THIS GUY! MOVIE GUIDE



I’VE SEEN ‘CALAMITY!’ AND IT’S AWESOME!!!

By Tyler Kevin

THIS GUY!

Hey guys! I know I promised you I’d share the trailer for IRTE’s latest show, ‘Calamity!’ as soon as I got my hands on it, but I’ve been - uh - indisposed for the last week or so. Turns out what’s legal in Colorado is supposed to stay in Colorado. Thanks for the heads-up, dudes!

 

Anyway, as you can see by the change in my header, I’ve struck out on my own and am no longer with those guys at “That Guy” Movie Guide.

It’s great to be C.E.O.!!

 

Bu-uh -- I DO have the ‘Calamity!’ trailer, along with some other great goodies from the fine folks at IRTE!

 

So strap in and get ready for some action. You’re gonna need to because the latest production out of IRTE’s fun factory is a knock-down, drag-out, no-holds-barred BLOCKBUSTER extravaganza!

 

That’s right - these guys (and gals!) have really outdone themselves. There was a freakin’ hurricane on that stage this past Saturday night. A hurricane of CATS! And there’s no tellin’ what’s gonna happen next time. YOU. GET. TO. DECIDE!!!

 

 

I know it sounds crazy that no one knows what they’re gonna be up against until seconds before the show starts, but - hey! - that’s what these guys (and gals!) do!

 

Not only that, they had as their very special musical guest none other than Carla Ulbrich, one of the stars whose music appears on the ‘Calamity!’ soundtrack, and she’s just as funny and talented as the rest of that crazy bunch. She had me and the rest of the audience in stitches with her song about one particular word that starts with the letter ‘f’!

I don’t want to give too much away - and I can’t because they make that sh*t up! - but you just gotta trust me on this and get your butts in those seats for the wild ride that is IRTE’s ‘Calamity!’

 

You’ve got just 2 more chances to do just that. And you can’t go wrong with the musical guests they’ve got lined up for their next 2 shows. On July 18, you’ll get to see the luminous Tym Moss. And at their final performance on July 25, the ever daring and spectacular Mr. David Jay will tear up the stage! (What’s left of it!)

 

So put your thinking caps on, get your ass in gear to the Producer’s Club, and tell this band of action heroes (and villains and love interests) what disaster we need them to save the world from!

 

 

“Calamity!” runs 2 more Saturdays in July at

8 p.m. at The Producer’s Club

 

July 18 and 25 -- 358 W 44th Street, New York, NY

 

Here’s some links -- the goodies that I promised you. Check ‘em out!!

https://youtu.be/yZSKqbaFXlg -- Calamity! movie trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrs2ngrd5dk  -- Radio Show on Youtube - entire show (2 hrs)

http://yotina.podomatic.com/entry/2015-07-13T12_49_27-07_00  --  Hustlin’ Awesome Show clip on PodOmatic

http://carlau.com  --  Carla Ulbrich’s website

http://tymmoss.com  --  Tym Moss’s website

https://www.facebook.com/MrDavidJay  --  Mr. David Jay’s Facebook page

http://www.irteinfo.com/#!tickets/cz8h/!/Calamity/p/45840953/category=8705737  -- Tickets

Until next time. Take it from me, Tyler Kevin, and This Guy! Movie Guide!!

“THAT GUY” MOVIE GUIDE

IRTE’S LATEST PRODUCTION IS CALLED ‘CALAMITY!’

AND IT’S AN ACTION MOVIE!!!

          

By Tyler Kevin

 

IRTE, the studio that struck improvisation gold this year with their throwback to the 80’s sitcom, “Wow Wee! Adventures of a Little Girl Robot,” and their lost-at-sea descent into chaos, “Adrift,” are at it again. This time imagine smashing together “Adrift” and “Wow Wee!”  and then throw in a dash of last year’s secret agent romp, “The League of Extraordinary Blondes” and you’ve got “Calamity!”

