Spotlight Shines on Local Actor in 'Art'

Pat Leo surrounds himself with good people. Whether it’s his wife, Jackie, whom he met at the University of Connecticut, or a Stratford theatre company that’s he performed with for several decades, Leo is loyal and committed to those he cares about.

“There is no other group around here like Square One,” he said. “It’s very professional on every level. I don’t want to go anywhere else.”

This Friday night, Leo will portray one of the leading roles in Square One Theatre Company’s opening night of “Art,” a play by Yasmina Reza. Performances are Friday and Saturday, May 13, 14, 20, 21 and 27 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, May 15 and 22 at 2 p.m. The show closes on Memorial Day weekend with three performances on Friday, May 27 at 8 p.m. and Saturday, May 28 at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m.

Leo, 58, appears regularly in Square One’s productions, which take place at the Stratford Theater. Over the years, his outstanding acting skills have been recognized by local audiences and he’s received several Subscriber Awards. Leo’s favorite role was the lead in 2004’s production of “QED,” he said. This character was based on a real-life physicist. Pointing out that though there was another character in the play, Leo was required to memorize a great deal of dialogue.  

“It was the most challenging work I’ve ever done,” Leo said. “It was mostly a bunch of monologues.”

When Leo learned that Tom Holehan and Richard P. Pheneger, formerly of the Stratford Theater, were starting Square One Theatre Company in 1990, he wanted to be part of the ensemble. “They were professionals,” he explained. “They knew just what they needed to do.”

This teamwork has resulted in 21 years of many sold-out performances and a subscriber base that presently exceeds 1,000.

A graduate of St. Joseph’s High School, Leo performed in many school and community productions before majoring in Drama at the University of Connecticut. It was in college that Leo met his wife, Jackie, who was also involved in the school’s theater department. “We did a lot of community theater together,” Leo said.

Leo said when they were first married, Jackie told him if she ever wanted to see her new husband, she better do some shows with him. She mostly works as a director, Leo said. However, Jackie was also the stage manager for Square One Theatre Company.

The Leos are active parishioners at St. Jude Church. They can often been found eloquently reading from the Bible as lectors during Mass.

Though Leo admitted he contemplated a career in theater upon graduating college, once he and Jackie got married and started a family right away, he made other plans. The Leo’s now have two grown children, Aaron and Amanda, and two grandchildren. Aaron is the editor of the Trumbull Patch.

For many years, Leo worked as a technical writer before changing careers in 1995. Leo is presently employed as a sign language interpreter for the deaf. He describes the work as “a good fit” because he’s able to incorporate his theater background into his daily work.

“Signing is such a small part of the language,” Leo explained. “Using body movement and facial expressions makes it very much like acting.”

In fact, for three years, Leo worked at Yale Repertory Theatre as a performance interpreter. Sitting on stools below the stage, he and his colleagues interpreted the productions using sign language.

When asked if he foresees working on the New York stage in the near future, Leo smiled as he replied, “If I had the time and energy.”

Leo continued, “I’m happy with this. I’m happy with my work. Anything else would be gravy.”

For information about tickets to “Art” and Square One Theatre Company, go to www.squareonetheatre.com or call (203) 375-8778.