Office Ladies Podcast Summary

Episode: Fan Convention & Stage Door
Hosts: Jenna Fischer & Angela Kinsey
Release Date: December 3, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Office Ladies is dedicated to fan appreciation, recapping Jenna and Angela’s joyful experiences connecting with fans at The Office Fan Convention in New Jersey and the stage door of Jenna’s play “Ashland Avenue” in Chicago. With producer Cassie Jerkins in the studio, the hosts share stories, fan interviews, and heartfelt community moments, celebrating the unique culture of Office fandom.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Fan Appreciation & Jeopardy! Shoutout

• Angela starts with a special shoutout to Katie Ruskas, an Office Ladies fan who works as a production assistant at Jeopardy! (04:00)
  • Office Ladies was recently featured as a question on Jeopardy!, making both hosts feel like they've “made it big time.”
  • Notably, Katie got her dad, Chris, to listen and now they enjoy the podcast together.
  • Quote (Angela, 04:10): “Katie is such a delight. So the episode already came out?”
  • The Jeopardy! moment clip features their podcast as trivia: “A podcast episode from Office Ladies debated whether or not this character in HR from The Office was the Scranton Strangler.” – Who is Toby?

2. The Office Fan Convention (New Jersey) Highlights

• Angela attended with Cassie; Jenna couldn’t go due to rehearsals in Chicago (05:21)

  • Huge turnout: over 7,000 fans on Saturday (11:38).
  • Positive energy and unique culture: only Office cast and fans, with tons of “really wonderful engagement.”
  • Fans cosplaying as Office characters, getting Office-themed tattoos (even at the convention!), and sharing stories of what the show means to them.

• Behind-the-Booth Antics

  • Angela’s booth was next to Rainn Wilson’s, who kept peeking through their curtain and joking: “You talk too much. Speed it up.” (09:13)

• Office Tattoos

  • Permanent Office tattoos were a huge theme—Angela loved seeing a “slow train to Philly” tattoo (12:47), and there are whole sleeves of Office-themed ink (13:12).
  • Quote (Angela, 12:58): “I mean, I find it so fascinating. People love the show that much, they get a tattoo.”

• Cosplay Culture

  • Lots of cosplayers, including a Dwight who set up a replica Schrute desk, and best men dressed as Mose and Michael Scott for a wedding ceremony at the convention.
  • Angela: “For those of you that haven't been to a convention, …you can meet people in the movies. And there's all kinds of great merch. …But this one was specifically just for the office fans… The energy was so profoundly positive and… wonderful.” (09:44)

3. A Real Office-Themed Wedding

• Ryan (a Dwight cosplayer) and Cora (Angela Martin) got married at the con, officiated by Andy Buckley (David Wallace)!
  • Ryan proposed in front of Weird Al, then coordinated with Buckley for the event. (23:04)
  • Wedding included a makeshift “coffin” (Dwight style) and best men in Office cosplay (24:31).
  • Quote (Ryan, 23:54): “He got very, very excited about it. Like, he might be as excited about it as we are and went and got himself ordained.”

4. Stage Door Stories: Ashland Avenue (Chicago)

• Jenna met fans after nearly every show (37 out of 39 performances), connecting with Office Ladies listeners.
  • On vocal rest days, her silence meant fans whispered or mimed with her (07:34).
  • Fans traveled solo from as far as Singapore, Brazil, and Argentina. Notably, Office Ladies fans and Facebook Culture Club groups would meet up to support her (38:57).
  • Quote (Jenna, 06:01): “If someone said lady, I knew they listened to Office Ladies.”
  • Stories included a woman cosplaying as Pam at the theater, another gifting gooey butter cake, and someone wearing the Office Ladies apron (16:35).

5. Fan Interviews & Community Reflections

• Cassie gathered fan soundbites:

  • Betty Jean from Connecticut: “Levity… Now I literally am not allowed to say that’s what she said before.” (14:44)
  • Julia: “The office is home. And I feel most like myself when I'm listening to the podcast on my Wednesday walk.” (15:49)
  • Multiple families coming together, some with Office tattoos, some who watch The Office as a bedtime tradition (29:44, 32:09).
  • Anderson: “I did not like the Office… and then I caught an episode or two and I was like, dang, this is actually really funny. …I bawled my eyes out, dog. I cried so bad. It was such an amazing finale.” (32:48)

• International reach: Adam from England traveled for the convention, appreciating the “second drinks” revisits for in-order podcast content (36:20).