 

Opening in July, the Improvisational Repertory Theatre Ensemble (yeah, IRTE - pronounced like ‘dirty’ without the ‘d’ - is much easier to say!), is pulling out all the stops and going full blockbuster for their final production of their 2015 season. And when we say blockbuster, we mean BLOCKBUSTER!

 

Although the news coming out so far has been very hush-hush, me and the other “That Guy” Movie Guide guys are digging up as much as we can. And even though a trailer hasn’t even surfaced yet (we promise we’ll snag that for you as soon as we can!) we CAN tell you that they’re going to switch up the cast every week and LET THE AUDIENCE DECIDE how the planet is gonna get destroyed!

 

Whoa. Wait a second. I better back it up for you.

 

First I gotta tell you that “Calamity!” is a full-on improvised blockbuster disaster movie made up and performed on the spot right before your eyes. Talk about 3-D!

 

These crazy cats at IRTE have always been into pushing the limits of improv and destroying each other (and their audience!) with all kinds of fight scenes and mayhem, but this time they’ve really outdone themselves. We’re talking totally catastrophic global annihilation - like end of the world type sh#t!

 

And they’ll be joined at these special limited-time screenings by the superstar recording artists responsible for all the killer music on the original soundtrack - Carla Ulbrich, Tym Moss, and Mr. David Jay. What else?!

 

IRTE members Curt Dixon, Nannette Deasy, Jamie Maloney, and Robert Baumgardner will all be returning. Relative newcomer, William Berg, is directing and boy are we excited to see what this talented team has pulled together for us this time! Rounding out the cast are familiar GIRTEs (Guests of IRTE) - Evie Aronson, Melissa Jourdana Cole, and Sam Katz. And joining in on the fun for his first adventure with this ragtag bunch is local favorite, Nate Betancourt. This cast is sure to save your summer if not save the world!!

 

For up to the minute news on what we’re sure will be IRTE’s biggest hit yet stay logged in with me and the other guys here at “That Guy” Movie Guide. We got your back!

 

“Calamity!” runs 3 Saturdays in July at 8 p.m. at The Producer’s Club

July 11, 18, and 25 -- 358 W 44th Street, New York, NY

Magic Zoo News: Princess Patty is Nannette Deasy!!

IRTE's latest production, THE MAGIC ZOO continues Sunday, July 27, 2014. It's our tongue-in-cheek take on the kids' shows we grew up with like THE NEW ZOO REVUE, THE MAGIC GARDEN, and ZOOBILEE ZOO.

Jeff O'Leary, guest performer and 2013 IRTE company member, asked some fun questions of our cast to get to know a little bit about the psychological trauma they went through growing up, and how children shows helped them adapt to society. This time he talked to company member and artistic director Nannette Deasy:

Jeff: Tell us about the character you are playing in THE MAGIC ZOO.

Nannette: I play Princess Patty, owner of the zoo. Patty is royalty (don't you forget it!) and extremely proud of her menagerie of zoo friends - never mind that the whole zoo consists of just four animals and one tree. She has a bit of a crush on Game Warden Bob, mostly because he's handsome, mysterious and the only other human being for miles around.

I think I picked the Princess as a character, because I wanted to wear a tiara and carry a sceptre. (Don't judge me).

J: What was your favorite kid's show when you were growing up and why?

N: I spent a LOT of time in front of the TV (which did not stunt my growth in any way!), so I had a lot of favorites, including Scooby Doo (which explains last season's The Groovy Gang Adventures), Land of the Lost, Journey to the Center of the Earth, Bozo the Clown and The Magic Garden.

Journey to the Center of the Earth was the cartoon I was actually watching when my mother thought I was tuning in to Sesame Street. I was never really a big fan of Sesame Street - my mother made the huge mistake of telling me it was educational and "good for me", which completely turned me off. Every time, she left the room, I'd switch the channel to Journey to the Center of the Earth, whose 17 episodes played over and over again in syndication. The show (a very Johnny Quest-like cartoon) had very little to do with the Jules Verne book but followed the adventures of a professor and some kids and a duck named Gertrude as they raced to...well... the center of the Earth where apparently the lost city of Atlantis ended up. Riveting stuff.

