RISK! – Live From DC!

Podcast: RISK!
Host: Kevin Allison
Episode: Live from DC!
Date: September 25, 2025

Episode Overview

This live episode of RISK! brings the show to Washington, DC, capturing real-life stories delivered with raw honesty, humor, and vulnerability. Host Kevin Allison introduces a diverse lineup of storytellers, each sharing a moment from their lives they "never thought they'd dare to share in public." As in all great RISK! episodes, listeners are taken on an emotional rollercoaster—touching on issues of identity, culture, sexuality, family, and the challenges of being seen.

The show is held in partnership with SpeakeasyDC, the local storytelling powerhouse, further anchoring the night in the vibrant DC storytelling community.

Key Segments and Takeaways

[02:37] Opening & Introduction – Kevin Allison

• Kevin honors the DC storytelling audience, highlighting their warmth and supportiveness.
• The partnership with SpeakeasyDC is praised and the loss of storyteller Kevin Boggs is remembered.
• Sets the tone for an evening of bold, uncensored stories:

  “Everyone in New York always says the same thing. In the performing arts community, if you go down to D.C., they are the most warm and receptive and supportive audiences ever.” (03:15, Kevin Allison)

[06:13] Story 1: Kevin Boggs – “Banned for Life”

Theme: Standing up for yourself, overcoming shame, queer identity
Timestamps: [06:13 – 16:39]

• Kevin Boggs describes being raised in a small Tennessee town by “a pack of passive aggressive women” who taught him avoidance rather than conflict.
• Waiting tables in an upscale DC restaurant, Kevin encounters two women who demand drinks after last call.
• After being called the slur “faggot,” Kevin internally imagines an empowering retort, but reality exposes the deep wounds left by bullying and shame.
• Ultimately, he vents his anger in a fit of trembling confrontation, followed by a farcical "you're fired" scene staged by his sympathetic manager.
• Key insight: Growing up gay in the South left scars, but moments of standing up for oneself can be transformative—even if they're messier than we imagine.
• Notable quote:

  “Really? Faggot? What is this, sixth grade? ... That word used to mean something to me when it was called out to me in gym class in high school. ... But guess what, sister? I grew up.” (08:32, Kevin Boggs—fantasy speech)
  “There’s something that happens that once you stand up for yourself, it feels good and you continue to do it.” (16:24, Kevin Boggs)

[17:19] Story 2: Stephanie Garibaldi – “The Mayan Fertility Goddess”

Theme: Self-discovery, love abroad, feeling out of place
Timestamps: [17:19 – 35:11]

• At 22, Stephanie travels to the Yucatan with no career or plan, and finds herself on an accidental journey through Mayan tradition.
• A simple yo-yo trick leads to a dinner invitation, after which she's absorbed as an honored guest (and soon, a supposed fertility goddess) in a small Mayan village.
• Stephanie becomes entwined in the expectations of the community, feeling both visible and misunderstood, and unwittingly embarks on a romantic adventure with Itacho, the local “animal whisperer.”
• Amid magical realism—animal births, superstitions, and a secret midnight rooftop tryst—Stephanie experiences passionate connection and introspective sadness, recognizing both her desires and cultural divides.
• As the village prepares a home for her and Itacho, Stephanie faces the existential choice between a predetermined future and the uncertainties of her own world.
• Memorable moment: Realizing she’s not coming back as the bus pulls away, feeling both heartbreak and liberation.
• Notable quotes:

  “In this parallel universe, everything is figured out. ... If I go back to my universe, nothing’s figured out, but maybe that’s not so bad.” (34:08, Stephanie Garibaldi)
  “And like a yo-yo with a string break, I went flying off and never looked back.” (35:04, Stephanie Garibaldi)

[37:27] Story 3: Jenny Splitter – "Compartmentalized"

Theme: Sexual identity, societal expectations, secrets and privacy
Timestamps: [37:27 – 47:36]

