The Best Stuff In The World

Episodes

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  Pride and Prejudice 12.10.2026 51m

  Jane Austen’s classic novel Pride and Prejudice came out in 1813, and it has basically never stopped being popular. We get into what we think the reasons for that are during the episode, but it’s smart, it’s funny, it’s romantic, and it still holds up over 200 years later. Pride and Prejudice tells the story of Elizabeth Bennett, one of the great protagonists in English literature, a character who is witty, intelligent and wrong about every judgement she rushes to make in the first half of the book, and her strange relationship with the wealthy and prideful Mr. Darcy. Along the way she receives no less than three marriage proposals and the entire family’s reputation is nearly ruined by impulsive younger sister Lydia and her poor decisions. And there's a lot of dancing.My guests are literature teacher Dee Anne Anderson and Ann Gav of the Eurovision blog Dudepoints and we get into the book, its enduring popularity, and its many adaptations (Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle or GTFO.)Ann Gav's Eurovision blog is here: Dudepoints.funDee Anne writes about Sleep No More on Tumblr: https://readwithjoy.tumblr.com/Our theme music is by Mister Michael BrousseauYou can email this show at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Buffy the Vampire Slayer 28.09.2026 1h 16m

  I’m back after my little break for Dragon Con to talk about the greatest of all television shows, Buffy the Vampire Slayer!On the face of it, Buffy is ridiculous: a show about a teenage girl who fights vampires and demons on top of a literal hellmouth in suburban California and yet somehow it wound up being one of the smartest, funniest, and most emotionally devastating shows ever made. The early seasons had a central metaphor of high school as literal hell, the later seasons got into more ambitious long-form storytelling, and the whole thing was anchored by a powerhouse performance by Sarah Michelle Gellar as Buffy Summers, the one girl in all the world who had the strength to fight the forces of evil. The show had uniquely witty dialogue, the emotional stakes for the characters were always as high as they could possibly be and it is, with my hand on my heart, my favorite tv show of all time.Joining me to discuss Buffy is returning guest Derek B. Gayle from the Glitterjaw Queer Podcast Collective. Derek co-hosts a ton of great podcasts on Glitterjaw, and you should go check them all out. Links below.Also joining me is Laura Leslie - Laura’s someone I met through our shared fandom of the Punchdrunk show Sleep No More but she also ran one of the most popular Buffy fan fiction sites back in the day and it was awesome to talk with her about a different shared enthusiasm. You can find Laura online at her Tumblr Drink the Halo.Derek's Glitterjaw Podcasts:Gimmicks: https://www.glitterjaw.com/gimmicksWalloping Websnappers! A Spider-Man Podcast: https://wallopingwebsnappers.wordpress.com/Skreeonk! A Godzilla Movie Marathon: https://www.glitterjaw.com/skreeonkLee Carvallo's Podding Challenge: A Simpsons Gaming Podcast: https://www.glitterjaw.com/lee-carvalloOur theme music is by Mister Michael BrousseauYou can email this show at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Tori Amos' "Little Earthquakes" & Talk Talk's "Laughing Stock" (This Record Changed My Life) 31.08.2026 42m

  It's the return of our occasional segment where guests come on to talk about albums that changed their lives - the last time we did this was about a year ago when Gary Mitchel joined to talk about Portishead’s Dummy and this time I’m welcoming back to the show writer and musician Andre Salles to talk about two of his favorite records, Tori Amos’ Little Earthquakes and Talk Talk’s Laughing Stock!We get into why Andre chose these particular albums in the episode, and there are links to Andre’s bandcamp and old music blog Tuesday Morning 3am in the shownotes. We recorded this episode a few months ago, and since the recording Andre has launched a patreon - he’s making three albums this year with the support of his patrons: an instrumental guitar record, an album of songs with lyrics about grief, and an electronic ambient suite. He’s also creating improvised diaries each month and those are on the band camp: andresalles.bandcamp.com. The patreon is patreon.com/andresalles.Our theme music is by Mister Michael BrousseauPer usual, You can email this show at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Author Michael Blanding Talks His New Book The Gospel According to Hobby Lobby 11.08.2026 43m

