"The 2nd Annual Stage Combat Holiday Special!"

Summary

Stage Combat The Podcast: The 2nd Annual Stage Combat Holiday Special!

Podcast Information:

• Title: Stage Combat The Podcast
• Host/Author: Haywood Productions, LLC
• Host: Sean Hayden, attorney/advocate/actor
• Season: 3
• Episode Title: The 2nd Annual Stage Combat Holiday Special!
• Release Date: December 17, 2024
• Description: Season 3 shifts focus from Sean Hayden’s personal experiences in the theater industry to the stories of listeners, highlighting instances of mistreatment and advocating for speaking up in various life stages.

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1. Introduction

The holiday special episode of Stage Combat The Podcast opens with Sean Hayden, the host, setting a festive tone. He encourages listeners to embrace the holiday spirit with traditions like wearing ugly Christmas sweaters and enjoying hot chocolate, framing the episode as a celebration of the season while maintaining the podcast's core mission of addressing workplace mistreatment in the theater industry.

2. Recap of Season 3

Sean reflects on the significant impact of the first two episodes of Season 3, which marked a departure from his personal narrative at the Goodspeed Opera House to amplifying the voices of listeners. These episodes featured three Broadway actors—Brett Shuford, Brad Bass, and Pamela Bobb—who courageously shared their traumatic experiences with toxic stage managers.

Sean Hayden [02:44]: "How have you been? Brett, you're in Houston, right?"

3. Featuring Broadway Actors: Brett Shuford, Brad Bass, and Pamela Bobb

The host welcomes Brett, Brad, and Pamela to the holiday special, expressing his excitement to have all three guests together. The conversation delves into their experiences of speaking out against toxic work environments in Broadway productions.

• Brad Bass discusses his initial nervousness upon hearing his story aired and the unexpected lack of backlash from the Wicked community.

  Brad Bass [02:44]: "I was nervous. I definitely had my heart racing when I listened to it. And of course, it was cathartic in a lot of ways."

• Brett Shuford shares his perspective on overcoming fear, highlighting his current strength stemming from past experiences.

  Brett Shuford [04:09]: "I had zero fear of speaking out because, you know, I'm not doing that anymore."

• Pamela Bobb speaks about the partial revelation of her story and the ongoing impact it has on her mental health.

  Pamela Bobb [04:45]: "That part of my story and my experience was only half of it."

The trio reflects on their reunion and the solidarity they found in sharing their stories, emphasizing the healing and empowerment derived from collective acknowledgment of their struggles.

Brett Shuford [05:31]: "It's all the more amazing what the three of you did as three Broadway actors to come out and talk openly."

4. Holiday Special Guest Interviews: McKee and Kaelyn

Sean introduces McKee and Kaelyn, two actors from Season 3 who faced unsafe stage combat situations—McKee was forced into a sword fight in the rain, and Kaelyn suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon due to non-mandatory fight calls.

• McKee discusses the emotional impact of sharing his story and the ongoing journey toward healing.

  McKee [13:01]: "There is still that hurt of how it was handled that doesn't go away that easily."

• Kaelyn shares her mental health journey and the importance of seeking therapy and self-compassion.

  Kaelyn [14:50]: "It's a matter of just giving yourself some grace to be like, well, it's okay if you're not okay."

Both guests express gratitude for the community support and the camaraderie built through sharing their experiences.

5. Fun Holiday Games: This or That

To infuse some light-heartedness, Sean engages his guests in a series of holiday-themed "This or That" questions, fostering a festive and engaging atmosphere.

• Gift Presentation: Preferences between Rockefeller Christmas tree vs. Charlie Brown Christmas tree.

  Pamela Bobb [07:54]: "It's a total tie because the New York City Rockefeller tree just represents New York City, and Christmas in New York is just so freaking awesome."

• Worst Christmas Movie: Choices between Love Actually and The Family Stone.

  Brett Shuford [09:07]: "Emma Thompson in Love Actually can break every heart."

• Christmas Day Movie: A Christmas Story vs. Christmas Vacation.

  Pamela Bobb [09:46]: "I might agree."

• Additional Games with McKee and Kaelyn: The guests participate enthusiastically, revealing personal preferences and humorous insights.

6. Production Team Spotlight: Alex Griffith and Justin Gerrish

Sean introduces the behind-the-scenes heroes—Alex Griffith (Editor) from Kansas City, Missouri, and Justin Gerrish (Mixing and Sound Design) from South New Jersey. They discuss their roles in shaping the podcast’s storytelling quality.

• Alex Griffith emphasizes the importance of meticulous editing and emotional resonance in storytelling.

  Alex Griffith [29:53]: "Your notes are impeccable. If they weren't that detailed, I would be lost."

• Justin Gerrish highlights the seamless integration of music and sound effects to enhance the narrative.

  Chrissy Whitehead [30:18]: "Being part of a project that's so focused on being a production, really being dramatic and getting the story across in a way that's going to stick with people is really, really special."

The team shares personal anecdotes about the emotional challenges of editing sensitive content, underscoring their dedication to preserving the integrity and impact of each story.

7. Final Holiday Greetings and Wrap-Up

The episode concludes with heartfelt holiday wishes from Sean, Justin, Alex, and guests. Sean reflects on the year’s achievements and the community’s growth, expressing hope and resilience for the future.

Sean Hayden [47:02]: "What do we have if we don't have hope?"

He encourages listeners to leave reviews, engage on social media, and continue supporting the podcast’s mission to amplify marginalized voices in the theater industry.

Sean Hayden [48:11]: "I hope this holiday and every day brings you an opportunity to claim your story."

The episode wraps with festive music and final greetings, leaving listeners with a sense of community and anticipation for the upcoming episodes in Season 3.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Sean Hayden [02:44]: "How have you been? Brett, you're in Houston, right?"
• Brad Bass [02:44]: "I was nervous. I definitely had my heart racing when I listened to it."
• Pamela Bobb [04:45]: "That part of my story and my experience was only half of it."
• Kaelyn [14:50]: "It's a matter of just giving yourself some grace to be like, well, it's okay if you're not okay."
• Alex Griffith [29:53]: "Your notes are impeccable. If they weren't that detailed, I would be lost."
• Sean Hayden [47:02]: "What do we have if we don't have hope?"
• Sean Hayden [48:11]: "I hope this holiday and every day brings you an opportunity to claim your story."

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Conclusion: Stage Combat The Podcast's holiday special masterfully blends personal stories of overcoming workplace mistreatment with festive cheer, highlighting the strength of community support and the importance of speaking out. Through engaging interviews, playful interactions, and behind-the-scenes insights, the episode not only celebrates the season but also reinforces the podcast’s mission to advocate for mental health and safe working environments in the theater industry.