• Jenny balances her identity as a “mom” who upholds propriety, with a very different, hidden life as a member of the DC BDSM community (having met her husband on a kink dating site).
• Tells of confiding in “naughty mom friends”, discovering BDSM through happy hour gatherings, and attending events where she truly feels uninhibited and free.
• Struggles with reconciling her public and private selves, seeking help from a serene therapist who suggests, “You can bring your messes here and it’s okay.”
• Her story culminates when nude photos taken by a friend for a fundraiser are mistakenly exhibited, forcing her worlds to collide publicly.
• Ultimately, Jenny steps towards wholeness by “taking a risk” herself—a fitting theme for the show—revealing her true self among fellow storytellers.
• Notable quotes:

  “I felt like on Saturday night I’m pouring myself into a latex dress, and on Monday I’m delivering two dozen Batman-themed cupcakes to my son’s preschool class.” (41:07, Jenny Splitter)
  “I guess my therapist was right. Nobody died.” (47:32, Jenny Splitter)

[48:36] Story 4: Amy Sedman – “Back Room of the Basement”

Theme: Sisterhood, rivalry, learning to accept your place
Timestamps: [48:36 – 61:15]

• Amy recounts perpetual sibling rivalry with her older sister—from beloved TV heartthrobs to wardrobe wars, always getting “the leftovers.”
• As adults, their debates escalate to full-blown comic chase scenes through their parents' house, climaxing in Amy locking herself in the “back room of the basement ... where all things 70s go to die.”
• Realizing the futility of asserting dominance, she reflects on the bond they share, especially after witnessing their aunt’s death together (“fruit of the same tree”).
• Accepts her role as the younger sibling, humorously offering the final pop culture olive branch:

  “Fine. You can have Don Draper and I will take the sweaty British accountant.” (61:13, Amy Sedman)

• Notable quotes:

  “There is nobody I want to be there with besides her. ... She’s my sister. There is no one else that shares this with me.” (59:59, Amy Sedman)
  “You just gotta own it someday. ... Younger siblings? Yeah, it’s true.” (57:20, Amy Sedman)

Memorable Moments and Quotes

• Empowerment after humiliation:
  Kevin Boggs, reliving the pain of being called a slur, chooses to reclaim power:

  “Once you stand up for yourself, it feels good and you continue to do it.” (16:24)

• Romance and reality check:
  Stephanie Garibaldi, after a magical, deeply intimate night, is struck by sadness:

  “I have been living with Mayans for six months, he’s been there his whole life and this is not their way. And I have been disrespected and I feel terrible.” (31:25)

• Reconciling public/private selves:
  Jenny Splitter, worrying about her secret life being discovered:

  “Do I have a healthy sense of privacy or a shameful sense of secrecy and what’s the difference?” (44:24)

• Sibling rivalry turned love:
  Amy Sedman realizes the deep trust she shares with her sister:

  “We may argue over little things, but when it comes to big things, she’s always there.” (60:07)

Structure & Flow

• [02:37] Kevin Allison opens, introduces DC, and sets the night’s tone.
• [06:13] Kevin Boggs tells his restaurant confrontation story.
• [17:19] Stephanie Garibaldi recounts her Mayan romance.
• [37:27] Jenny Splitter explores her double life.
• [48:36] Amy Sedman, SpeakeasyDC’s director, explores the permanence of sibling bonds.
• [61:15+] Musical interlude and closing thoughts.

Episode Takeaways

• Risk is universal: Each storyteller faces a situation where vulnerability feels dangerous—be it standing up to bigotry, breaking taboos, or opening your heart.
• Community & connection: Despite wildly different backgrounds and experiences, threads of belonging and the desire to be seen run through every narrative.
• You’re not alone: Whether it’s queerness, unconventional love, sexual desire, or family strife, the honesty of these stories invites listeners to reflect on their own moments of risk-taking.

For listeners seeking honesty, laughter, and catharsis, “Live from DC!” showcases what makes RISK! so acclaimed—stories that are as wild and unpredictable as life itself, yet deeply, tenderly human.