Podcast Summary: "Behind the Scenes Minis: Ghosts and Their Towns"
Stuff You Missed in History Class (iHeartPodcasts) – October 24, 2025
Hosts: Holly Frey and Tracy V. Wilson

Episode Overview

In this behind-the-scenes "minis" episode, Holly and Tracy reflect on two thematically eerie main episodes: one on the ghosts of Drury Lane, a famously haunted London theater, and another on various American ghost towns. Interwoven are personal stories about spooky experiences, ruminations on theatrical superstitions, listener suggestions, and musings on why people remain in places that become abandoned or unsafe. The tone is lighthearted, candid, and laced with humor and self-deprecation, matching the playful skepticism both hosts bring to the topic of ghosts and the supernatural.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ghosts of Drury Lane & Theater Superstitions

(2:35–6:56)

• Drury Lane Ghosts:
  Tracy expresses her affection for the Drury Lane ghost stories, particularly appreciating the quote about theaters lending themselves to ghost sightings due to their nature. An actor once described how the spooky “old foundation” areas of the theater create a naturally eerie vibe, explaining why haunted tales persist.

  • "Theater is kind of inherently given to ghost sighting because of its nature." – Tracy [02:43]

• The Man in Gray Incident:
  Tracy recounts a 1939 story where an entire cast reportedly saw the “man in gray” ghost, but she notes this was likely a publicity stunt by the theater manager. Holly and Tracy talk about the lack of direct cast testimony supporting this.

• Patrick Stewart's Ghost Stories:
  Tracy humorously notes finding “article after article of Patrick Stewart talking about the many ghosts he has seen in his life” when researching stories.

• Superstition About "The Scottish Play":
  The hosts discuss the famous theater superstition of never uttering the name of Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” outside of a performance.

  • "We don't ever. No, thank you. It's very silly. I know that's silly. And yet there's a part of my brain that just refuses." – Tracy [05:19]
  • "I had always understood it as a superstition about things that should not be said in a theater. And it had never occurred to me that it could be extended beyond to the theater of life." – Holly [06:01]

2. Personal Ghost Encounters

(6:56–18:20)

• Tracy's Haunted Cabin Experience:
  Tracy shares her creepiest unexplained experience from massage school, when a family lent her a mountain cabin. The old part felt “malevolent,” prompting her to avoid it after dark.

  • "Immediately was like, something malevolent is in this place. And I left and shut the door behind me and never went back into there after dark ever again." – Tracy [07:38]

• Spooky Theaters:
  Tracy notes most theaters she’s performed in always felt creepy due to their design—big, empty, cavernous, shadow-filled spaces.

• Grove Park Inn Ghosts & The Flying Spoon:
  Tracy describes a moment at her old job when a spoon inexplicably launched itself off a counter, startling the staff but not scaring her as much as the old cabin.

  • "No one was near it. No one was nearby. Like, it wasn't like, it was precariously on the edge of the counter. I don't know what caused that." – Tracy [09:38]

• Ghost Cat Episode:
  Holly tells of feeling a phantom cat leap onto her bed before she owned pets in the house, and Tracy shares seeing a ghost cat in an old apartment—later coinciding with mysteriously adopting real stray cats.

• Holly’s College Library and Haunted Hotel Anecdotes:
  Holly mentions the unnerving atmosphere of an old college library late at night, and a hotel encounter in San Francisco where she distinctly felt phantom fingers scratch her back:

  • "I felt clear as any actual physical thing I have ever felt. The feeling of, like, fingers scratching lightly on my back. And I just said, no, thank you. And that was the end of it." – Holly [17:13]
  • Both hosts acknowledge being “women of science at heart,” but admit some experiences simply defy tidy explanation.

3. Reflections on Ghost Towns & Listener Suggestions

(23:21–30:29)

• Six Ghost Towns Mini-Episode:
  Tracy compiled the ghost town episode from 100% listener suggestions, appreciating the diversity in the reasons these towns became abandoned—each with their own unique tale.

  • "I liked that these were six towns that were all, with the exception of Jerome, abandoned. But it wasn't the same story all six times." – Tracy [23:35]

• Centralia & the Challenge of Leaving Home:
  Holly revises her initial skepticism over residents staying in the dangerous, smoldering town of Centralia, empathizing with attachment to home and economic limitations.

  • "How much do you love your house and how unwilling would you be to leave it? And the answer is quite a lot, actually." – Holly [24:46]
  • Tracy echoes this with the perennial question: “Why don’t people just move?” noting that most can’t afford it or have deep personal ties.

• Eerie Cemetery Remains & the Allure of Jerome:
  Discussion about how the remaining ruins, empty cemeteries, and deserted main streets create their own unique eeriness.

  • Jerome, Arizona is highlighted as a thriving, artist-filled tourist town despite its “ghost town” label. Tracy shares her love for art-o-mats (art vending machines), referencing her history with one at a beloved coffee shop.

• Personal Quirks & Lightheartedness:
  The episode closes with playful banter about spookiness levels (“I feel like this year I haven't been as spooky ooky ooky as I usually am.” – Holly [30:42]) and well-wishes for listeners to experience surprise and delight, whether in art or everyday life.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Theater Spookiness:
  "There was one article I read by an actor... he was like, I see where this could be spooky and make people think they saw things. Cause it's just an inherently, you know, scary, dark place where there's lots of... everything's blacked out." – Tracy [02:55]

• On Unexplained Feelings:
  "All the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I would say all of the theaters that I was in… they were all creepy." – Tracy [08:44]

• On Being Practical but Open-Minded:
  "Listen, we are both women of science in our hearts, but sometimes weird stuff happens." – Holly [17:17]

• On Ghost Town Variety:
  "I thought they were fun together as a whole collection of ghost towns. Something I cannot take any kind of credit for, but that I really liked because this was 100% listener suggestions." – Tracy [23:29]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Theater ghost stories and superstitions: 02:35–06:56
• Personal ghost experiences (cabins, cat, spoon): 06:56–15:04
• College library and hotel ghost tales: 15:04–18:20
• Ghost towns, listener suggestions, and automats: 23:21–30:29

Overall Tone & Takeaways

Playful, honest, and gently skeptical, Holly and Tracy strike a balance between sharing playful ghost stories and analyzing the psychological and societal roots of hauntings and abandonment. Their warmth and willingness to laugh at themselves—even while acknowledging genuine moments of unease—makes this episode a relatable, comforting listen for anyone drawn to the overlap of history, mystery, and human behavior.