Transcript

[Shawn]

Hey, everyone. Shawn here. Well, it's that time of year again. If you've got an ugly Christmas sweater in your closet, it's time to get it out. And if you've got hot chocolate in your pantry with those tiny little marshmallows, I love those. It's time to fill that mug. Because this is the second annual Stage Combat holiday special. Let's take this time to celebrate the season together. Whatever holiday you celebrate, and we're going to do it by checking in with some of our very special guests from season three of Stage Combat, the podcast. We have a lot of people to visit with, so let's just dive in. Our first two episodes of this season three of the podcast. How are we all okay with this? Parts one and two. They were huge because we moved from the good Speed Opera House story to your stories. And we started the season with three Broadway actors who boldly came out and shared the trauma that they suffered at the hands of toxic stage managers. We heard from Brett Shuford. He was the first of two actors we featured from Wicked. We spoke with Brad Bass from Jersey Boys, and we also connected with Pamela Bobb about her Broadway experience. I'm thrilled that right now I have all three of them together here on the holiday special. Let's see what they're up to. Happy holidays, Brett, Brad, and Pamela.

[Brett Shuford]

Happy holidays.

[Brad Bass]

Happy holidays.

[Shawn]

It's so awesome to have all three of you together on my screen. How have you been? Brett, you're in Houston, right?

[Brad Bass]

Yep, I'm in Houston. It's been really hot. I'm ready for this holiday to bring some cool weather.

[Shawn]

And, Brad, you're in Atlanta, Georgia.

[Brett Shuford]

Yes, I am in Atlanta, and I'm ready for all the cold weather.

[Shawn]

And you are, like, decked out for the holidays. I can see on your screen your tree looks gorgeous.

[Brett Shuford]

Thank you very much. I love Christmas.

[Shawn]

And, Pamela, you are in Astoria, New York.

[Pamela Bobb]

Yes.

[Shawn]

Which, if our listeners don't know they're not from New York City, is in Queens, New York. It's New York City.

[Pamela Bobb]

Queens. Yes.

[Shawn]

So I want to ask you all, what was it like to listen to your episode? Brett, we'll start with you. What was that like?

[Brad Bass]

I was nervous. I definitely. My heart was racing when I listened to it. And of course, it was cathartic in a lot of ways. Reliving it in a public way. You know, I'd not been afraid of sharing the story before, but it's just something about it going public. And then, of course, I was waiting for, like, people strumming at my Door O E O E O and I was. But nothing happened, so it was fine.

[Shawn]

Because your story was about working in Wicked, so there was this fear of this Wicked backlash, right?

[Brad Bass]

Yeah. Which is so funny because I hear even people still to this day who reach out to me. I heard your story, and, you know, we. I had dealt with the same thing, and I'm like, well, why don't you say something? And they're like, oh, I can't. I can't. The Wicked. You know, whatever. And I'm like, nothing happened to me.

[Shawn]

So, yeah, I mean, Brad, you were in Wicked as well. This is sort of. Because we know we've heard more Wicked stories, and so we just did Eddie Pendergraaff's story a few weeks ago. But, you know, we reached out to other people that we knew about, and that is true, Brett. There is this fear of speaking out. So it's all the more amazing what the three of you did as three Broadway actors to come out and talk openly.

[Brad Bass]

Like, it really did release something for me. Like, it sort of set me free in a way.

[Shawn]

Brad, what about you? Did you have a fear of speaking out?

[Brett Shuford]

I had zero fear of speaking out because, you know, I'm not doing that anymore. It was a beautiful and tumultuous chapter in my life, and I look back on it with so much love. But, like, I'm in a different place in my life now. I'm not afraid of all of those people like I used to be.

[Shawn]

Yeah. What I admired as a podcaster was hearing each of you honestly speak your truth. And Pamela, you in particular, were so vulnerable to and your episode, and I know you were concerned about hearing that. When you finally heard the episode, what was that like for you?

[Pamela Bobb]

You know, I had a really strange reaction, as you know, because we talked afterwards to my episode being released. And it is because, as you know, Sean, but the listeners don't know is that that part of my story and my experience was only half of it.

[Shawn]

Yeah. That's a fraction of the bad stuff that happened to you.

[Pamela Bobb]

It's a fraction of what it was.

[Brett Shuford]

Well, now I want the full story.

[Shawn]

And then Brett, Brad, and Pamela, the listeners don't know this. We had a reunion after your episode came out. I emailed you all because I had been listening to your three distinct stories, editing and putting the episode together for several months. I knew you together in my head, but I wanted us all to meet. And that was pretty amazing to see the three of you meet.

[Pamela Bobb]

Yeah.

[Brett Shuford]

Incredible.

[Brad Bass]

There was such a cool bonding of Just knowing we'd all gone through these experiences together. For me, like, just hearing people talk about other people that they worked with in those situations that we mutually knew, that changed or didn't change, but validated a lot of my thoughts around past experiences I had.

[Shawn]

Brad, what was the reunion like for you?

[Brett Shuford]

It was great. And I feel like coming together and sharing our stories, I really just. I feel like oftentimes I feel like it was a singular thing that I went through. And yet it felt so. For lack of a better word, good to know that I wasn't alone in what I went through. And at the same time, I felt such sorrow for everything that you both had to go through. It's just not right. It wasn't right. And yet I feel like on the other side of it, we're all stronger because of it.

[Shawn]

Yeah. Pamela.

[Pamela Bobb]

Yeah, No, I concur. I mean, there's definitely. Part of this process has been so beautiful because it has been really healing. I mean, I definitely have felt my healing process has deepened and strengthened through talking to you guys and also meeting you also. I mean, I just remember listening to your episodes and audible gasps, just, you know, the horror of what you both went through. And again, feeling like. Because I also felt for years and years and years like this has only happened to me.

[Shawn]

Okay, how about some holiday stuff? We're gonna play Christmas this or that? This or that. Christmas Edition.

[Brad Bass]

I don't even know what that means, but let's go for it.

[Shawn]

Okay, you get two choices. Are you gonna go with the Rockefeller Christmas tree or the Charlie Brown Christmas tree? Ah, I'm seeing emotions. Yeah. Brad, what are you thinking?

[Brett Shuford]

I'm gonna rock Charlie Brown.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

I'm sorry.

[Shawn]

See, it's emotional. Right?

[Brett Shuford]

Charlie Brown. Yes.

[Shawn]

Brett Pramila.