  I’m joined by author Michael Blanding to talk about his fascinating new book THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO HOBBY LOBBY.Hobby Lobby is the multibillion-dollar craft store chain you may have wandered through for picture frames and fake flowers at some point, founded and owned by the Greens, an evangelical Christian family who have spent decades quietly using their fortune to push their religious beliefs into American law and culture, from a Supreme Court case that gutted contraception coverage, to a Bible museum blocks from the Capitol, to a long, well-funded campaign to remake the country in their image.Michael’s book traces the Greens' rise from a single picture-frame shop in Oklahoma to one of the most quietly powerful families in the country. His reporting took him from the Oklahoma prairie to plundered museums in Iraq to a monastery library in Egypt, and he's also the author of THE MAP THIEF and IN SHAKESPEARE'S SHADOW. This episode’s a little heavier than our usual fare, but I loved hearing Michael talk about the process of writing this book and I think you will too.Check out Michael and his upcoming appearances in support of the book at his website: https://www.michaelblanding.com/You can get THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO HOBBY LOBBY at a cool indie bookstore near you, or through bookshop.org: THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO HOBBY LOBBYI was recently a guest on the podcast Channel 37's After Midnight to talk about the bonkers 1977 Japanese horror movie House! Listen here: AFTER MIDNIGHT: HOUSEOur theme music is by Mister Michael BrousseauPer usual, You can email this show at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The Vampire Lestat 26.07.2026 1h 16m

  AMC's The Vampire Lestat is based on the popular novel by the late Anne Rice, part of her VAMPIRE CHRONICLES series and continuing on from Interview with the Vampire, which is what the previous two seasons of the tv show were called.It’s a really bonkers show where Lestat, played by Sam Reid, forms a rock band where he sings about vampire stuff and goes on tour and kills people and has sex with people, not necessarily in that order. Joining me to unpack all of it are Hanako M. Ricks from the Fandom Hybrid Podcast, where she and her co-hosts dig into all corners of pop culture and storytelling, and writer, filmmaker and VAMPIRE CHRONICLES SUPERFAN Erica Robert Pallo, who was absolutely wearing a LESTAT LIVES t-shirt while we recorded this. Spoilers absolutely abound in this discussion, both for the tv show and for the first two books in the novel series, so if you haven't caught up yet, go do that and come on back. Or just listen. Lestat would be okay with that, and so would I.You can find Hanako M Ricks and the Fandom Hybrid podcast here: Fandom Hybrid PodcastYou can find Erica Robert Pallo here: https://www.instagram.com/ericarobertpalloYou can also find Erica's past podcast appearances on Linktree: Erica Robert PalloOur theme music is by Mister Michael BrousseauPer usual, You can email this show at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Julia Campanelli Talks The Deer, Paisley Witch Trials, and Sleep No More! 11.07.2026 1h 35m

  We're talking with writer, director, producer, and actor Julia Campanelli!Julia is the founder of SHELTER FILM and SHELTER THEATRE GROUP in New York City, companies built around a simple but urgent mission: changing the narrative through visually provocative, genre-expanding, socially impactful projects by and about women.As a filmmaker, she's written, directed, and produced a string of award-winning short films, including 116, Choose to Love, and A Day in November. She's currently developing her feature script The Paisley Witch Trial (winner of Best Screenplay at Raindance) for production in Scotland and she is crowdfunding a new short film called The Deer.On stage, Julia has directed and produced thirteen productions across NYC, including the critically acclaimed Macbeth on LES. I first came to know Julia when she joined the cast of the long running immersive theater juggernaut Sleep No More in New York and I know I have had my share of Sleep No More people on this podcast and my main goal with wanting to talk to Julia was to talk about The Deer and the Paisley Witches script but - surprise surprise - we wind up talking a lot about Sleep No More too. We cover a lot of ground that I don't feel was covered in previous interviews about the show - the early days of the Gallow Green rooftop space (and the secrets of the Gallow Green one on one scene!), the 6th floor one on one, and performing as one of the interactive characters in the Manderley Bar.Julia’s up to so much cool stuff and she’s such an interesting person that this is a long interview but I think it’s well worth your time.Check out the crowdfunding campaign for The Deer here: The Deer Film CampaignMore information about Julia can be found on her website: juliacampanelli.comOur theme music is by Mister Michael BrousseauPer usual, You can email this show at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  "Weird Al" Yankovic 29.06.2026 1h

