Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch

Episode: Brad Morris: A Ghost Named Brenda
Date: September 10, 2025
Host: Rachel Dratch
Co-host: Irene Bremis
Guest: Brad Morris

Overview

In this episode, Rachel Dratch and Irene Bremis welcome actor, comedian, and fellow improviser Brad Morris. The trio dives into Brad’s personal encounters with the supernatural—most notably, his story of cohabiting with a ghost named Brenda in his Los Angeles home. They blend heartfelt curiosity and classic comic banter, discussing the spectrum of woo woo—from burning sage and naming spirits to ayurvedic healing retreats and pendulum readings. The episode explores how openness to the unexplained can shift with age, and how vulnerability and humor can transform even the spookiest of situations.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

Improv Friends & The “Mixed Nuts” Troupe (01:08–08:12)

• Rachel introduces Brad, recalling their friendship from Second City days, and pokes fun at the endless renaming of their Chicago ex-pat improv troupe (Bluebird Improv, Meadows and Friends, Dratch and Friends, eventually “Mixed Nuts”).
• Comic banter about naming the group:
  • Rachel (05:21): “Bluebird doesn’t really tell us anything...I was joking, like, you know, like mixed nuts. So then...now I’m only referring to this troupe as Mixed Nuts.”
  • Brad (05:56): “In my mind...it’s permanently now Mixed Nuts...the joke peanut can where the snake comes out, but it’s our heads.”
• Announcement of upcoming improv shows: Omaha, Red Wing, MN, October and November (07:56).

Brad’s “Woo Woo” Context & Encounter with Brenda the Ghost (11:51–21:36)

• Brad’s background:
  Grew up in a 100-year-old Chicago house, believed as a kid he was hearing ghosts (really just drunken DePaul college students).
  Now lives in a “pretty old” LA house where he has experienced strange occurrences.
• First attempts at skepticism:
  • The house’s flickering lights and odd TV glitches initially dismissed as “bad wiring” (16:31).
• His girlfriend’s woo woo influence:
  She is deeply intuitive, insists on burning sage and claims to sense spirits. Advises Brad to introduce himself to the ghost.
• Naming the ghost “Brenda”:
  In a moment of uncertainty, Brad just picks the name Brenda to address the spirit (18:00).
• Turning point—spirit communication “works”:
  • Brad (19:20): “I am not kidding you. Within 30 seconds, the TV fixed itself.”
  • Flickering lights became less frequent, and after asking “Brenda” for help during a visit from a friend, the lights stopped acting up (19:50).
• Unexplained martini shaker incident:
  The most striking event: the top of a cocktail shaker “popped up, did one rotation of a flip, and went back onto the top” in front of both Brad and his girlfriend, sober, and not talking about ghosts (20:03).
  • Brad (21:00): “It seemed like a thing you would see in a movie. Like CGI kind of thing.”

Opening Up to Woo Woo (25:07–28:06)

• Admitting new openness:
  • Rachel (25:07): “You sound like us because we never want to be seen as total wackadoos. But then when you just open yourself up...”
  • Brad (27:46): “I’m full on woo woo...maybe part of it is you just get older and you go...I guess I’m open to learning about all kinds of stuff and maybe about myself.”

Exploring Ayurvedic Healing (27:15–35:03)

• Brad’s ayurvedic experience:
  • Visited an ayurvedic healer named Marta when experiencing alopecia (hair loss).
  • Underwent four-day immersive therapy: ghee cleanses, multiple herbal enemas, diet changes, massage, and personal consultation.
  • Identified as “pitta” by healer—correctly described his personality and physical tendencies with minimal information.
    • Brad (27:15): “She just goes, boom. This is who you are...And this is a woman…just holding your wrists and talking to you and listening to you.”
  • Admits to the difficulty of not laughing at the experience, citing the “over the top” spiritual music and rituals.
  • Effectiveness:
    Did not cure alopecia, but gave Brad insight and a sense of vulnerability as strength (28:43).

