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).

IRTE's Nannette Deasy

We're here with the Artistic Director of IRTE. Besides that, she's also the creator and a cast member of "The Groovy Gang Adventures". She's playing Lorna Blue, girl detective. Let's find out a little about her inspirations for IRTE's first project of the 2013 season.

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

Oh, yes. Scooby Doo, Josie and the Pussycats, Speed Buggy - I watched them religiously. Jabber Jaw bothered me, though. Although I was too young to go see the movie Jaws, my parents, for some reason, thought it was okay to bring me and my brother to see Orca, the Killer Whale when I was five. They must have thought that Orca was some Disney live-action movie and not the horror flick that it actually was. We left, my brother and I in tears, shortly after the dead baby whale miscarriage scene. (Parents, don't ever bring your kids to movies featuring whale fetuses). I think that's why I never liked Jabber Jaw, even though he was a shark and not a killer whale - that and the fact that I found the shark's voice (He spoke like Curly from The Three Stooges) very grating.

Who was your favorite?

Scooby Doo was my absolute favorite show from the ages of five to eight, followed closely by Josie and the Pussycats, especially when they were in Outer Space! (although Melody was annoying - she seemed so dumb, almost to the point of mental disability.) The original Scooby Doo series was actually pretty scary. The supernatural elements were thrilling, though I often felt disappointed that the villain always turned out to be some regular shmoe in a mask. Frankly, the fact that they'd been stalking a flesh and blood psychopath, all without the help or even knowledge of the police, should have been infinitely more terrifying; but, hey, I was five.
I also considered the SD Gang's life pretty glamorous. Tooling around, completely on their own, in a van with a talking dog - no school, no parents, no  responsibilities other than solving fun "mysteries" - now that was cool!

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

I originally created Lorna Blue for IRTE's very first show ever, Hint!, which was a spoof of the board game, Clue. Rather than play the traditional Clue characters (Mrs. Peacock, Colonel Mustard, etc.), Curt [Dixon], who was directing, asked that we all come up with color-themed "mystery characters."

I first thought of developing a spunky "girl detective" character - a cross between Nancy Drew and Velma from Scooby Doo. In rehearsal, I quickly dropped the Nancy Drew aspect and stuck with the Hanna Barbera teen nerd/brainy girl who grew up in Tampa, FL solving "mysteries" with her fellow teen adventurers, the Groovy Gang. However, I thought it would be fun to play her as a 40-something, whose Groovy Gang days were long past. I wanted to explore the idea of what happens to these characters down the road. In Lorna's case, very bad things happen. For the run of Hint! I made Lorna the last surviving member of her Groovy Gang after all her friends had been horribly (and stupidly) murdered by a serial killer, the Bayside Strangler. They had been pursuing a particularly promising clue in the completely unrelated case of the Haunted Holiday Park when they ran afoul of the cannibal rapist. Lorna luckily did not share her friends' fate as she was spending the summer at fat camp outside of Philadelphia. Unfortunately for Lorna, this led to years of guilt, regret, mental breakdown and substance abuse.

The IRTEs all had so much fun playing with Lorna in Hint!, that we quickly decided our opening show this season would follow the adventures of Lorna and her Groovy Gang's happier youth - a sort of prequel, I suppose.

 Nannette Deasy as Lorna Blue

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

Not really. Like most improvisers and actors, I was not overly burdened with a huge abundance of friends. (Don't look at me like that, performers. Let's face it, very few of us ever made it to the "cool kids table.")   Miss Popular, I was not. However, when I'd go visit my Grandparents in Ireland for the summer, I'd suddenly have a ready-made gang of friends 24/7. Both my parents came from large families who all had kids, so when we met up, I'd have loads of cousins around my own age to hang out with. My maternal Grandparents had a farm, so there was plenty of land, animals and trouble to get into.

