Here at Fatigued Pod, we’re deciding to heed our own advice and take care of our mental health…which is why we’re taking a temporary hiatus. We’re not gonna lie, the world has been making us sad lately! And after 10 months of production (44 episodes in) we’re going to take a break, reengage with the world on a healthy level, and then come back with more content once we’re refreshed and recharged. Please continue to engage with us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter (@fatiguedpodcast) and reach out if you have an idea or angle you’d like to see us cover :) We’ll be back soon. Thanks for listening!

Here at Fatigued Podcast, we're big advocates for taking care of your mental health, which is why we interviewed Christina this week! She's a licensed therapist based in NYC (and married to that Ben Jeffrey guy we keep bringing on our show). For all her talk about introversion, she sure is a bubbly light in this time of grief. Speaking of grief, we break down some interesting behavior we've seen in the last year and a half and discuss our responses to this wild and crazy time. Give it a listen - you just might get some free therapy advice ;) Enjoy!

This week's episode is slightly longer than usual. It didn't feel right to cut any part of our conversation with Daffney because the last year and half has been a specific type of hell for her and we appreciated her vulnerability and honesty. She's a respiratory therapist and has witnessed countless deaths in the pandemic. We touch on everything from our opinions on anti-vaxxers and getting doxxed on tiktok, to vaccinating her 12 year old and putting people on ventilators. In spite of her year, she's out there staying strong, committing herself to the cause, and we're inspired by her bravery and courage.

This week, Melissa Mann takes time from her work managing lab research for a Children's Hospital to help answer questions and better inform folks about the Vaccine, Covid, and the Delta Variant.  Melissa has been conducting research in cell / molecular biology for over 20 years and has always been passionate about science. So, her opinions are well-founded and well research, which we love.  She also discusses with us her experience in contracting Covid and offers resources to help answer skeptical questions about the vaccine (see below). When not in the lab, she enjoys camping and kayaking with her family - human & animal - tending her growing houseplant collection - and a certain nail polish that's a favorite gift in troubled times.RESOURCE LINKS DISCUSSED IN THE EPISODE:https://dearpandemic.org/https://yourlocalepidemiologist.substack.com/https://globalepidemics.org/https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/     https://www.jhsph.edu/podcasts/public-health-on-call/ (Podcast Public Health on Call)Note from Melissa: I forgot about a new site that I can't believe I hadn't seen until this week! There are some awesome videos here that might appeal to some who are vaccine-hesitant or just wondering how the vaccines work - https://www.greaterthancovid.org/

Our special guest this week is Nani Sinha, who uses her background as an opera singer to help other people regain their lung strength after their battles with Covid. "If a global pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that music stops for nothing. And in fact, music has become more important than ever before," according to LA Opera. For over 10 years, internationally acclaimed German-Indian American mezzo-soprano Nandani Maria Sinha has worked as a teaching artist for LA Opera Connects. And over the last year and a half, LA Opera's Connects Artists have been focused on reaching even more people in hospital settings: both the patients and the healthcare workers who serve them. Nani's background in science and medicine and her own journey with physical rehabilitation have made her a compassionate teacher and educator and we were elated to have the opportunity to speak with her this week!Los Angeles is a city of enormous diversity and creativity, and LA Opera is dedicated to reflecting that vibrancy by redefining what opera can be, with thrilling performances, thought-provoking productions and innovative programming. The communal and curative power of opera is needed now more than ever before, given the extraordinary challenges of the time. As LA Opera plans its return to the stage with world-class productions in theaters, the company is offering a multitude of content including live recitals, opera broadcasts and learning opportunities via its LA Opera On Now digital offerings, which have accumulated more than 920,000 views since launching last spring. The company is grateful to its supporters for helping to ensure that it has the resources needed to get through this unprecedented period.

This week, the Fatigued Pod Squad (as we like to call ourselves) decided to get together and catch up on our recent travels, Covid takes, and favorite TikToks. We’re collectively frustrated by this virus, and with that frustration comes a sense of humor and we're glad we can share it amongst ourselves and you :) We plug some things in this episode and wanted to include them below:Follow Charles Osborne (@astarosborne), O'Neil Thomas (@oneilthomas97), and Catieosaurus (@catieosaurus) on TikTok because Caroline says they're wonderful! And buy an Avocado Mattress because Laura says they're wonderful!Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook because we think we're wonderful!

