Stage Combat The Podcast
What happens when actors stop being quiet and start speaking up: Season 3 of "Stage Combat The Podcast"! 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
"Welcome to the Goodspeed"
The original Goodspeed Opera House Story that started it all. Told like a true crime podcast.
Synopsis: An actor gets a second chance late in his career by booking a leading role at one of the most prestigious and powerful theatres in the country.
Content warning: strong language.
Stay tuned at the end of this episode for a trailer of what's coming up this season on Stage Combat: A Mental Health Story.
Directed and narrated by Sean Hayden for Haywood Productions, LLC.
Produced by Haywood Productions, LLC.
Podcast icon designed by Fran Pinter-Parrott.
Sean Hayden is the CEO of Haywood Productions, LLC. As a professional actor, Sean has appeared in two 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. He serves on the advisory board for HR.com for Mental Health and Stress in the workplace. His op-ed on “Men and Mental Health” appears in The Economic Times. Sean resides in New York City and upstate New York with his husband, a screenwriter.
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Email us: stagecombatthepodcast@gmail.com
Claim Your Story!
Mental Health Resources:
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a free, nationwide peer-support service providing information, resource referrals and support to people living with a mental health condition. Call the help line at 1 800 950 6264 or text to 62640.
If you or someone or know is in crisis or contemplating self-harm, you can reach out to the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by simply dialing or texting 988.