[Brad Bass]

I'm gonna manage the crowds at Rockefeller Center. I just love it.

[Shawn]

Ghost.

[Brad Bass]

I love it.

[Pamela Bobb]

Oh, God, this is hard. I mean, it's a tie for me. It's a total tie because the New York City. The Rockefeller tree just represents New York City, and Christmas in New York is just so freaking awesome. But then the Charlie Brown tree. It's the Charlie Brown tree.

[Kaelyn]

How.

[Pamela Bobb]

That's a cruel decision. That is cruel.

[Shawn]

Well, maybe you can have both, because the Charlie Brown tree is so small.

[Pamela Bobb]

Yes.

[Shawn]

Okay, next one, guys. Worst Christmas movie. Your choices are. And these were made around the same time. Love, actually. Oh. Or the Family Stone with Sarah Jessica Parker.

[Pamela Bobb]

Okay, I'm gonna talk. This is very controversial. I am not a Love actually fan. I'm like, the one person in the universe that Thinks that movie is very, very flawed. So I'm gonna choose Love, actually.

[Shawn]

I have a hard time with love, actually, because the prime minister's assistant, and they keep saying she's fat and she's not.

[Pamela Bobb]

I know. It's super flawed.

[Shawn]

It's so offensive.

[Pamela Bobb]

There's so much in that movie where I'm like, why do people love this movie so much?

[Brad Bass]

So much. It's so commercial.

[Shawn]

And the kid running through the airport is like, no, don't give your kid that advice.

[Pamela Bobb]

Yeah, it's not. It's flawed.

[Shawn]

Brett and brat.

[Brad Bass]

I like Family Stone. I cry at Family Stone every time.

[Shawn]

Oh, you do? At the end, it gets me.

[Brad Bass]

Diane Keaton gets me every time.

[Shawn]

Well, Diane Keaton, yes. Yeah.

[Pamela Bobb]

Brad, watch it.

[Brett Shuford]

Emma Thompson in Love actually can break every heart.

[Shawn]

That is true.

[Brett Shuford]

I live for her performance alone in the closet. When she realizes that's a good moment, it's like it's a masterclass. It's something I want to show any student I teach.

[Shawn]

All right, I think we have one more. Okay. Christmas Day movie. Are we going to go with A Christmas story or Christmas Vacation? Oh.

[Pamela Bobb]

Ooh, that's tough.

[Shawn]

Is it a tough choice? Yeah. Yeah.

[Brad Bass]

I would do Christmas vacation. Vacation. I can watch Christmas vacations. Same over and over again. Christmas story gets a little long for me.

[Brett Shuford]

Same, Brett. I feel the same way.

[Pamela Bobb]

Pamela, I think I might agree.

[Shawn]

Really?

[Pamela Bobb]

Yeah, sure. Why not?

[Shawn]

You surprised me. I thought you guys would go with Christmas Story. I love both movies, but on Christmas Day, I do like to watch A Christmas story.

[Pamela Bobb]

Yeah, maybe on Christmas Day. I don't know. These are very tough questions, Sean.

[Shawn]

Well, this is a tough podcast. We asked the tough questions. Well, I want to say, as we started this season three, which was a different direction from the podcast, from my own personal story, to have three Broadway actors willing to speak out was a big deal. I mean, there were a lot of people talking in the community because you guys know Broadway actors typically don't speak out. And the courage that the three of you had to tell your stories not only led the way for this new season of the podcast, but hopefully, maybe slowly will lead the way for other actors to speak up.

[Pamela Bobb]

Yeah.

[Brett Shuford]

Thank goodness.

[Brad Bass]

I hope so.

[Shawn]

Thank you so much, Brett, Brad, and Pamela. Happy holidays. And a very happy new year to all of you. Happy holidays. We make the wheels go round Day.

[Kaelyn]

And night, Night and day Here in.

[Brett Shuford]

Christmas town Where Santa's little helpers and it's us.

[Shawn]

You want to know if you want.

[Kaelyn]

A date under the mistletoe?

[Shawn]

I'm Definitely with Pamela on the love actually thing. But I would love to know what you think. Why not send us a DM on Instagram or comment on one of our holiday posts? If you're not already following us on Instagram, I want you to pick up your phone right now. Follow us at Stage Combat, the podcast ig, because it is the best way to stay in touch with us Right now. It's time to meet our next holiday guest. Our fifth episode of the season was called Somebody's Going to Get Hurt, and it dealt with fight safety on stage. That's where we met McKee and Kaelin, two actors who found themselves in unsafe stage combat situations. McKee was the Brooklyn actor who was forced by his director to do a sword fight in the rain. Remember that? And Kaelin was working on Broadway in a show where the fight calls were not mandatory and she ended up rupturing her Achilles tendon. Ouch. I'm dying to know how they're both doing. Kaelyn and McKee, happy holidays to you both. How are you? And to you. Not too shabby.

[McKee]

Happy holidays to you.

[Shawn]

Is this the first time for the two of you to meet? Right?

[McKee]

Yes.

[Shawn]

Yeah, yeah. Face to face. Nice to meet you, McKay.

[Brad Bass]

You too.

[Shawn]

You too. So, Kaelyn, you have to describe this sweater to the listeners.

[McKee]

Oh, yes. It's a black Santa riding a unicorn with a sword.

[Shawn]

That is probably the most awesome Christmas sweater I've ever seen. So, Mce and Kaylin, I want to start by asking you what was it like to listen to your episode? Makee, we'll start with you.

[Brad Bass]

I was nervous. You never know how those things are.

[Shawn]

Going to be received.

[Brad Bass]

So you always worry that, like, it'll go the wrong way when you just wanted to, like, air your piece, when.

[Shawn]

You just want to tell the truth of what happened.

[Brad Bass]

Exactly.

[Shawn]

Yeah. I mean, I can't tell you how many comments I got about he actually had to do a sword fight in the rain. And then some of those other comments were, I had to do something similar or I was forced to do something similar. So there was a commonality that a lot of the listeners felt with you in that situation, Mickey. Oh, that's good.

[Brad Bass]

It's horrifying that other people had to do similar things. I'm glad people are seeing it as something they can use to build a camaraderie around it.

[Shawn]

And Kalin, what about you? We heard about your injury. What was that like for you to listen to it?

[McKee]

I was nervous as well, and I thought it opened up a lot of that stuff that's still there, you know, which I think is wonderful in a way. And that was really telling. Cause sometimes it's a process, and when you're going through it, it's like, okay, I think I'm better. I think I'm doing this now. I'm back doing that role. I feel good now doing it. I'm not in as much PA pain, but then there is still that hurt of how it was handled that doesn't go away that easily. And so when I listened to it, I was like, oh, ouch. There's still things in there that I need to work through, but I feel like I'm doing a good job. I'm getting back to feeling like me again.