While I did not like Romper Room (I thought the hostess seemed "mean") I looooooved The Magic Garden. Carol and Paula seemed so easy going and accepting and could play dress up like nobody's business! I dreamed of being allowed to just hang out with them and Sherlock the pink squirrel.

				The Magic Garden (TV series) - Wikipedia, the free encyc... The Magic Garden is a live action children's television program which aired Mondays through Thursdays from March 6, 1972 to September 14, 1984 on WP...
				View on en.wikipedia.org	Preview by Yahoo

3) Did you ever apply any "life lessons" from a children's show to your own life? Did you ever have a problem as a kid that you wished would have been addressed on a show you watched?

N: I think the one major life lesson I took from these shows is that "dressing up" and make believe is FUN and worthwhile. It's probably part of the reason I became an actor.

J: If you were a big shot television producer and could create your own kid's show, what would it look like?

N: It would be a little scary and dark and completely live action. And, it would have absolutely no educational value whatsoever.

Well... I hope we all learned something.

Thanks, Jeff and Nannette, we'll see you soon at the zoo!

THE MAGIC ZOO

Sunday, July 27, 8:00 pm

at The Producer's Club

358 W 44th St, NYC

between 8th & 9th Ave.

Tickets: $10.00

Magic Zoo News: Robert Baumgardner is Game Warden Bob

IRTE's latest production, THE MAGIC ZOO continues Sunday, July 20 and 27, 2014. It's our tongue-in-cheek take on the kids' shows we grew up with like THE NEW ZOO REVUE, THE MAGIC GARDEN, and ZOOBILEE ZOO.

Jeff O'Leary, guest performer and 2013 IRTE company member, asked some fun questions of our cast to get to know a little bit about the psychological trauma they went through growing up, and how children shows helped them adapt to society. This time he talked to Robert Baumgardner:

Jeff: Tell us about the character you are playing in THE MAGIC ZOO.

Robert: I play Game Warden Bob. He's sort of the Magic Zoo's general manager, mechanic, animal handler, cleaning man and rhythm guitarist. Luckily he has a lot of help from the uncaged animals running around the zoo.

J: What was your favorite kid's show when you were growing up and why?

R: The McLaughlin Group. Every Sunday morning my parents would tune in to these five animals in suits that would screech and bellow about news events. It was hilarious, especially when Pat Buchanan the Bear would grunt how well prohibition worked! Plus, "McLaughlin" has the word "laugh" in it.

J: Did you ever apply any "life lessons" from a children's show to your own life? Did you ever have a problem as a kid that you wished would have been addressed on a show you watched?

R: Sure, The McLaughlin Group had a game called "Which of these things is not like the Other?" There was John McLaughlin, Pat Buchanan, Fred Barnes and Eleanor Clift. Eleanor was the different one. Why? No, not because she was a woman. She was known as a blee-ding-heart-li-ber-al. As an adult, while finely crafting the character of Game Warden Bob, I had a choice of four props: a hand gun, a machine gun, a bazooka, and a whip. I chose the whip. Why? Not because it was leather and the other objects were metal, but because it does not shoot projectiles.

J: If you were a big shot television producer and could create your own kid's show, what would it look like?

R: It would look awesome!! Like a nuclear submarine that was blown out into space because of a tsunami caused by global warming. Me and the rest of the crew would travel through time and space looking for the causes of, and a solution for global warming. It would be educational because all the adults on board can read. Because they can read, they make good role models for children.

Well... I hope we all learned something.

Thanks, Jeff and Robert, we'll see you soon at the zoo!

THE MAGIC ZOO

Sundays, July 20, & 27, 8:00 pm

at The Producer's Club

358 W 44th St, NYC

between 8th & 9th Ave.

Tickets: $10.00

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!

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.