Sam Cadman is here to offer a different perspective, not only from across the pond but also as a director! His UK & US commercials have won Gold & Silver at Cannes, Gold & Silver at British Arrows, Silver at Creative Circle, Silver at LIA, a Gold Clio and have been Honored in both Performance and Dialogue at AICP. In this episode we discuss directing through a computer screen (in case you never got the memo: skype is out, zoom is IN), how commercial advertising shifted during the pandemic (what do we do? masks on? masks off?), and... Foo Fighters (trust us, you'll understand once you've listened). While we know and love him as a commercial director, he's also a co-creator of the cult comedy series TRIGGER HAPPY TV (awarded Bronze Rose-D’Or at Montreux), director of THE SNOW MAZE ( Best UK Short at London Independent Film Festival, Ramsgate International Film Festival and the Romford Film Festival, Best Original Screenplay at North Europe International Film Festival, Nominated for Best East Anglian Film at the BAFTA-eligible Norwich Film Festival, Finalist at Carmarthen Bay Film Festival and Officially Selected at a further 13 festivals worldwide), and MANN OVERBOARD (his debut US TV pilot - 6 festival Wins, 7 Finalists, 3 Semi-Finalists, 1 Honorable Mention and 7 Official Selections from around the world).

Chase Brantley is a jack of all trades and master at all: comedian, director, writer, business owner, theater teacher, musician, and long distance thru-hiker. In Athens, Georgia, most people know Chase as the founder of Moonlight Theater which was founded after he graduated from École Philippe Gaulier, a French clown school.  Inspired by the school’s philosophy of playfulness and games, the Theater grew into an award-winning program that hosted over 182 performances in under two years.  During that time, Chase also founded a residency program that hosted twelve professional artists from seven countries, directed twenty original comedy shows, and performed in over forty comedy productions.  He hopes after COVID to continue building spaces that help artists grow.  In addition to all of the above, Chase is also a Covid-survivor, which is pretty scary considering it gave him asthma, swollen underarm lymph nodes, & potential blood clots... 6 months AFTER having it. The more we talk to people the more unsettling this virus appears. Chase currently co-hosts “To white Folks”, a podcast that discusses the legal and political history of white supremacy in Athens, GA.  He most recently directed “Double Consciousness” starring David Perdue and Adán Bean at the Morton Theater.  He is also a producer and writer for the upcoming (Fall 2022) Shakespeare sitcom “Infinite Jest”.

Ben Jeffrey's eyes lit up the second he told us about Lion King's reopening on Broadway. (September 14th, 2021 is going to be a magical day!) This past year was incredibly disheartening for actors, especially to those who've dedicated ten years of their life to a rigorous Broadway schedule. Ben replaced the original Pumba in 2011 so we were curious to know what it's been like having a year+ away from the role. We also discuss about how important it is to take care of your mental health, the darkness this past year brought to the industry, and the light at the end of the tunnel with this reopening date. The Lion King is an infectiously joyful show and we're excited to see our friend return to his part & puppet!

Our guest today is the incomparable Pat McCorkle, head and founder of McCorkle Casting and a Covid survivor! As actors, we understand the frustration of the industry during the pandemic, so we were eager to hear Pat’s point of view from the other side of the table. Rather than talking about zoom fatigue, we discuss its advantages and how it creates more opportunities for people to be seen. We also talk about how scripts have evolved over the last year, her personal experience with covid, and moving forward what’s giving her hope in the industry right now.  Enjoy!MCCORKLE CASTING CREDITS:Feature Film: Mental State, Bernard, and Huey, Senior Moment, Year by the Sea, Child of Grace, My Man Is a Loser, Ghost Town, Secret Window, Tony and Tina's Wedding, The Thomas Crown Affair, The 13th Warrior, Madeline, Die Hard with a Vengeance, School Ties, etc., Broadway: Over 50 productions; Amazing Grace, On The Town, End of the Rainbow, The Lieutenant Of Inishmore, The Glass Menagerie, Cat On A Hot Tin Roof, One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, Amadeus, She Loves Me, Blood Brothers, A Few Good Men. Off-Broadway: Over 60 original productions; Clever Little Lies, Becoming Dr. Ruth, Tribes, Our Town, Falling, Toxic Avenger, Freud's Last Session, Almost Maine, Killer Joe, Driving Miss Daisy. Television: Twisted (ABC Family) humans for Sesame Street, Californication (Emmy nomination), Hack (CBS), The Education of Max Bickford (CBS), Chappelle's Show, Strangers with Candy, Barbershop (Comedy Central), and series for Showtime, HBO, TMC.