Western vs. Natural Medicine for Alopecia (38:13–41:11)

• Brad’s hair loss journey:
  • Tried both natural remedies and western approaches (steroid injections, drug trials).
  • Participated in a successful clinical trial for a rheumatoid arthritis drug (Zeljanz) that incidentally regrew hair in alopecia patients.
    • Brad (41:13): “If I stop taking it...I think like within a month I would be back.”
  • Discussions between Brad, Irene, and Rachel on supplements, immune system support, and holistic vs. traditional medicine.

Humorous Wrap-Up: Improv Troupe Names & Pendulum Reading (42:13–44:51)

• Ongoing joking about the best improv troupe names: “Dabblers,” “Mixed Nuts,” “Bits and Pieces.”
• Rachel and Irene perform a pendulum reading for Brad:
  • Brad asks: “Do I have a ghost in my house?”—Pendulum says yes.
  • Rachel asks if the ghost’s name is Brenda—Pendulum says no.
  • They then use the pendulum on whether Brad’s dog, Jordan, is aptly named—Pendulum says yes.
  • Brad secretly asks if he’ll still be living in Los Angeles in ten years—Pendulum says yes. Brad’s face falls: “I don’t think that’s the answer that I necessarily… I’m ready for a change.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On naming improv troupes:
  Rachel (05:21): “Bluebird doesn’t really tell us anything...now I’m only referring to this troupe as Mixed Nuts.”
  Brad (05:56): “It’s like the joke peanut can where the snake comes out and our heads are...that’s what it is. Now this says to me: comedy.”
• On encountering the supernatural:
  Brad (19:20): “I am not kidding you. Within 30 seconds, the TV fixed itself.”
• On ayurvedic identification:
  Brad (27:15): “She just goes, boom. This is who you are...she starts describing...a person that runs a little hot, gets spun up, needs space.”
• On blending skepticism and belief:
  Rachel (25:07): “We never want to be seen as total wackadoos. But then when you just open yourself up and you’re like, what if?”
• On naming the ghost:
  Rachel (33:12): “Maybe her name really was Brenda.”
  Irene (33:17): “A ghost named...it sounds like an ’80s sitcom.”

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment | |-------------|--------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:08 | Rachel introduces Brad & improviser backstory | | 03:27–07:56 | The saga of naming the improv troupe; “Mixed Nuts” origins | | 11:51 | Brad’s childhood “ghost” stories; segue into LA supernatural | | 13:12–16:37 | Skepticism vs. strange events: flickering, TV glitches | | 18:00–21:36 | Communicating with “Brenda”; martini shaker incident | | 25:07 | Openness to the unexplained, embracing “woo woo” | | 27:15–35:03 | Ayurvedic retreat experience | | 38:13–41:13 | Autoimmune, alopecia, natural vs. Western med discussion | | 42:13–44:51 | Troupe names redux; group pendulum reading |

Pendulum Reading Results

• Ghost in house? YES (43:04)
• Ghost’s name Brenda? NO (43:46)
• Dog’s name Jordan fitting? YES (43:59)
• Brad’s secret question (“Will I still be living in LA in 10 years?”) YES (44:22)
  (Brad is unsure how to feel about this!)

Conclusion & Takeaways

The episode glides between skepticism and belief, highlighting how woo woo moments can sneak up on even the most rational among us—especially with good company and a sense of humor. Brad’s story of the ghost named Brenda serves as both a spooky anecdote and a metaphor for opening up to life’s mysteries (sometimes literally inviting them in by name!). The honest discussion of alternative healing, medical journeys, and the interplay between Eastern and Western approaches is as down-to-earth as it is quirky and curious.

For More:

• Find Rachel on Instagram: @raedratch
• Irene: @irenebremis
• Brad: Check his Instagram for Mixed Nuts/Bluebird Improv shows
• Listen to Brad’s podcast: Business Trips (Improvised comedy)

“We never want to be seen as total wackadoos. But then when you just open yourself up and you’re like, what if...ghost named Brenda!”
— Rachel Dratch (25:07)