[Shawn]

Yeah. And you're still in that same Broadway show.

[McKee]

Yeah, still doing it.

[Shawn]

Kaylin, can I ask you too. Cause a lot of people followed your story. Cause you were very honest about the mental health effect of your injury and the panic. Can I ask you how you're doing with that today?

[McKee]

Yeah. Yeah. That has also gotten a lot better and is also a journey. I went through a mental health journey of like, seeing a therapist and talking to the therapist about these things and just kind of working through it. And it was a matter of just telling myself over and over again when there was pain, like, it's okay. And it's like, it's a matter of, like, giving yourself some grace to be like, well, it's okay if you're not okay.

[Shawn]

Yeah. I'm so glad because when we left off on your episode, you were still working it out on trying to find the therapist, and you found the therapist. So I'm so glad that you went on that journey. And I'm sure McKee will agree. Amen to giving ourselves some grace. Right.

[Brad Bass]

My mom was a huge advocate of.

[Shawn]

A mental health day.

[Brad Bass]

So, like, you need to take care.

[Shawn]

Of yourself and don't be afraid to take a mental health day during the holidays. It's a lot. Oh, God. All right, let's do some holiday stuff. This is this and that. Holiday edition. Your first category is Christmas gift presentation. Are you going to go with gift wrapped or gift bag?

[McKee]

Gift wrap.

[Brad Bass]

I'm gonna go with bag because it's easy and you get to use it again.

[Shawn]

You went for it because it's easy for you and good for the environment. Well, because it just gets reused. Right. For the next year. Yeah. I don't know. I think I'm a gift wrapped person. But I tell you what, I think some things are good for a gift Bag. Like, if it's like a shirt and it's just wrapped up in tissue and it's a bag, I go, but if it was a bottle of wine or something at a canister or something, then I can say, okay, maybe you're okay with a gift bag.

[Brad Bass]

My family was big advocates of aluminum foil.

[Shawn]

What?

[Brad Bass]

No, tape. You just wrap it, it sticks to itself, and then you crumple it up, you throw in the. In the recycling. That was my family.

[Shawn]

I have never. Okay, look, Kaylin and I, our listeners will remember we're both from the panhandle of Florida, that it does sound like a Florida thing. Right, Kaylin? Like Florida man wraps gifts and aluminum foil. Okay, next category. Which Christmas stage musical would you attend? Okay. They bring them out every Christmas. Are you going to go see Elf the Musical or White Christmas? Elf or Elf? Elf. Not Alf the Series?

[Brad Bass]

I was like, cuz Alf sounds insane.

[Shawn]

That's an incredibly dated reference. No, Elf the Musical, like the Will Ferrell movie.

[Brad Bass]

I'd want to go see Elf.

[McKee]

I'm going White Christmas. But can I give you a third choice?

[Shawn]

Yeah, what is it?

[McKee]

Because I have this dream of a producer just producing Nightmare Before Christmas from like September to January.

[Brad Bass]

I would be down for that.

[Shawn]

Right?

[McKee]

Halloween through Christmas.

[Shawn]

Oh, because it's got two seasons to it. That's a brilliant idea.

[McKee]

It's got both.

[Brad Bass]

And it'd be interesting to see how the play changes as the holiday changes.

[Pamela Bobb]

Yes.

[McKee]

Maybe don't put this on.

[Brad Bass]

Right. Do we know anybody with money?

[Shawn]

I think Kaylin's onto something.

[McKee]

As long as we're allowed to be in it.

[Shawn]

Okay. Kaylin and McKee, I want to thank you so much for sharing your stories on stage combat. And we are wishing you a very happy holiday and a peaceful new year.

[Brad Bass]

And to you.

[McKee]

Thank you.

[Kaelyn]

Same to you.

[Shawn]

Well, I've got news for you. I know you're waiting Christmas is right, right here. Well, I've got news for you. I know you're waiting Christmas is right here. Hold on. It's time for it to reappear. I think I would pay good money to see that Nightmare Before Christmas musical. What do you think? Send us a DM on Instagram or comment on one of our holiday posts. You know what's another great way to connect with us this holiday season? Leave us a review of the podcast on your podcast platform so you can let other people know what the podcast means to you. And if you leave a review, send us a copy by DM to Instagram. We would love to see it. And to say thank you right now, another holiday guest is waiting for us. In episode eight, Putting it out there, we featured Broadway actor Chrissy Whitehead, whose solo performance show In My Own Little Corner told the story of the discovery of her bipolar 2 diagnosis, as well as some family secrets. Let's see what Chrissy has been up to since that episode. Chrissy Whitehead, happy holidays.

[Kaelyn]

Happy holidays.

[Shawn]

How are you?

[Kaelyn]

I'm great. I'm so great. I'm actually doing all right.

[Shawn]

It is so good to see you, Chrissy. You are a big favorite in this season so far. People found your story so inspiring. What was it like to listen to the episode? I know that you've been publicly telling your story, but was there anything different about hearing it in a podcast episode? What was that like for you?

[Kaelyn]

Well, you know, yes, it was beautiful. I felt like, thank you for the interview and thank you for the candid questions. I got to bring my mom in the episode a little bit more on this one. I've been fortunate to do a few podcasts now, and this one really hit me hard of my mom. And I think I sent you a message right away of, like, I felt my mom with us, and I thank you for bringing her into it. And I brought her into it. So telling my mom's story, she passed away, for those of you who are just hearing this for the first time in 2013. So I'm telling her story, and my story fused with mental wellness and mental health in our show in my own little corner.

[Shawn]

Yeah. And so much of that is, Chrissy, you just being so honest, which is just who you are. And you bring that to your show, and you brought that to the podcast interview. And speaking of your mom, I think the clip that you're referring to that really, you know, when you heard it back was. It was a quote from your mother where she said, you were at school one day, and she said, find the person who's walking down the hallway and has their eyes down on the ground. Say, hi. It means something. It means something.

[Kaelyn]

She instilled in me to talk to everyone, no matter what they looked like, who they were, where they came from, let them know that they are seen in a way that we weren't even talking about being seen and celebrated and heard. You know what I mean? This is in the 80s.

[Shawn]

Yeah. And I think that's just something, you know, people are going through so much for obvious reasons right now, and to look for the person who has their eyes down, you know, it can really mean something just to say hello. I love it that you shared that with us. Tell us what's happening with your show. In my own little corner.