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

One summer afternoon, my cousins Xarifa, Siobhan and I were playing in the local church. It was a small country church, so it was frequently left empty and unlocked. We taste tested the holy water, sang in the microphones (Siobhan was obsessed with Madonna that summer) and lit all the candles (matches had been conveniently left out), including the votive candles.

I was up in the choir loft playing with the nativity creche animals, who were battling the baby Jesus' parents. Siobhan was at the altar belting out "Like a Virgin." That's when the priest came in. He was pretty mad when he saw that the offertory candles had all been lit and whipped out a calculator. Turns out you had to pay to light those candles! Of course, we were horrified that we now owed this priest money (I'm sure it was just a couple of bucks), but we were more afraid of the trouble we faced from our parents.
Siobhan, Xarifa and I devised a clever plan to seal the priest's lips: We'd all go to confession, so he would be bound to silence by the "sacrament seal."

Of course, none of us wanted to attend an extra mass that weekend (we couldn't very well go to confession at the service we attended with our parents - they'd know something was up). The priest, of course, did tell on us. However, he slipped up by going to our uncle first, not our fathers (who happened to be out) and certainly not our mothers, who were home. I think this guy was a bit sexist, or maybe he knew what the inevitable outcome would be - that our mothers would find the whole thing funny and think he was a jerk for not talking to them first. Siobhan, Xarifa and I got off scot free. I don't think we ever paid for those candles.

In my memory, I'd like to think the dog chased him home on this particular occasion, but I'm probably embellishing. My Grandparents had this border collie, Jill, a working farm dog, who was very smart and sweet with children. For some reason, though, she did not like the priest and had to be tied and locked up every time he came to the house. She'd frequently break loose and chase after him. It got to the point that she figured out where he lived and if she didn't get to him before he got in his car, she'd be waiting for the priest on his doorstep when he got home. Smart dog.

Thanks, Nannette.

"The Groovy Gang Adventures" has one final performance this Saturday, April 20, 8:00 pm at
Gotham City Improv!
48 West 21st St, 8th Fl.
New York City

IRTE's Danielle Montezinos

Today, we're going to talk to Danielle Montezinos, one of the cast of IRTE's "The Groovy Gang Adventures". The Groovy Gang is based on those great Hanna-Barbera cartoons like Scooby-Doo, Josie and the Pussycats, and Jabberjaw.

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

I watched Scooby-Doo everyday after school, though I found it sort of lame, even at a young age.  Probably because it's about Scooby, who's a dog and I was always a cat fan.  The Pussycats were more appealing but were never on when I was home. Only got to watch that when I was home sick or on vacation, which made it even cooler.  I don't remember anything about that show except the theme song!

I was also a big fan of The Jetsons.

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 Clara Cross. She's sort of the bitchier, edgier version of Daphne and nicer Veronica  from "Josie and The PussyCats".  I like playing bitchy self-absorbed people as it's nothing like me. Also, she means well, thinks she's a good girl, and aims at nothing but to be Prom Queen! If she's Prom Queen, she will most certainly get into Harvard and meet her future husband where she can drop out and be arm candy.  Then and only then, will her daddy be proud.  Sort of sad, wouldn't you say?...At least Clara has a life plan.

Danielle as Clara Cross, Prom Queen at large.

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

Unfortunately, no.  That would have been fun!

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

I had many adventures. Some of which were really stupid and could have resulted in me and my friends found dead at the beach. We grew up in Florida and were very bored.  Florida teens equals not too bright.  If you ever have kids, do not raise them in Florida, else they will end up being drugged up whores.  I'm the exception, of course.

Of course.

Thanks, Danielle. I can't wait to see you and the rest of the Groovy Gang.


"The Groovy Gang Adventures" opens Saturday, April 6 with a performance at Gotham City Improv. Check out the full schedule here.

Tickets are only $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).

IRTE's Alex Decaneas

This week we're talking to cast member Alex Decaneas. He's gearing up to be the leader of the Groovy Gang when "The Groovy Gang Adventures" begins on April 6.

