Stage Combat The Podcast

Since its first seasons, which chronicled Sean Hayden’s nightmare experience working what should have been a dream job, Stage Combat has always been about far more than “backstage tea.” It’s a brave, honest and empathetic look at unspoken power dynamics in American theatre. Anchored by exceptional storytelling and told with the feel of a true crime docu-series, its glance behind the curtain is a raw, binge worthy listen!

I came across this podcast because a friend of mine was in an episode about a horrible experience he had. It was such a great episode that I went back and listened to all the episodes. I’m a Union Stage Manager and was shocked to hear not only Sean’s story but others as well. It’s eye opening and very well produced. A definite listen for anyone who’s been involved in theater at any level.

A well done and insightful podcast! This stuff happens all the time and should talked more. This podcast helps people get their stories out there to show how toxic the industry can be. I would definitely recommend a listen!

If you care about theatre and mental health, then this is the podcast for you! I binged the entire first season over a few days while I was sick and it’s very engaging. The events described in season one and two are truly terrible, but Sean does a great job of bringing them to life and keeping listeners engaged with a film noirish tone. Future podcast seasons explore mental health in theatre more broadly, including topics like bullying, the concept of “family,” and mindfulness. The theatre industry is long overdue for a reckoning in terms of the mental toll it can exert on practitioners, so I’m glad that Sean is shining a light on this important issue.