[Kaelyn]

Yeah. It's exciting. New York City listeners, if you want to be in our audience, we are doing a live capture filming of our show March 16th at the Riverside Theater. You can RSVP on our [e-mail] and be in the audience as we're going to capture it.

[Shawn]

Chrissy, this is an incredible holiday gift to everyone who heard your story and asked me, where can I see Chrissy's show? You can see it free this spring.

[Kaelyn]

Yes.

[Shawn]

That is amazing. I'll definitely be there.

[Kaelyn]

Awesome. [e-mail] well, Chrissy, I have to ask.

[Shawn]

You something while you're here. You're a former Rockette.

[Kaelyn]

I am.

[Shawn]

And did you perform in the Rockette Christmas Spectacular?

[Kaelyn]

I did and I was, believe it or not, I was 18 years old when I did it in Los Angeles. It was my first job out of high school and I was 19 years old when I did it at Radio City Musical.

[Shawn]

How many years did you do it?

[Kaelyn]

I just did it for two years. That was it. I was in and out.

[Shawn]

Was that enough? That was enough. Okay. I will say this, my husband and Ian, we love the Rockette Christmas show. It is Christmas in New York personified. But I cannot help but watch that show and imagine how grueling it is. It's grueling, right?

[Kaelyn]

Well, you're talking to an 18 or a 19 year old who did it. So it was not grueling for me.

[Shawn]

It wasn't for at 18. Right.

[Kaelyn]

I'm from South Carolina, so I was just happy to have a job and to be doing what I love. It did steer me into the direction of acting and singing because I was getting actual notes that I was performing too big and I was smiling too big. Literally. Have the note from the dance.

[Shawn]

Dr. Well, Chrissy, this was my thought when I was going to ask you about being a Rockette. I was like, is this like a Cassie situation in A Chorus Line? Because what I know about you, you are so effervescent and full of personality. And as a Rockette, you all have to be the same.

[McKee]

Yeah.

[Shawn]

And then the last thing I have to ask you is how hard is it to do the iconic wooden toy soldier number? And this is where you're in a line and then you slowly, the entire line really slowly falls down.

[Kaelyn]

Yeah. It's funny that you say that. You're asking all the right questions when my first year I did It. I literally had someone say to me that I was hurting them and started crying in the middle of rehearsal.

[Shawn]

Oh, no. Yes.

[Kaelyn]

And I'm 18, and I'm like, what?

[Shawn]

It doesn't look fun. It's fun for us, but I can only imagine as a Rockette, it's really.

[Kaelyn]

Hard, and it's scarier for the people at the end.

[Shawn]

Yeah. Because I'm carrying all the weight. You get it pretty easy if you're at the front of the line. Right. Chrissy Whitehead, we're going to do some this or that. Holiday Edition. Are you ready to play?

[Kaelyn]

I'm ready to play.

[Shawn]

Okay. The category is opening Christmas presents. Are you going to go for everyone opens them all at once or one at a time?

[Kaelyn]

One at a time.

[Shawn]

You're one of those families.

[Kaelyn]

Yes.

[Shawn]

Yeah.

[Kaelyn]

That's my mom. Do it.

[Shawn]

You know when Ian's mom and sister come to visit us for Christmas and they insist on that, but, you know, they give gifts, like, I'm not exaggerating. A spoon. And it's a spoon that's wrapped up like, really small gifts because they didn't have a lot of money when they grew up, so they have still kind of kept those small gifts. And we will sit there and watch the person open their spoon and then. Ooh. And a. Over. It sounds like your family.

[Kaelyn]

My mom was like, no, Grammy's going to open hers. Then you're going to open yours. And da, da, da, da. And then what was really fun is that the stockings were the best. So we could open the stockings, like, all at once. Because the stockings were filled with stuff.

[Shawn]

Yeah. A good stocking. Best of both is great. Yeah. All right, I'm going to give you another one. I want you to choose which Christmas movie double feature you would watch. So I'm giving you a pretty good movie in the double feature and a not so good movie. So you gotta decide which one you could make it through. Okay, here you are. Your first choice is your double feature is the classic It's a Wonderful Life.

[Kaelyn]

Okay.

[Shawn]

But you also have to watch Christmas with the Cranks with Jamie Lee Curtis and Tim Allen. Or your next choice is you can watch the classic Miracle on 34th street, but you also have to watch any Hallmark movie where a career woman learns the city and being ambitious or evil.

[Kaelyn]

Definitely It's a Wonderful Life with Christmas.

[Shawn]

And the Cranks, because you can't take the Hallmark movie.

[Kaelyn]

I love Hallmark because I have dear, dear friends who are lead actresses in them, and so I support them because.

[Shawn]

They are lovely, but you can't watch the movies.

[Kaelyn]

But I don't watch.

[Shawn]

I can't do it. Sometimes Ian will be folding laundry, and he'll have one on. My husband is a writer. Like, he has standards. And I'm like, what the hell are you doing? And he's like, I don't know. It just seemed like something you would fold laundry to.

[Kaelyn]

Yes, well, that's how I feel. I mean, yes, I'll leave it at that.

[Shawn]

Well, Chrissy Whitehead, I'm so glad we got to talk again. And we want to wish you, on behalf of the Stage Combat team, a, a really happy holiday and a peaceful new year.

[Kaelyn]

You too, Sean. And thank you for the work you're doing. I mean, from being a producer on another end of my own show, like, you, producing this podcast is just super cool. It's super professional and a class act, and it really is cool to be a part of. So thank you for keep on bringing me back.

[Shawn]

Thank you. We love you, Chrissy Whitehead.

[Kaelyn]

Love you too. Bye, all. Happy holidays.

[Shawn]

Very merry Christmas we'll have this year Very merry Christmas without all tears Every night, every day is a happy holiday A very merry Christmas to you okay, it's time for Stage Combat to go behind the scenes, because I want you to meet two very important people. You don't know them, but you know their names because you hear me say this at the end of every episode. This episode was edited by Alex Griffith. Mixing and sound design were by Justin Gerrish. Let's meet Alex, who is in Kansas City, Missouri, and Justin, who is in South New Jersey. These two amazing guys make up the editing team for Stage Combat, the podcast. Happy holidays, Alex and Justin.

[Alex Griffith]

Happy holidays, Sean.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

Happy holidays, Sean. Glad to be here, guys.

[Shawn]

Yeah. This is the first time the three of us have been on a screen together.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

That's true. That's true.

[Shawn]

It's weird, right?

[Alex Griffith]

Yeah.