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

Yes definitely, though I am not sure if Scooby and Josie were the top Hanna-Barbera cartoons of my liking.
Top Cat... Couldn't get enough of that show. Space Ghost and Birdman were close runners up. Love that Birdman theme.
When I was younger I had a crush on the blonde drummer from Josie and the Pussycats... but who didn't? Am I right? Heh...er...um.

What were your favorites?

I think I loved "Top Cat" so much because he was such a smartass. And he got away with it. As a developing smartass I felt a connection.

Can you tell me a little about the character you're playing in "The Groovy Gang Adventures"? What inspired you to create him?

I play Tad Stevens, all American boy next door, rich kid, self-proclaimed leader of the gang, lover of ascots and complete moron.

I wanted to explore the Fred role, but twist it to the idea that... what if Fred comes from a place of authority where he should have none? What would that be like?

Alex as Tad Stevens directing his film school thesis in LA.

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

More of a groovy duo with my cousin... if you consider playing video games, writing stories, making stupid films, and generally being anti-social akin to teenagers solving mysteries in places they should never go.

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

I remember ditching some church function with a friend of mine to explore what was out back behind the church... which was in a pretty rural area. Turned out to be (what I thought of at the time) as a huge expanse of forest. So we're running and climbing up hills and doing stupid swashbuckling shit like hitting each other with sticks, when I hear this blood curdling scream of my name.

"Aaaaaaaaaaleeeeeeeeeeeeeex!"

It's my father, and I know I've been caught. And I turn and sprint to get back to the church, but I am an uncoordinated mess and slip through some rocks, twist my ankle, and land in a huge mud pile. Needless to say the rest of the church day was... interesting.

I'm sure it was. Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions, Alex.

"The Groovy Gang Adventures" opens Saturday, April 6 with a performance at Gotham City Improv. Check out the full schedule here.

Tickets are only $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).

IRTE's Jamie Maloney

With our first show of the season approaching, I thought it'd be great to get to know some of the cast of "The Groovy Gang Adventures" through the lens of cartoons, adventures, and groovy gang-iness.

Today, let's hear from Jamie Maloney who's going to play Peter Alan Wilcox.

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

I watched a lot of Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space. I had a big crush on Melody when I was 5 years old. At some point in the 90's the Cartoon Network had a marathon of J & the PC's and I taped all of it. I still have that tape. I often watched Scooby Doo at a friend's house before school and would argue Scooby Doo vs J& the PC's. I took Josie's side but in retrospect I see that Scooby was the original and the best.

What were your favorites? Why?

I always liked the episodes that had guest stars. Especially when they starred real life people like Don Knots or Abbott and Costello. I wondered how they managed to make the transition to the cartoon world, and looked for discrepancies between their animated and real life selves. Phyllis Diller looked much younger as a cartoon than as a living person. I saw the Harlem Globetrotters on Scooby Doo before I saw them in real life and was disappointed by them in real life.

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

I'm playing Peter Alan Wilcox. He's approaching 110 years old and is inadvertently responsible for every disaster and tragedy that occurred during the 20th century. He's an unintentional super villain long past his prime. I came up with him for a show I did a few years ago called "Match Wits". He came from a few disparate sources including a character voice I did for an even earlier project and my love of history.

Peter Alan Wilcox in his black ops days.

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

I was kept pretty sheltered and isolated for most of my childhood so the only gangs I was in were the ones made up of my Star Wars and GI Joe figures and the occasional reluctant family pet.

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

One summer at sleep away camp I snuck off the camp grounds with a bunkmate to go to a candy store. We had to walk through the woods, past a graveyard and across a road, the whole time not sure if we were going the right way and trying not to be spotted by anyone. We dove into roadside ditches and patches of poison ivy (at least I dove into the poison ivy) whenever cars drove by. We got away with it and should have left it at that but we got greedy and went again. We had our cover story all figured out. We made it to the store and on the way back we were inevitably caught. I barely got a syllable of our story out before my dumb ass friend went and told the truth. We spent the rest of the day sitting on the Field House porch while this asshole counselor that everyone hated sat in front of us eating all of our candy while we watched.

