Stage Combat The Podcast
What happens when actors stop being quiet and start speaking up: Season 3 of "Stage Combat The Podcast" premiering on July 23rd! Stage Combat is about fighting back when we are mistreated in our workplaces, no matter what stage we may be on in our lives! Hosted by attorney/advocate/actor Sean Hayden.
In 2019, Sean Hayden thought he had booked the role of his dreams as an actor at the prestigious Goodspeed Opera House in its production of "Billy Elliot, The Musical." As he drove over the Connecticut river and laid his eyes on the fairy tale Opera House for the first time, Sean had no idea what would be looming behind its doors. Or that a mental health crisis caused by his work conditions would cause him to investigate and reexamine his entire life. In the style of a true crime podcast, Sean boldly took us, in Seasons 1 and 2, into the insular world of the theatre industry in which the unspoken rule is, “You are not supposed to speak up. Or there will be consequences.” And he claimed his story.
In response to Sean's story, listeners of the podcast everywhere responded saying they felt seen, heard and validated. And now in Season 3, Sean is telling the stories of those listeners as they claim THEIR stories.
Biweekly episodes.
Stage Combat The Podcast
"Looking for Jeff"
SEASON 3 Episode Three. "Looking for Jeff"
Special Double Length Episode.
Synopsis: Sean undertakes a compassionate investigation into the tragic 2018 suicide death of Chicago The Musical actor Jeff Loeffelholz.
Content warning: strong language; content and conversations about suicide.
Dial or text 988 24/7 to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline if you are in crisis.
Special thank you to David Sabella, Brian Rardin, Willem Bart Ebbink, Brian Martin, Brien O'Brien, William Harrison and Bridget McCarthy.
Editing by Alex Griffitt. Mixing and Sound Design by Justin Gerrish.
Written and Directed by Sean Hayden for Haywood Productions, LLC.
Produced by Haywood Productions, LLC.
For more Stage Combat the Podcast, check out STAGE COMBAT AT PATREON!
patreon.com/StageCombatThePodcast
Listen to bonus content from this episode: More of our conversation with Chicago actor David Sabella and Sean's post-show wrap up on the episode.
PLUS experience our all-new chat podcast series: JUST ACTING and THE MENTAL HEALTH POD.
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Sean Hayden is an attorney/actor/advocate and is the CEO of Haywood Productions, LLC. As a professional actor, Sean has appeared in Broadway national tours and in plays and musicals in theaters across the country. He is a proud union member of Actors' Equity Association. As a mental health advocate, Sean has provided thought leadership on how employers can better support the mental health of their employees and how theatre programs can support their students. He serves on the advisory board for HR.com for Mental Health and Stress in the Workplace. Sean resides in New York City and upstate New York with his husband, a screenwriter.
