Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch
Episode: “Live From San Fran SketchFest!”
Date: February 11, 2026
Host: Rachel Dratch with Irene Bremis
Guests: Tom Lennon, Cole Stratton, Audience Members
Location: Recorded live at San Francisco SketchFest
Episode Overview
This special live episode of "Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch" brings together comedians, haunted house anecdotes, and audience participation to share stories of the unexplained and eerie. Recorded at San Francisco SketchFest, the show blends humor, skepticism, and genuine curiosity as Rachel, co-host Irene Bremis, guests Tom Lennon and Cole Stratton, and audience members recount brushes with the otherworldly. The episode’s highlight: a spontaneous, inexplicable “woo woo” moment live on stage that leaves everyone in awe.
Key Discussions and Insights
1. Opening and Audience Energy (00:02–05:04)
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Rachel Dratch and Irene Bremis kick off their first-ever live episode, brimming with excitement and nerves.
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Rachel reflects on how collecting stories has made her more open to the supernatural:
“I believe everything anyone tells me now after having heard all these things.” (03:37) -
The audience is invited to later share their own paranormal stories, setting a tone of inclusion and spontaneity.
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Rachel and Irene explain the podcast’s evolution and the joy of mining authentic “woo woo” tales from friends and strangers alike.
2. Introducing the Pendulum (“Penji”) (05:04–10:15)
- Irene introduces the use of pendulums for divining answers to yes/no questions.
- She shares how her pendulum, “Penji,” once accurately picked an entire football season—leading even a skeptical journalist to write an article supporting Penji’s powers. (06:11–07:24)
- Irene: “Penji has what's known as gambling powers. She picks winners 24/7.” (07:03)
- Live demonstration: Rachel and Irene use their pendulums to predict the upcoming Super Bowl winner, but the live results amusingly clash, highlighting the unpredictability of “woo woo” methods.
3. Guest Segment: Tom Lennon’s Haunted House (12:13–17:59)
- Tom Lennon (Reno 911!, actor/writer) returns to summarize his haunted house experience:
- Bought a 1913 house that previous (notably famous) owner claimed was haunted but didn’t disclose this to him.
- Recounts eerie noises, unexplained footsteps, and especially his young son seeing “a guy” in a window:
- Tom: “He looked up at the window… and there was nobody in the window, but he said, ‘who is that guy? … Daddy, I don’t like that guy.’” (15:19)
- After renovating the haunted areas, the activity ceased, leaving Tom speculating between ghosts and more rational (but still creepy) explanations.
4. Cole Stratton’s Chilling Coincidences (18:06–25:59)
- Cole Stratton (SketchFest co-founder) offers two ghostly tales:
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Childhood Sleepover:
- At a friend’s, hears unexplained baby cries coming from a forbidden room, later learning the family lost a baby at that time of year.
- “It sounded like a baby crying in that room.” (20:24)
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The Penny Phenomenon:
- Since college, he and his wife inexplicably find pennies in strange places, including new residences and hotels—sometimes seeming like a sign from beyond.
- “We constantly find…penny, like, sitting in front of the closet.” (21:42)
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Observes that their cats often meow at empty corners, suggesting animals might sense more than we do.
- Cole: “If any animals kind of are a conduit to the other side, it’s cats. I really believe that.” (25:34)
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Cole wonders if the pennies are a sign from his late mother, intertwining personal loss and the search for meaning in random events (26:34).
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5. Tom Lennon’s Affirming Ghost Encounter (30:41–34:16)
- Tells of a powerful supernatural moment after a young girl (who’d recently had her portrait taken with Tom’s dog) suddenly passed away.
- While Tom was emailing her mother photos, a previously unused radio in the room suddenly turned on by itself.
- Tom and his wife both experienced an overwhelming, affirming positive feeling:
- “It felt like an unbelievably positive piece of energy from the other side came through to us.” (33:31)
6. Irene and Rachel’s Accidental “Sign” Story (36:51–38:23)
- Irene describes her mother’s recent death and a strange synchrony:
- Rachel accidentally texts Irene a goofy photo with a tiny ice cream cone. Later, Irene discovers her last photo of her mother was with the same expression and a small ice cream cone.
- “We’re filing it under—we’re putting it in the Woo Woo files, I guess.” (38:24)
7. Live Audience Woo Woo: The Kazoo Incident (38:46–46:17)
- Audience member Susanna stuns the room by producing a kazoo, having been “told” to bring it by an intuition—unaware it’s central to Tom’s earlier ghost story.
- Rachel: “I’m truly, truly stunned. The more open I go through life, the more I see… The more open you are, the more you notice.” (40:49)
- Upon further questioning, Susanna reveals she works in “energy architecture”—space clearing and energy healing.
- Susanna: “I work with the quantum field… The field that you see.” (42:13)
- Explains how she “clears” spaces and people, working remotely or hands-on, leading to another string of quirky stories about intuition and unexplained knowledge.