[Shawn]

So for season three, we made a complete change in our editing team to bring both of you on board, which was a great change for us. And, Alex, you sort of do the preliminary editing of the interviews themselves.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

Yeah, I would say that a good way to describe it is I kind of put together the jigsaw puzzle that is all of the moving pieces of the interview.

[Shawn]

And then, Justin, your job is to come in and I give you music choices, but you make all that music seamless when it comes in, when it comes out, how the voices sound, when we have sound effects and just an overall polished production of the episode.

[Alex Griffith]

So, yeah, once I come in, kind of polish everything up, then you Start laying in music so that transitions roll in nicely into one another, creating the emotion and the storytelling that you have laid out in the script that I'm going off of. And your notes are impeccable. If I. If they weren't that detailed, I would be lost. I would be making Running for the Hills. They probably wouldn't be as good.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

Yeah, this is definitely a huge undertaking as far as being a production. A lot of podcasts these days, it seems like, are very, you know, informal, very conversational, and they're more concerned with, you know, who is on the microphone. And a lot of times they're like business enterprise. It feels like, you know, they just want to have somebody on to their podcast to feel important. And there's kind of like a lot of additional fluff in the podcast landscape. So to be part of a project that's so focused on being a production, really being dramatic and getting the story across in a way that's going to stick with people is really, really special and really impactful. And I think it's gone a long way to helping this podcast resonate with people and helping this really stick in their mind and go, man, I've got to share this with whoever else that, you know, I know in the space.

[Alex Griffith]

Yeah, I would say the content is very substance based with a good story behind it, you know, and that's what a good story is. And you tell a lot of people's stories when you interview them, Sean.

[Shawn]

Yeah, and the great thing that's helped me is that to have two editors that appreciate the storytelling aspect of the podcast. You're trying to get the story right just like I am.

[Alex Griffith]

There was definitely. There was a couple episodes that really struck close to home for me as someone that dealt with depression early on in my life and just trying to preserve the severity that that can have on all parties. The person that is dealing with depression, their family, their friends, all those, like, kind of things. So I think going in and editing and mixing it, leaving space in the appropriate places, it creates this tension or this emotion of what they must have been feeling, you know, Justin.

[Shawn]

And so what would you do? Would you just find times where you would just have to step away from the editing session just to make sure you were taking care of yourself?

[Alex Griffith]

Yeah, there. There was a couple episodes I would have to take a pause. I would have to, you know, go outside, get some fresh air. There was other times where I'd be like, okay, I think I need to leave it there for today. Go hang out with my family and then come Back when, you know, I wasn't so burdened with the emotions that I was bringing back up myself, listening to it and being able to relate and empathize with some of your guests.

[Shawn]

Because both of you, you sort of have to feel the story, don't you? Whether you're doing the preliminary editing like Alex is doing, or Justin's making it all connect with the musical elements. Right. You have to sort of put yourself in the story as the editor.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

You really do. One of the things that we're not really even addressing is that we don't get, like, a super extensive preliminary outline of, here's what this episode is about. You know, we have a vague idea of, here's something horrible that happened to this person.

[Shawn]

Yeah. I give you guys a trigger warning in advance to say this episode deals with this subject, but I don't tell you in advance how the story is going to unfold.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

There have been moments while editing that I'm getting the reveal the same way that the listener is, just without the extra music added in. And I listen that couple extra seconds, and I just have to take my headset off and just go, oh, my God. Because you. I can't believe the things that were, you know, allowed to happen. So that's definitely something that's been interesting to deal with.

[Shawn]

Okay, we should talk about some holiday stuff.

[Alex Griffith]

Cue holiday music here.

[Shawn]

Yeah.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

Let's make this lighter.

[Shawn]

So we're going to do a couple of questions of Christmas, this and that. Worst Christmas song. All right, two choices. Grandma Got Run over by Reindeer or Dominick the Donkey.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

Oh, okay. Here's the problem. I don't think I've ever heard that song. Dominic the. What is this called?

[Alex Griffith]

Dominic the Donkey.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

Dominic the Donkey. I don't think I've ever heard this.

[Shawn]

You know it, Justin.

[Alex Griffith]

Yeah. Yeah. That was already my choice for worst Christmas before he even gave us the options.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

You're really selling me on it.

[Shawn]

It was already at the top of.

[Alex Griffith]

Your list so bad that you kind of love it. It when it comes on.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

There's a lot of Christmas songs that are so goofy and bad that you just kind of have to.

[Shawn]

What would you add to that list, Alex?

[Chrissy Whitehead]

I was going to say that I am so tired of hearing All I want for Christmas is you. That.

[Shawn]

Yeah. You took.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

Any time that I'm out in public and I hear it, I start to, like.

[Alex Griffith]

It's already playing.

[Shawn]

Yeah.

[Alex Griffith]

Everywhere you go.

[Shawn]

Yeah.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

I'll put in headphones.

[Shawn]

As soon as I hear. Oh, I'm just like. It just triggers something in Me?

[Chrissy Whitehead]

Yeah. Especially anybody who's worked in retail. Because you have to keep in mind that's a recent memory for me. You know, that was only four years ago where I was working at a TJ Maxx, and I'm hearing that song maybe ten times a day.

[Shawn]

So it's like being waterboarded.

[Brett Shuford]

Yeah, it is.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

It's more like Chinese water torture. It's like the slow drip. You know, they just continue to pelt you with that same song over and over again, and eventually it will drive you insane.

[Shawn]

Okay, I'm going to give you one more. Best children's Christmas TV show. These are both of the same period. Are you going to pick how the Grinch stole Christmas from 1966 or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer from 1964?

[Alex Griffith]

Two of my faves. Mine's the Grinch.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

Yeah. I want to say the Grinch is better.

[Alex Griffith]

Great music in it and really good story. It's my daughter Nora's favorite, too.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

It's timeless.

[Alex Griffith]

Although, I mean, Rudolph is. I like Rudolph. But when you watch that as an adult, you're like, wow, this is like a little. It's weird.

[Brett Shuford]

This is a little goofy.

[Alex Griffith]

It's a little goofy.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

But I think the Grinch holds up.

[Shawn]

Yeah. You know what? I never get tired of hearing the Grinch. The. The Grinch song. What's it called? You're a mean one, Mr. GR.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

You're a mean one.

[Alex Griffith]

Yeah.

[Shawn]

Yeah, I never get tired of hearing that. Like, it always makes me laugh. I would take that over all I want for Christmas any day on the radio.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

Yeah, definitely. If they could just overplay that one, I'll be. I'll be thrilled.