6. Favorite Episodes & Cringe Moments

• Cassie finds “Stress Relief” (Dwight’s fire drill) is the fan favorite—more than “Dinner Party” or “Booze Cruise” (34:15).
• Scott’s Tots: the eternal debate—watch or skip?
  • A spectrum of answers ranges from “always watch” to “always skip” and many “depends on the mood” (60:46-61:57).
  • Quote (Jim McDermott, 62:15): “You can't be a fan and skip anything. That's just how it is.”

7. Crew Stories & Behind-the-Scenes Details

• Jim McDermott, set decorator, shares how his team built detailed sets, filled fake paper boxes with sandbags for weight, and repurposed Scranton local goods as set dressing (46:32-49:49).
  • Reveals the Dunder Mifflin office sets had live plants, and many props were real.
  • Fun tidbit: Oscar’s apartment had an unused bathroom set, which Jenna relates to similarly built unused bathrooms in her stage work (50:50).

8. Gifts, Community & Volunteer Appreciation

• Fans shared cards, hand-made goods, sweatshirts, keychains, dolls, and even German chocolates.
• Volunteers like Betty Jean discuss the joy and unpredictable nature of helping run big Office events (58:28-59:59).
  • Quote (Betty Jean, 59:37): "Fans pouring their heart out to the cast and crew… This is the stuff I live for. And now being able to pay it forward for other fans and help create the space, it's amazing."

9. The Office Ladies Community & Ongoing Engagement

• The Office Ladies Facebook fan page, community trips, and lasting friendships are all highlighted.
• Angela and Jenna express deep gratitude for the listeners and fans, ending with plans for a holiday merch box giveaway (63:30).

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|------------|-------| | 04:10 | Angela | “Katie is such a delight..." | | 09:13 | Angela | "Rainn Wilson... kept opening the curtain and yelling things at me, like, you talk too much. Speed it up." | | 12:58 | Angela | "People love the show that much, they get a tattoo." | | 23:54 | Ryan | "He got very, very excited about it... went and got himself ordained." | | 32:48 | Anderson | "I bawled my eyes out, dog. I cried so bad. It was such an amazing finale.” | | 61:06 | Cassie | “Scott's Tots. Do you watch it or skip it?” (compilation follows) | | 59:37 | Betty Jean | "Fans pouring their heart out to the cast and crew… This is the stuff I live for." | | 50:09 | Jim McDermott | "So all those boxes in the warehouse set were empty? Yeah. When they had to go through some and load up, we put little sandbags in them full of sand." | | 38:57 | Jenna | “...people would literally have their luggage with them... Someone told me they traveled solo from Singapore.” | | 63:30 | Angela | "We appreciate you all so much and we thought it'd be really fun to start doing some merch giveaways..." |

Timestamps of Major Segments

• Jeopardy! Shoutout – 03:31-04:51
• Convention Introduction – 05:21-11:50
• Cosplay & Tattoo Stories – 11:50-13:32
• Fan Interview Clips – 14:04-16:43
• Stage Door Experiences – 05:50, 16:20, 38:57
• Convention Marriage – 22:14-24:31
• Fan Families' Stories – 29:33-32:01
• International Fans – 36:09-36:47
• Set Decorator Interview (Jim McDermott) – 46:32-50:09
• Gifts and Fan Correspondence – 52:11-57:29
• Volunteer Perspective (Betty Jean) – 58:28-59:59
• Scott’s Tots: Watch or Skip? – 60:44-62:23
• Closing & Merch Giveaway Announcement – 62:46-64:04

Tone & Community Spirit

The episode is warm, lighthearted, and deeply appreciative. Jenna and Angela riff as best friends, celebrate quirky fan traditions, and share a genuine affection for Office fandom’s creativity and kindness. Their gratitude for the listeners is palpable, and the tone throughout is playful, candid, and personal.

In Closing

This episode is a love letter to the Office fan community—full of personal stories, fan voices, shoutouts, and a peek into the show's continuing legacy of bringing people together. Whether you're a longtime listener or a new fan, it captures the spirit of friendship, nostalgia, and connection that defines both The Office and its beloved rewatch podcast.

Giveaway Reminder: Five lucky fans can win a holiday Office Ladies merch box. Details will be posted on Office Ladies Instagram.

For more exclusive stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and rewatch fun, subscribe to Office Ladies wherever you get your podcasts!