STAGE COMBAT: A Mental Health Story Returns This Week

Haywood Productions, LLC has announced the second season of the groundbreaking podcast series about a leading actor who experiences a mental health crisis at one of the most powerful theatres in the country: The Goodspeed Opera House in East Haddam, Connecticut. Telling his own story, Sean Hayden directs the “riveting series” according to On Stage Blog, and Boy Culture confirms it is “a compelling story”. Listen to Season One now on Apple Podcasts and explosive new episodes when Season II begins July 25, 2023. 

In 2019, Sean Hayden thought he had booked the role of his dreams at the prestigious Goodspeed 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. "Stage Combat: A Mental Health Story" takes the listener 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.” If you thought all the drama happens on stage, wait until you hear what happens after the curtain closes in this immersive listening experience. In a unique format, each episode is followed by a short “post-show talk back” with Sean and a mental health professional. Together they unpack the issues presented in the episode in provocative conversations about mental health and the theatre industry. 

Season One of Stage Combat: A Mental Health Story showed the listener, moment by moment, how a mental health crisis happened at the Goodspeed Opera House.  In Season Two, the listener will experience the fallout from that mental health crisis in an epic eleven-episode arc of Sean Hayden's mental health journey.

With the Stage Combat: A Mental Health Story Podcast, Sean aims to underscore the importance of raising awareness and providing support for the mental well-being of actors and theater staff. By fostering a culture of compassion, understanding, and accessible resources, we can empower actors to navigate the demanding nature of theater with resilience and confidence.

Test and expand your Broadway knowledge with our new game - The Broadway Match-Up! How well do you know your Broadway casting trivia?	Play the Daily Game, explore current shows, and delve into past decades like the 2000s, 80s, and the Golden Age. Challenge your friends and see where you rank!
How well do you know your Tony Awards history? Take our never-ending quiz of nominations and winner history and challenge your friends.	Can you beat your friends? Play today’s daily Broadway word game, featuring a new theatrically inspired word or phrase every day!