8. More Audience Stories: Jana’s Duplex of Ghosts (49:23–57:54)
- Jana recounts her experiences with two ghosts after moving into a 1911 house in Philly:
- The third floor is serene (grandfather’s ghost, cigarette smoke, cats drawn there); the first floor/basement is turbulent (grandmother’s ghost, causing floods and destruction).
- Finds a portrait of Mary and Jesus behind a wall (“I put it back in the wall when I ran over the house…” 52:15).
- After unsuccessful Jewish rituals, a Catholic friend gives her holy water and advice to speak kindly to the ghost. When Jana does, the phenomena subside.
- Returns after months away (due to the pandemic) to find plants still alive—believes the ghost cared for them.
- Sells the house to an Italian family; the ghost is now content ("She kept my plants alive—and they're all distributed with my friends.” 57:50)
9. Reflections, Humor, and Final Thoughts (58:02–end)
- Panel discusses The Exorcist’s “true story” origins and ghost etiquette (e.g., telling spirits they're free to move on or stay).
- Cole reveals all the found pennies are always tails-up—"I just don't ever touch them.” (59:00)
- Superstitions and pendulum ("Penji") queries resurface; Tom admits to being deeply superstitious:
- “I have all of the superstitions of an Irish person from the 1800s.” (60:04)
- The show wraps with gratitude, health updates (Irene is cancer-free!), and a sense of joyful community:
- “Let’s all, like, go about our lives putting goodbye into the world. Right? Sending light, sending love.” (63:22)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
| Timestamp | Quote / Moment | Speaker | |------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------| | 03:37 | “I believe everything that anyone tells me now after having heard all these things.” | Rachel | | 07:03 | “Penji has what's known as gambling powers. She picks winners 24/7.” | Irene | | 15:19 | “He looked up at the window… and there was nobody in the window, but he said, ‘who is that guy? … Daddy, I don’t like that guy.’” | Tom Lennon | | 21:42 | “We constantly find… penny, like, sitting in front of the closet.” | Cole Stratton | | 25:34 | “If any animals kind of are a conduit to the other side, it’s cats. I really believe that.” | Cole Stratton | | 33:31 | “It felt like an unbelievably positive piece of energy from the other side came through to us.” | Tom Lennon | | 38:24 | “We’re filing it under—we’re putting it in the Woo Woo files, I guess.” | Rachel | | 40:49 | “The more open I go through life, the more I see… The more open you are, the more you notice.” | Rachel | | 42:13 | “I work with the quantum field… The field that you see.” | Susanna | | 46:03 | “The idea that this is actually your field, and then you brought the kazoo... I’m amazed.” | Rachel | | 57:50 | “She kept my plants alive—and they’re all distributed with my friends.” | Jana | | 60:04 | “I have all of the superstitions of an Irish person from the 1800s.” | Tom Lennon | | 63:22 | “Let’s all, like, go about our lives putting goodbye into the world. Right? Sending light, sending love.” | Rachel |
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 00:02–05:04 – Welcome, show origins, audience participation setup
- 05:04–10:15 – The Pendulum (“Penji”) and live Super Bowl demo
- 12:13–17:59 – Tom Lennon’s haunted house tale
- 18:06–25:59 – Cole Stratton’s childhood ghost and the penny phenomenon
- 30:41–34:16 – Tom Lennon’s affirming posthumous encounter
- 36:51–38:23 – Rachel & Irene’s matching ice cream photo story
- 38:46–46:17 – The live Kazoo “woo woo” moment, Susanna’s energy work
- 49:23–57:54 – Jana’s Philadelphia ghost stories
- 58:02–end – Reflections, superstitions, closing thanks
The Episode’s Woo Woo Moment (The “Kazoo Incident”)
A powerful example of serendipity:
An audience member named Susanna, with no knowledge of the prior story or pre-planning, brings a kazoo to the show “just because something told her.” The same object was central to Tom Lennon’s earlier affirmation story from a deceased child. This uncanny alignment astounds all present and becomes the episode’s signature “live woo woo” event.
- "You just brought a kazoo out of nowhere?" (38:59 – Rachel, stunned)
Tone and Style
Lighthearted, irreverent, and welcoming—Rachel and Irene balance humor and skepticism, approaching every story with a mixture of curiosity and warmth. Guests and listeners are invited to share openly, underpinning the “trusted pal” vibe. The show neither debunks nor blindly endorses supernatural narratives, but, as Rachel says, “the more open you are, the more you notice.”
Conclusion
This SketchFest episode encapsulates the spirit of “Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch”—real stories, comic honesty, open minds, and the joyful unpredictability of the unexplained. With both laughter and chills, the live format brings out new layers of spontaneity, culminating in a shared sense of mystery only possible when a room is open to magic.