Tina Fey: The Ghosts of Cape May

Wed Oct 08 2025

An oldie but a goodie, join Rachel and Irene as they welcome Rachel’s old pal Tina Fey to the show! After chatting about their days together in the Chicago improv scene, Tina shares some woo woo tales of her own - ghost stories from the little town of Cape May, NJ. And to Rachel’s delight, Tina will tell them in the local accent!

Transcript

A (0:00)

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B (0:21)

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C (0:53)

Welcome to Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch, the podcast that explores the unexplained with humor and curiosity. Hello and welcome to Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch. We are doing an encore presentation, as they say.

D (1:12)

This week we are re upping our episode with Tina Fey, the Ghosts of Cape May. Oh my gosh, I love hearing Tina do a Philly accent or South Jersey, whatever. They sound the same to me, but I'm no dialect expert. But that features prominently in this episode.

C (1:30)

It really made me laugh. Anyway, please enjoy Tina. You know, I just did Amy Poehler's podcast Good Hang and we talked about Woo Woo this podcast at the end there and I thought, oh, maybe, you know, everyone listens to Good Hang.

D (1:43)

Maybe we'll get some people some new listeners from that. So then I thought, oh, who better to share than the Tina Fey episode the SNL Lady Love is strong.

C (1:55)

So hence here's Tina.

D (1:57)

And then also, you know Kevin Cahoon.

C (1:59)

Who'S my dear friend who appears at the beginning of the Good Hang pod as my pal.

D (2:05)

He did our very first episode of Woo Woo. He's our very first guest. So please go back and listen to that one.

C (2:12)

After you listen to Tina.

D (2:13)

If you're looking for another episode, he has a great ghost story and we have a ton of laughs in that one. I think it's another good one to check out.

Summary

Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch

Episode: “Tina Fey: The Ghosts of Cape May”

Release Date: October 8, 2025
Host: Rachel Dratch
Co-host: Irene Bremis
Guest: Tina Fey

Episode Overview

This special episode of “Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch” features comedy icon Tina Fey sharing her personal “woo woo” experiences—specifically, her eerie ghost encounters during family trips to Cape May, New Jersey. In addition to swapping Greek heritage stories with Rachel and Irene, Tina reveals her surprising openness to ghostly phenomena, despite her usual rational bent. The trio blends laughter, skepticism, and genuine chills as they dive into Cape May’s haunted lore, family tales of spectral encounters, and even mystical readings with Irene’s pendulum.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Comedy Roots & Greek Heritage

[03:24–08:05]

Rachel, Irene, and Tina bond over their Greek backgrounds, comparing family histories and joking about Greek school and shared ancestry.
- Tina: “Every Greek person, like from the middle of the fore to the bridge of the nose, I think we all look alike.” [03:59]
Conversation about Greek traditions and longevity, referencing the famous “Blue Zones” and the island of Ikaria.
- Irene: "My family lives to over a hundred and they go very long." [07:07]

2. Tina's Relationship to Woo Woo

[08:10–09:52]

Rachel notes that Tina isn’t one of her “woo-woo” friends; Tina confirms she’s not into astrology but is open to ghost stories and the idea of a “permeable border between life and death.”
- Tina: “When it comes to ghosts… I’m open to believing in it, you know?” [09:33]

3. Cape May Ghost Story: The Haunted Bed

[19:00–24:00]

Tina describes a long-standing family tradition of annual Cape May trips, emphasizing the town’s Victorian charm and plethora of ghost stories.
She recounts a personal ghost encounter while pregnant: waking to her daughter apparently shaking the foot of the bed, only to find her sleeping—and later hearing on a ghost tour, “some people have said it feels like someone pushing at the foot of their bed.”
- Tina (on the trolley accent): "Welcome to the ghost tour of Cape May, down Jackson Street. Most haunted street in all of Cape May. This is where the nanny walked out into the ocean and drowned..." [21:00]
- Tina: “She was asleep and was not touching it.” [22:04]
- Tina: “The next evening… the tour guide says, 'Some people have said it feels like someone pushing at the foot of their bed.' And I was like, oh come on. Literally said that.” [22:58]
Tina remembers additional “energy” or “light” in the upper corner of the room, which she addressed aloud: “Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay.” [23:38]

4. The Red Cottage and the Rolling Ball

[26:57–30:52]

