Phillyist Interviews... Gregg Gethard

Like most nerdy kids growing up in the early 90s I totally wanted to be a contestant on Carmen Sandiego. How did you end up on the show?
I went to middle school in North Jersey (West Orange, to be exact). One day in our history class we were given a test to take. Then a few days later, we were told to look on a sheet of paper next to the history room to see if we finished the test in the Top 30. I did, but this wasn't much of an accomplishment because I was one of a handful of Edison Middle School students who did not have an arrest record.

Those of us who were in the Top 30 were told to go to the library. During this session in the library, they asked us a bunch of geography questions and questions about our favorite subjects in school, etc. I later learned this was a casting session and, for some reason, they picked me. A few kids from my middle school were on the earliest episodes of the show. In fact, one of the other two people who I faced off against in this brutal competition was a classmate of mine.

When did you get into comedy?
My family is really funny. Because of that, and due to my obvious nerdishness, I became your typical dorky class clown. So I've been interested in comedy as long as I can remember: in fact, as you'll see on the episode, I tell the world about how I want to be a stand-up comedian one day. This results into me telling a knock knock joke that is not just one of the all-time most embarrassing moments not just in my life, but ever captured on film. It's the highlight of the show.

I performed some stand-up comedy when I was a student at La Salle. I wanted to pursue it more seriously after college, but instead I started working as a newspaper reporter/journalist so I never had time. My younger brother, Chris, though decided to do comedy full-time. He started taking classes at the famous Upright Citizen's Brigade Theater in New York and has never looked back.

Fast-forward a few years: I'm now in grad school back at La Salle. Meanwhile, up in NYC, my brother started producing a show called "Nights of our Lives" which is a storytelling show where all of the stories have to revolve around a certain theme. My brother asked me if I wanted to do his show. The topic was "Most Embarrassing Night of Your Life." And then I made my real comedy debut, telling a crowd of 200 strangers about the unfortunate flatulence that occurred during a certain sex act.

I decided to do my own show that was a rip-off version of my brother's, where all of the stories/sketches/films etc. would have to be around a certain theme. It's called "Bedtime Stories" and it has become pretty successful, which I find shocking since so much of my life has been trapped in constant failure. We've been doing it for two and a half years now, which I can't believe.

Sean Altman of Rockapella is appearing with you at the Ric Rac on Friday. How did you approach him about coming to Philly to perform?
Sean actually reached out to me! The Carmen Sandiego video of my appearance is up on YouTube. And I wrote the story of my adventures for my friend Dave Walk's website, Comic vs Audience.

Sean saw the video and read the story. Then he looked me up on Facebook and got in touch with me. He still performs and said that he'd be willing to play Bedtime Stories if I ever wanted him to. The light bulb went off in my head. I had been trying to figure out a way to turn this into a live show for some time and this put it all together for me.

Who was/is your favorite member of Carmen's gang and why?
Easily Robocrook, the villain I do battle with on my episode. He's a giant robot who uses magnetic devices to steal historic artifacts!

Did Carmen in fact steal your Seoul in South Korea?
HA! That's the only lyric to the show that I actually know! Maybe Sean will teach me the theme song on Friday...

Gregg Gethard's Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego Comedy Spectacular
July 17, 2009, 8 p.m.
Connie's Ric Rac (1132 S. 9th St.)
$10 at the Door