My older brother Jim was really into comic books  and he created a group called The Challengers. He was The Condor, my best friend Randy Harris was Laser Sword, and I was Mechano Man.  I had all sorts of cool gadgets and doo-dads with which to fight crime. During the summer we would play outside for hours, acting out our adventures.

Can you tell me one a memorable adventure you had when you were young?

When I was in second or third grade I tried to run away from home. There was some sort of dispute about allowance or chores with my parents and I decided to punish them. One morning I packed some odd bits of food (I specifically remember cheese) in a grocery sack and walked out the front door. I was about a block away when my Mom came outside and yelled out “Oh Jeffffff! I made you some scrambled eggs!” There was a brief moment of hesitation and then I turned around and went back home. I really like scrambled eggs.

Labor disputes are always settled by eggs. Hard boiled ones were my weakness.

Thanks for everything, Jeff.

"The Groovy Gang Adventures" can be seen this Saturday April 20th at 8:00 pm.

Where?

Gotham City Improv, 48 W 21st St, #801 between 5th and 6th Avenue in New York City!

Tickets: $6


Are you a junior high, high school, or college student? Tickets are $3 at Gotham City IRTE performances with advanced reservations.

Too cool for school? Take advantage of the "3 for 3" deal! Tickets are $3 per person for groups of three or more with advanced reservations (only at Gotham City).