  Put down that chainsaw and listen to me! My guests and I are spending this episode talking all about the life and career of a singular American artist: "Weird Al" Yankovic!"Weird Al" has been making music for over forty years now and I think his story is genuinely one of the most interesting in music - he's outlasted pretty much everyone he's ever parodied, he's won five Grammys, and he seems to be more popular than ever, selling out Madison Square Garden on his most recent tour. I’m joined by returning guests and "Weird Al" superfans Kevin Eldridge from the great podcast The Flopcast and by musician and writer Dana Stinson to talk all things Al - the videos, the parodies, the non-parodies, the movies, the just-announced Broadway show, and more!Check out Kevin Eldridge's podcast here: The FlopcastYou can check out Kevin's comedy music band here: The Sponge Awareness FoundationDana's on Bluesky! https://bsky.app/profile/bimbokatan.bsky.socialDana published a "Hamilton" parody song about Dragon Con last year! Go check it out: You Will WaitOur theme music is by Mister Michael BrousseauPer usual, You can email this show at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Programme 4 (with Rachel Lichtman) 20.06.2026 49m

  We are talking to writer, designer, filmmaker, editor and other multi-hyphens I can’t come up with right now Rachel Lichtman!Rachel’s latest project is Programme 4 - a multimedia video project that creates an entire world centered around the fictional tv station Programme 4. Rachel has been touring with a roughly 90 minute Programme 4 compilation featuring ads, music videos, and opening credits to shows that don’t exist. Rachel’s able to bring to bear her design skills and her filmmaking skills on Programme 4 and I can honestly say there’s not really much like it. Rachel does a better job describing Programme 4 in the interview than I’m doing here but it’s really unique and cool and she collaborates with a ton of awesome and talented folks like Aimee Mann, Juliana Hatfield, Ted Leo, Eugene Mirman, and way more than I can list here including former guest of THIS show Josh Kantor. She’s been taking it on the road so if it comes to your town make sure to check it out.Check out Programme 4 here! Programme 4July 16 in New York! Make the scene with With Dave Hill, Josh Gondelman, Ted Leo, Tammy Faye Starlite, Angela DiCarlo, Nath Ann Carrera, Eszter Balint, and Eric Drysdale + Musical Director, David Nagler: https://kydlabs.com/e/EV6b612b7e-4b07-468c-8c61-c1560b02b180?referral_id=g-2f289b97-e394-4114-ab7f-c002e7f82474Per usual, You can email this show at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Musician Chris Principe 04.06.2026 41m

  This time out I am talking to musician Chris Principe about his time in the band Hooray for Earth and his new solo digital release under his own name - Judge and Jury and Us vs. Them!It was great talking to Chris about the music that inspired him and the music he’s making. You can find the new single on Bandcamp here: https://chrisprincipemusic.bandcamp.com/album/judge-jury-us-vs-themFind out Chris's various goings-on over at his Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/chrisprincipemusic/Per usual, You can email this show at [email protected]. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  House Plays (with Alexia Rowe) 19.05.2026 33m