[Shawn]

Well, Justin and Alex, I want to thank you so much. And our listeners want to thank you, because if you love this podcast and the episodes and the production, you really have Alex and Justin to thank. And, Alex and Justin, I'm going to wish you an amazing holiday and a very happy new year. We still have more episodes to do in the season three, so I'll see you for those episodes.

[Alex Griffith]

Thanks, Sean. Happy holidays.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

Happy holidays, Sean. We'll see you there. And it sounds like I have to go listen to Dominic the donkey now. Do I have to?

[Alex Griffith]

Yeah, Dominic the donkey. I mean, you do.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

Okay.

[Alex Griffith]

I've never heard so many Hee Haws in a song before.

[Shawn]

Sitting by the fire Feeling oh so fine on this holy night the spirit guides us all the stars they shine on this lovely night we light up the world Forget our troubles for a moment and every stranger is a friend so let them Join in. Okay, last holiday stop on our holiday special, we are heading to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York. If you listened to seasons one and two of the podcast, you know this next person very well. It's the guy I'm looking forward to standing under the mistletoe with. I can't believe I just said that. It is my husband, Ian. Happy holidays, Ian.

[Justin Gerrish]

Hi, Sean. Happy holidays, Ian.

[Shawn]

You've got the Hallmark thing going on with the fireplace behind you.

[Justin Gerrish]

I know.

[Shawn]

My back is on fire, and that's an actual fire. Even though it's funny, it looks fake, but it's an actual fireplace. Ian. The last time we were on mic together, we were doing. As part of the season three companion content on Patreon, we were doing the Stage Combat commentary series where we revisited the Goodspeed story. And we never really told anyone why we didn't end up doing that, because we did, like, a preview of it.

[Justin Gerrish]

Yeah, yeah, we did a preview. We did a couple episodes.

[Shawn]

We did four episodes.

[Justin Gerrish]

That's right. Yeah.

[Shawn]

Yeah. And no, actually, we did five because we couldn't get all the Chad stuff in one episode, but we never released the episodes because I told you I don't want to do this.

[Justin Gerrish]

Yeah.

[Shawn]

It's like, it's one thing to reference Goodspeed events and the podcast series because, you know, listeners wrote in and then they had a common story, but to go back and just to say, oh, here's the other bad stuff they did. It's like, I didn't want to do it.

[Chrissy Whitehead]

Well.

[Justin Gerrish]

And it was making you sick.

[Shawn]

It was re. Traumatizing me.

[Justin Gerrish]

It was literally making you sick.

[Shawn]

And it's like, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Justin Gerrish]

It didn't seem productive.

[Shawn]

No. And it didn't seem the spirit of where I wanted the podcast series to go, which is about these other stories, even though, as the narrator, I'm informed by what happened at the Goodspeed, and we reference events sometimes. Yeah. So, anyway, it's good to do the holiday special with you. And we're back at our little farmhouse upstate. So what are our plans for the holidays?

[Justin Gerrish]

Gotta get the tree. You know, food, presents, cookies, all that stuff.

[Shawn]

You know, we did change last year our tradition with the tree. When I've told people we do this, they look at me like I'm crazy. But when it's two of us on Christmas Eve. Right. Because it's just the two of us in our house. Yeah. There's not a lot to do.

[Justin Gerrish]

Right.

[Shawn]

So I said to you last year, I said, hey, what if you put up the tree in December and do the lights. But what if we waited and decorated it on Christmas Eve, kind of like I think they used to do in Europe, you know, in the old days.

[Justin Gerrish]

People think this is strange when you told them this. I mean.

[Shawn]

Yes, I think I'm absolutely bonkers when I tell them this. Yeah.

[Justin Gerrish]

I thought this was the way people did Christmas, like, you know, back in the days of yore in like, the 40s and the 50s.

[Shawn]

I think that's the way it started in Germany. Right. We should have researched this before we came on.

[Justin Gerrish]

But, yeah, not just in Germany. I thought people did it here. I thought my family did it this way, like before I came along. You know what I mean? But I just think some people did it on Christmas Eve because, you know, back before Christmas started the day after Halloween, I think Halloween.

[Shawn]

Try like September now.

[Justin Gerrish]

Yeah, yeah. But, you know, even Mariah Carey waits until the day after Halloween. But originally, you know, Christmas light was like a week. And so if you got your Christmas tree a week or two before Christmas, I think a lot of people did trim the tree and decorate it on Christmas Eve, didn't they? Because they would leave it up until what, like, January 6th? Usually, yeah.

[Shawn]

What is that?

[Justin Gerrish]

No, it's not.

[Shawn]

What is that called? Epiphany.

[Justin Gerrish]

It's the epiphany, yes.

[Shawn]

I don't know all the Catholic stuff. You're.

[Justin Gerrish]

The Catholic Advent is the four weeks before Christmas. That's why you have an Advent calendar.

[Shawn]

Right. I was raised Southern Baptist, so we didn't really talk about what happened after January 1st. But you know what? I think the cool thing about Christmas traditions, I'm gonna put that in quotes, is that they can change, they can evolve. Like people who knew. Right.

[Justin Gerrish]

Well, they say what you need to make a tradition. It's only two years. Two years makes a tradition.

[Shawn]

Well, this is the second annual Stage Combat Holiday Special. So it's a tradition. There you go. We're gonna play Christmas this and that between the two of us.

[Justin Gerrish]

I love a game. You never want to play a game. And this is a special occasion.

[Shawn]

Okay. And I think what I want to do with this is you have to predict what the other person's going to say, so.

[Justin Gerrish]

Okay. All right.

[Shawn]

Newlywed Game style, obviously, after the person answers it.

[Justin Gerrish]

Okay. I came up with 18 of these, by the way, so let me choose the best ones.

[Shawn]

You wrote 18 this and thats.

[Justin Gerrish]

I did. I'm a writer, so.

[Shawn]

Oh, my God.

[Justin Gerrish]

Okay, let's.

[Shawn]

Because you didn't have them this morning. When did you write these?

[Justin Gerrish]

Very quick. Let's see. Okay, let's go. In the category of Christmas songs, you have to choose. Let me think which one you're gonna pick. I know. Okay, you have to choose between these two Christmas songs. Which one are you choosing over the other? Hard Candy Christmas by Dolly Parton or Christmas Time is here from a Charlie Brown Christmas.

[Shawn]

Okay, I'm gonna go with Charlie Brown. But when I heard hard. When I heard Hard Candy Christmas, I was going to say that. But when you said Charlie Brown, I was already in Christmas mode. Like, I was like, nah, nah, nah, nah, nah. Like I. Yeah, that surprised me because everyone knows if they heard. Last year we both said we love Hard Candy Christmas and why don't the radios play it more? Come on, show Dolly some love at Christmas.