Tina details another Cape May incident: Ghost expert Craig McManus gives a guided tour, revealing stories of children encountering a little girl who wants to roll a ball in the “Red Cottage.”
- Tina: "Guests who have stayed here in the Red Cottage have been known to find their children out in the hallway… they say, 'I was playing with a little girl… she wanted to roll a ball with me.'" [29:09]
Shortly after, Tina’s sister-in-law, staying a few doors down, hears what she assumes are Tina’s children rolling a ball at night—when in reality, they’re asleep.
- Tina: “I heard them—I thought I heard them rolling a ball around. And I was like, no, they were not rolling a ball. They were asleep upstairs.” [30:35]
- E (Irene): “Nothing was scarier than giggling and balls rolling around.” [30:52]

5. Children, Sensitivity, and Family Ghost Encounters

[36:30–39:16]

Discussion shifts to Tina’s daughter, Penelope, who as a toddler was sensitive to spiritual presence—reporting “seeing people” and “squares of light.”
- Tina: “She would say, I see people.” [38:12]
Rachel and Irene joke about exhaustion trumping fear and commiserate over sleepwalking, night terrors, and haunted kids' rooms.
- Tina: “She was a sleepwalker when she was little… one time we were in like, a hotel in Orlando and I just heard, like, click click. And she was just about to walk out...” [39:00]

6. Highgate Cemetery & the Comfortably Spooky

[40:12–41:50]

Tina describes being “drawn” to the beautiful, eerie Highgate Cemetery in London, joking about wanting to be buried there.
- Tina: “I just had this feeling. I was like, I feel like I would like to be buried here. So, can you be in charge of that?” [41:39]

7. Greek Superstitions & SNL Rituals

[42:02–43:40]

The group riffs on the superstitious aspects of Greek culture, such as the evil eye, and Tina’s own experience with “silly” work superstitions during her high-stress SNL years.
- Tina: “If I don’t go between these two poles, I’m gonna have bad read-through.” [43:08]

8. Tina & Amy’s Tour & Projects

[43:44–44:43]

Brief plug for Tina and Amy Poehler’s ongoing comedy tour and the Mean Girls musical opening in London.
- Tina: “Mean Girls musical is going to be in London in the coming year.” [43:59]

9. The Pendulum Reading with Irene

[45:09–47:36]

Irene gives Tina a pendulum reading (yes/no questions answered by crystal movement).
- Tina’s playful queries: "Will I be a grandmother in the next 15 years?" and "Will I ever win an Oscar?" both get a YES.
- E (Irene): "Stunning accuracy, Tina." [47:02]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

Rachel (on dialects): “Tina does amazing dialects… she has all the regions down.” [05:32]
Tina: “You have to know, what did he do to get slapped? That’s what you have to know.” (on Greek school discipline) [04:58]
Tina (on ghost tours): “That accent is like the cool Queen’s English—I could listen to… it’s The Crown to me.” [21:00]
Irene: “Nothing was scarier than giggling and balls rolling around.” [30:52]
Tina: “It is a cult.” (on improv culture) [13:59]
Tina: “There’s nothing more terrifying than… your own child just appearing at the side of your bed in the middle of the night.” [32:55]
Tina: “I would get to the place where I’d be like, if I don’t go between these two poles, I’m gonna have a bad read-through.” [43:08]
Irene: “The pendulum says yes! In the next 15 years, you’re going to be a grandma.” [46:16]
Tina: “Thank you for my lighting design Oscar, my grandbaby…” [48:04]

Timestamps for Key Segments

Greek Heritage Discussion & Comedy Origins: 03:24–08:10
Tina’s Relationship to Woo Woo: 08:10–09:52
Cape May Ghost Story—The Haunted Bed: 19:00–24:00
The Red Cottage & Ghost Children: 26:57–31:17
Family Hauntings & Kids Seeing Spirits: 36:30–39:16
Highgate Cemetery & Burial Joke: 40:12–41:50
Greek Superstitions & SNL Rituals: 42:02–43:40
Plugs for Tina’s Projects: 43:44–44:43
Pendulum Reading: 45:09–47:36

Episode Tone & Style

The conversation blends genuine curiosity and spooky storytelling with Tina and Rachel’s signature self-deprecating and observational humor. There’s a playful skepticism, a willingness to be surprised, and frequent tangents into family, superstition, and comedy-life reminiscences. Much of the episode features in-jokes about Greek culture, parenthood, and showbiz, always wrapped in warm camaraderie.

Summary prepared for Woo Woo with Rachel Dratch, Episode: “Tina Fey: The Ghosts of Cape May.”
For listeners seeking both laughs and chills—this one delivers both in true A-list style.