  I’m excited to talk to musician and playwright Alexia Rowe! Alexia describes herself as an award-winning third-culture kid playwright and singer-songwriter who got her first production professionally produced while still in college.Alexia is currently running a crowdfunding campaign for her House Plays initiative - an attempt to make theater more affordable and accessible by embracing diverse performances, community engagement, and unique venues. Check out the link to her kickstarter in the show notes - in addition to House Plays Alexia is a musician, and wrote the award winning site-specific show This Is Not A Bill. She is up to a ton of cool stuff and it was great to talk to her about all of it.Alexia's House Plays Kickstarter can be found here.You can find out about more of Alexia's projects at her website: Alexia RoweYou can email this show at [email protected] music by Mister Michael Brousseau Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Punk Rock: History, Theory, and Practice (with Micah Huang) 11.05.2026 1h 14m

  I’m excited to talk to Micah Huang about the upcoming course he’s teaching at Tufts University: Punk Rock: History, Theory, and Practice!The punk rock class was what brought Micah to my attention - I love talking about the punk scene with people and I was curious about how someone builds a syllabus for a course like that (what do you include, what do you leave out?) but in addition to his punk course Micah’s a musician, storyteller and community advocate so we also talk about how he took what learned from the punk scene for events he’s involved with like the LA Hungry Ghost Festival, a community-driven cultural event held in Chinatown. This was a super interesting conversation and I hope you enjoy it.Check out the course here: Punk Rock: History, Theory, and PracticeCheck out the Hungry Ghost festival here: LA Hungry Ghost FestivalSee all the other amazing stuff Micah is up to here: Micah Huang MusicYou can email this show at [email protected] music by Mister Michael Brousseau Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The Wedding Party 28.04.2026 37m

  For our 50th episode I'm welcoming back Kellian Adams Pletcher and her husband Brian Pletcher to talk about the new immersive mystery puzzle show they are helping to put on in Boston along with the Secret City Group: The Wedding Party!The Wedding Party is a 2.5-hour mystery dinner experience at The W Hotel in Boston - it runs from May 1 to June 14. Six live actors play the wedding party, and you, the attendee, play an old friend of the bride who gets pulled deeper into the story as the night unfolds. Expect puzzles, hidden messages, dramatic revelations, and a delicious meal while it all plays out.Kellian was on the show last year to talk about her show The Cthulhu Luau and she and Brian have been putting on these sorts of live immersive events for the past ten years in the Boston area, Club Drosselmeyer is probably the most well-known and I was really excited to talk to them about this new show.You can find out about The Wedding Party and get tickets here: The Wedding PartyThe YouTube video of Kellian and Brian's viral first wedding dance can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OP8zft_SvSMYou can, as always, contact the show at [email protected] theme song is by Mister Michael Brousseau Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Babylon 5 09.04.2026 1h 37m

  Babylon 5 was a science fiction television series created by writer and producer J. Michael Straczynski. The show ran in syndication for its first four seasons before moving to TNT for its final season.Babylon 5 was a hugely ambitious show, and sometimes its reach was more than its grasp but I love that it was going for something big. When it worked there was nothing like it on television and I’m so excited to discuss it with returning guest Denise Lhamon, who you may remember from our Charlie Chaplin episode, and with Nathan Laws from the podcast The 42cast. Spoilers for the show abound in this discussion, so proceed with caution. Check out Nathan Laws over at The 42cast, the ultimate answer to fandom, geekiness and everything: https://42cast.com/I was a guest on the podcast Wait, You Haven't Seen..? to discuss the classic Hollywood musical Singin' in the Rain: Singin' in the RainYou can, as always, contact the show at [email protected] theme song is by Mister Michael Brousseau Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Incantrix Productions (with Athena Z. Peters) 17.03.2026 45m