[Justin Gerrish]

I thought you were going to choose Hard Candy Christmas. Go ahead, your turn.

[Shawn]

Okay. Resource for a Christmas recipe. Who you gonna go to these two places to get. You need a recipe for something for Christmas.

[Justin Gerrish]

Okay.

[Shawn]

Are you gonna go to Martha Stewart? Martha Stewart online. We just watched the documentary. Omar. We should talk about Martha Stewart or this is a PBS show. America's Test Kitchen, Ian. And I love that show. Martha Stewart or America's Test Kitchen.

[Justin Gerrish]

Okay, I know the answer.

[Shawn]

Oh, wait, let me think who you. Wait, hold up. Yeah, I know who. I know what you're gonna pick.

[Justin Gerrish]

Go America's Test Kitchen.

[Shawn]

Yeah, of course you are. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Justin Gerrish]

Listen, I love Martha Stewart. I really do. But.

[Shawn]

And we loved the documentary Martha. We loved it. Yeah.

[Justin Gerrish]

Right. But I do have to say a lot of her recipes don't quite work.

[Shawn]

Well, I do use her egg ham strata recipe for the Christmas morning with your mom and your sister.

[Justin Gerrish]

Oh, that's hers.

[Shawn]

I didn't realize that's Marta. Yeah. Okay.

[Justin Gerrish]

All right.

[Shawn]

And everyone loves it. Yep.

[Justin Gerrish]

And actually the banana bread, the best that I found is the banana bread recipe that she has with the coconut in it. That one is stellar. I use that one all the time. But a lot of like the cakes and things that I've tried of hers, I was like, I don't know. But America's test Kitchen.

[Shawn]

Yeah. If you don't know that folks out there and you love to cook, America's Test Kitchen, look it up. Great fail proof recipes. And the Martha documentary that had some surprises. Did it about her like during her honeymoon kissing the guy in the duomo in Florence.

[Justin Gerrish]

Oh, yeah.

[Shawn]

I was like, martha. What?

[Justin Gerrish]

Yeah.

[Shawn]

Okay, your turn.

[Justin Gerrish]

All right, I guess we'll go under Christmas beverage. Are you going with hot chocolate with marshmallows or are we doing mulled cider with a cinnamon stick?

[Shawn]

Oh, we're doing the hot chocolate with marshmallows. Yeah, that's what I. Yeah.

[Justin Gerrish]

Okay.

[Shawn]

Yeah. I mean, the most cider thing makes me feel like I'm in a candle shop.

[Justin Gerrish]

Oh, like a Yankee candle shop.

[Shawn]

Your sister loves Yankee candles, so we.

[Justin Gerrish]

Can'T say anything bad about.

[Shawn]

We always get her.

[Justin Gerrish]

So unfortunate.

[Shawn]

And it's like. It's really hard to go into that store.

[Justin Gerrish]

I. Instant headache. It's.

[Shawn]

It does give you a headache. I don't know how the workers work there.

[Justin Gerrish]

I don't either. I think you just get accustomed to it. Yeah.

[Shawn]

Okay, category story is Christmas Eve hors d'oeuvres. You and I, we set out a ton of food on Christmas Eve, which is ridiculous because it's just the two of us. But from that spread, are you going to choose clam dip or shrimp cocktail from Gadoletto's Seafood Market in New Paltz, New York.

[Justin Gerrish]

Gadolettos?

[Shawn]

Really?

[Justin Gerrish]

Yep.

[Shawn]

I'm shocked because the clam dip is your mom's recipe and you love it.

[Justin Gerrish]

Okay, well, let's clarify. My mother's recipe is off.

[Shawn]

No, no, you just said you'd rather have the shrimp from the seafood market.

[Justin Gerrish]

Right, but I'm clarifying the statement. It's my mother's recipe. It's a recipe off a Ritz cracker box.

[Shawn]

Yes, that's a Ritz cracker recipe.

[Justin Gerrish]

Yeah, it's made with Ritz crackers.

[Shawn]

I thought it was some heirloom recipe.

[Justin Gerrish]

No, I mean, she's made it for years. I love it. Yeah, but it's. You know, it's. It's not like my mother seriously thought.

[Shawn]

It had, like, a long history.

[Justin Gerrish]

It does have a long history.

[Shawn]

It does with Fritz Records, but. Yes.

[Justin Gerrish]

I'm just saying she got it off a Ritz cracker box, so it's not like it's sacrilege to vote against it.

[Shawn]

This is a lot more fun with you than I thought it would be.

[Justin Gerrish]

Okay. See, games are fun. We should play games more often.

[Shawn]

So I guess the last thing is, like, what's our Christmas wish? Look, this was a really big year for both of us to reimagine the podcast and hope the audience would come along as we moved from the Goodspeed story to being community based stories, issue based stories, and hoping it would work. And it did. And our audiences came along and we're so grateful for everyone.

[Justin Gerrish]

Yeah.

[Shawn]

So I guess my Christmas wish is I. Look, it's been a really rough year for a lot of reasons, for a lot of people, and that we just persevere and hang in together. And you know, I always say this when we're talking about the industry, whether we're talking about mental health, anything. What do we have if we don't have hope?

[Justin Gerrish]

Right, Exactly. Yeah. And I hope people find their personal peace, their personal happiness, whatever is personal to you, that it makes you happy.

[Shawn]

And we still have several more episodes for season three on Stage Combat and we can't wait to share those with you. And thank you so much for being part of our community and from our home to yours, we're wishing you a very happy holiday and a happy new year for 2025. Can you believe it? It's going to be 2025. Happy holidays, everyone.

[Justin Gerrish]

Merry Christmas. Happy Holidays.

[Shawn]

And of course, this episode was edited by Alex Griffith, mixing and sound design were by Justin Gerrish, and it was written and directed by me, Sean Hayden for Heywood Productions, llc. I hope this holiday and every day brings you an opportunity to claim your story. See you in 2025. Should old acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind? Should old acquaintance be forgot and days of Online for more holiday content, why not visit us at Stage Combat at Patreon, where this week Clinical psychologist Dr. Michelle Sherman is providing us all with some very important mental health tips for the holidays. Just follow the link in the show notes. Plus, joining us at Patreon is a great way to support this podcast at the holidays. In just two weeks on stage combat. The podcast, it's episode three 13 loving someone traumatized by the Industry. Stage Combat is a production of Heywood Productions, llc.