That's an "extreme interrogation" technique used by the CIA today. No doubt Peter Alan Wilcox would make that camp counselor, and his snitch bunkmate, pay.

Thanks so much Jamie for sharing some great memories with us.

The Groovy Gang Adventures opens on April 6, 2013! For further details, visit the IRTE website!

Remembering Arthur Storch

On Tuesday, March 5, I heard from a friend about the passing of Arthur Storch. Playbill's Robert Simonson wrote about him here.

At the time of his retirement in 1991, Mr. Storch said, "I think what I am most proud of, as far as Syracuse Stage is concerned, is that we created a standard of quality that does not cater to the lowest common denominator. The bottom line has always been: This is the best play and these are the best people, not this play will sell the most tickets."

I met Arthur as a member of the Actors Studio. He was one of the auditors at my audition for the Studio. I also played a small role in a production of "Machinal" he directed there that starred Angelica Page (she went by Angelica Torn at the time). He was almost always there at the Studio's sessions, helping critique the work of the actors. And, I'd run into him occasionally outside the Studio. Even after retirement, he taught a class in directing.

He always looked to achieve that "standard of quality that does not cater to the lowest common denominator." When he directed, he asked for maximum effort from the actors. Some rehearsals became real pressure cookers, moving through the same blocking again and again, and expecting full involvement at all times. There was at least one day in "Machinal" rehearsals, an actress blew up and stormed out of the room. Arthur listened to her when she returned, but insisted on seeing what he wanted to see, then got the whole rehearsal back on track. After all, if you don't push yourself fully, your work will never be fully complete.

He demanded a lot from actors under his direction. There were times he demanded more from actors in the Actors Studio sessions. If he didn't think the work was up to snuff, he told you in no uncertain terms. Two finalists for membership worked on a scene  in a session I saw once, and the actors were having a tough time of it. They didn't seem to be connecting to anything, but the actors continued, soldiering on. Afterwards, Arthur verbally eviscerated them. They didn't have a focus, or connection, or a myriad of other things required of good acting. He looked half sick and astonished that a poor performance was possible. I felt bad for the actors, but Arthur was not wrong in his criticisms.

I happened to run into Arthur later in the evening of that same day. I was taking an improv class in the same building he was teaching a directing class. The first thing he asked was "did you go to session today?" "Uh-huh". "What did you think? I couldn't believe it. Those two don't know the first thing about acting." He went further. The guy could not stop talking about it. I got the impression he had been thinking about it all day. I had nothing to add other than the two on stage had had a rough day. All I could think of was what he thought about my acting. I remember working on "Ghosts" in session once. Arthur was there, but didn't say a word during the critique. Maybe no news was good news.

Arthur was so passionate about acting and the theatre. He had a driving will to produce the best play possible. He had standards for performers few can achieve. Of course, he worked with amazing actors all his life, and knew from experience what truly dedicated actors can achieve. He brought life to the Actors Studio, and really spoke for a full and deep dedication to the craft.

Arthur Storch 1925-2013

Choose Your Adventure

Our new show, The Groovy Gang Adventures, is premiering in April. It's is inspired by adventure cartoons we watched as kids. I, personally, spent many hours watching cartoons. These adventures were mostly Hanna-Barbera cartoons like "Josie and the Pussycats", "Jabberjaw", "Charlie Chan and the Chan Clan", and "Scooby-Doo".

I have only vague memories of Charlie Chan, and Jabberjaw. My clearest memories are of Scoob, and "Josie and the Pussycats in Outer Space". I do remember another actioner, Jonny Quest that I really liked, but it had a much more serious tone to it than the others. If Jonny Quest were made today, I have no doubt the monsters would be men in disguise smuggling heroin.

One of the fun things about Scooby-Doo is they'd have celebrity guests who would play animated versions of themselves; Jonathan Winters, Phyllis Diller, and Don Knotts to name a few.