  Athena Z. Peters from Incantrix Productions joins us to discuss the company's work and their upcoming shows. Incantrix Productions have been putting on immersive/interactive shows in the Boston area for about 10 years and they have two shows coming up in the near future: Romancing Jan, which is coming out the Saturday after this episode releases (so hopefully you haven’t let this sit in your queue for too long) and TAVERN CRAWL, a Dungeons & Dragons pub crawl in Malden. Links for tickets to both events are below:Romancing Jan: Buy Tickets!Tavern Crawl: Buy Tickets!Find out more about Incantrix Productions here: https://www.incantrixproductions.com/You can, as always, email me at [email protected] music by Mister Michael Brousseau. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  An Interview with Hudson Leick 06.03.2026 59m

  I am delighted to be talking with Hudson Leick - yoga teacher, intuitive astrologer, dance instructor, and so many other things. In the nerdy circles I sometimes run in Hudson is perhaps best known for portraying Callisto, the best and most iconic villain on the classic television show Xena: Warrior Princess. We talk a little bit about Xena and a lot about all of the amazing things Hudson is doing now, from hosting yoga retreats to emotional healing talks to 5 Rhythms Dance seminars. This one went deeper than I thought it would - Hudson is clearly someone who has a natural ability to connect with people and I was genuinely surprised by how open we both were. While editing I had to ask myself, "Is Hudson Leick my therapist?" (She's not, but she'd be very good at it if she were.) I hope you enjoy this conversation as much as I did.You can find Hudson and sign up for one of her yoga retreats or astrology readings at her website: https://www.hudsonleick.com/Hudson Leick is scheduled to be a guest at the upcoming Salute to Xena convention this October, where you can sign up for a yoga class, a 5 Rhythms Dance Class or an Emotional Healing Talk: https://creationent.com/events/xena/You can, as always, email me at [email protected] music by Mister Michael Brousseau. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Holiday Music 20.12.2025 1h 20m

  For this episode I have gathered a panel of weapons-grade music enthusiasts to discuss some of our favorite holiday music songs - mostly Christmas tunes but a few more general “it’s wintertime” numbers.The picks run the gamut from beloved songs almost everybody knows (Johnny Mathis! Darlene Love!) to oddball novelty numbers (Max Headroom! Weird Al!) to songs that should be more well-known because they’re so great. I’m joined in this endeavor by returning guest Guy Benoit, who has written and directed independent films and plays, was the singer for the amazing Providence, RI bands Von Ryan’s Express and Thee Hydrogen Terrors, and whose creativity always inspires and impresses me and by two new guests to the show. Chris Cummins has appeared on my other podcast GLEAMING THE TUBE and I don’t know anyone who is better at unearthing strange and wonderful artifacts and clips from recent pop culture. He’s written for Archie Comics, streams a wonderful array of classic pop culture ephemera at his Sci-Fi Explosion Twitch channel, hosts fun live events in the Philadelphia area and at various Sci-Fi conventions around the country and co-DJs the MTV’s 120 Minutes Dance party with me every year at Dragon Con. And Dana Stinson, aka BimboKatan, is a brass band musician, photographer, and passionate music fan.You can find most of (but not all) of our songs picks on my holiday Spotify playlist: XMASPer usual, You can email this show at [email protected] Best Stuff in the World theme song by Mister Michael Brousseau Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Talking Filmmaking and Art with Jaina Cipriano 05.12.2025 29m

  I am talking to Jaina Cipriano: photographer/experiential designer/filmmaker/Executive Director of the Arlington International Film Festival!Jaina and I talk all about her art and the film festival, including the immersive experience that Witch Hunt Theatre staged at this year’s event. (You may remember that I chatted with Witch Hunt’s artistic director Taylor Stark earlier this year.) Jaina is working on a ton of interesting stuff and it was great chatting with her about the art she makes and the art she loves. Per usual, You can email this show at [email protected]. You can find out more about Jaina Cipriano at her website: https://www.jainaciprianophotography.com/Check out the Arlington International Film Festival: https://www.arlingtonfilmfest.com/Jaina's experimental tv series The Imposter Syndrome is screening at the Capitol Theatre on January 24th. Get tickets here: https://www.capitoltheatreusa.com/movie/the-imposter-syndrome/The Best Stuff in the World theme song by Mister Michael Brousseau Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  MAD Magazine 23.11.2025 59m

  On this edition of The Best Stuff in the World my guests and I are diving into our collective love of MAD Magazine! For decades, MAD skewered politics, pop culture, advertising, television, and almost anything else you can think of. Joining me to discuss MAD and the "usual gang of idiots" who wrote and drew it are two of The Best Stuff in the World’s usual gang of idiots, returning guests Kevin Eldridge from the great podcast The Flopcast and Michael Brousseau, who I co-host the skateboard movie podcast Gleaming the Tube with and who wrote and sang this very podcast’s theme song!You can find Kevin Eldridge over The Flopcast! You can find Michael Brousseau co-hosting Gleaming the Tube with me!I was a guest on the GIMMICKS podcast to talk all about the series finale of Pee-Wee's Playhouse! Check it out here: Pee-Wee's Playhouse: Playhouse for Sale!You can email me at [email protected] music by Mister Michael Brousseau Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Tori Sparks Talks Sleep No More & Immersive Theater & Punk Rock & More! 08.11.2025 1h 4m

  I am BACK ON MY BULLSHIT talking to a former cast member of SLEEP NO MORE - I am delighted to welcome the great Tori Sparks to the podcast this week.I first saw Tori perform in the Boston production of Sleep No More, which is the show that sparked my interest in immersive theater and, in my opinion, was the big bang for what we call “immersive theater” in the U.S. If you’re a person who follows that art form it’s hard not to notice that Tori has been possibly the most significant performer in that space, especially on the East Coast. In addition to her work with Punchdrunk she’s done amazing work with Third Rail Productions on a number of their shows (which we get into), she was one of the people who helped build Life & Trust (Emursive’s attempt to follow up Sleep No More with another big sprawling show that you could lost in), she worked on Kelly Bartnik’s HERE, one-off Punchdrunk shows at MIT, and was the "immersive specialist" on MASQUERADE, the new promenade version of Phantom of the Opera that’s running in New York. She’s everywhere, and I think the reason why is that she’s one of the most gifted and intuitive performers in that space. Her Lady Macbeth in Sleep No More is up there with the greatest performances I’ve seen anybody do in any medium - I genuinely consider her one of the best immersive theater performers in the world. We get into all of that - there is a lot to cover and this could have easily been a three hour conversation because Tori has done so much - as well as the Sleep No More episode of Gossip Girl, her work in horticulture and our shared background in DIY punk scene and how that world informs her work.Find out more about Tori and the amazing things she is doing and has done and will do at her website: Tori SparksYou can email me at [email protected] music by Mister Michael Brousseau Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  R. Alex Murray Talks Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern 02.11.2025 54m

  We're joined by R. Alex Murray, a cast member of Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern!Dungeons & Dragons: The Twenty-Sided Tavern bills itself as a live, onstage game of Dungeons & Dragons where YOU control the action. By calling out suggestions and making decisions on your smartphone, you’ll determine which heroes appear, where they explore, and ultimately how their story ends. The show is now on tour after an off-Broadway run - I caught it in Boston last month and I had a total blast seeing it and I had a total blast talking to Alex about it. This is one of those conversations that could have easily gone three hours between all the D&D talk and the talk of what it’s like to perform a show like this. If it comes to your town GO AND SEE IT! You can find out more about the the show (including the tour schedule) here: https://thetwentysidedtavern.com/You can find R. Alex Murray on his Instagram: @ralexmurrayAlex's podcast Childz Play is the world's premiere Kidz Bop review podcast! Go and listen: Childz PlayYou can see Alex roll two natural Twenties in Boston here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1457830815331327You can email me at [email protected] music by Mister Michael Brousseau Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.