Jeffrey Omura is an artist, activist, and labor leader running for City Council in District 6 of New York City and we could not back a better candidate! Jeffrey was recently elected to his second term as an officer of Actors’ Equity Association after he helped create and lead #FairWageOnStage, a grassroots movement and campaign demanding higher wages and fairer contracts for Off-Broadway stage managers and actors. As a response to the pandemic, he helped create the #BeAnArtsHero Campaign to organize the industry to collectively lobby Congress for arts relief. After meeting with over 60 US Senate offices, #BeAnArtsHero organizers were crucial in securing $15 billion for the arts in December 2020’s COVID-relief stimulus package. The arts are essential to the well-being of NYC, as well as communities and cities across the United States and Jeffrey is the perfect candidate to set the precedent for the representation we deserve: the perfect example of practicing what you preach.If elected, Jeffrey would make history as the first openly gay person elected to the District 6 Council seat AND the first Japanese-American to ever win elected office in New York STATE. He promises "to represent you, to advocate for you, and to ensure that all New Yorkers, including the LGBTQ+ community, communities of color, organized labor, working families, and artists have a voice in City Hall.”We've loved Jeffrey since we met him as fellow actors at the Repertory Theatre of St. Louis and we think you will too. If you or someone you know lives on the Upper West Side, we encourage you give him your vote for the wellbeing of our artists and city. Vote for Jeffrey Omura for District 6 in the NYC Democratic Primary on Tuesday, June 22 (or vote early June 12-20). Go Jeffrey!

Welcome to Season 3!!! (Whaaaaat!?? Can you believe?!) This season we’re focusing on something that’s near and dear to our hearts: the arts industry. We’re kicking off with a bang and Frank Harts is a barrel of laughs.  He just completed two seasons as series regular on the hit show Prodigal Son for Fox/Warner Brothers Television. Raised in the Midwest, Frank is of mixed heritage with Southern roots on the African-American side and Brooklyn roots on the Irish side. Frank went directly from training at Juilliard onto Broadway as George Murchison in the Tony Award-winning production of A Raisin in The Sun. He has also performed leading roles for The Public Theater, Signature, and Lincoln Center. On-camera, Frank has worked with notable film directors Spike Lee, Jason Bateman, Jim Jarmusch, Steve McQueen, and Kenneth Branagh. Prior to his series regular role on Prodigal Son, Frank recurred or guest-starred on Billions, The Americans, The Leftovers, Blue Bloods, Bull, 30 Rock, and Master of None in the critically-acclaimed episode, “New York, I Love You.”  In this episode we talk about what it’s like being on television and having the industry shut down mid-season and (alternatively) what was it like to return to set mid-pandemic? What is it like to play a cop on TV during an age where we're we're in serious need of police reform — it’s encouraging to know they're having the hard conversations behind the scenes.

We’re closing out Mental Health Awareness Month with Dana, an introverted oncology nurse & parent - all this to say, she’s got many reasons to be fatigued. In a time where we’re more isolated than ever, Dana has experienced the opposite: she goes to work and is surrounded by people, she comes home and she’s surrounded by people (her husband and three adorable children we might add). With all of these humans around, there’s no opportunity for her to recharge her batteries. However exhausted she may be, she tells us a funny story about attending virtual therapy and gives great book recommendations. We love that she didn’t hold back and sugarcoat her experience, such an easy thing to do during the age of social media. We would like to note that this episode was recorded a month ago.  Since recording, Dana had a loss in her family, her mother-in-law.  The family member she speaks of in the episode is her grandmother-in-law and she is still with us.  Given the nature and topics of our discussion, we wanted to give our condolences and honor the passing of her family member. Our love to the whole family.

This week we talked to Dr. Sadie Whittaker, the Chief Scientific Officer of Solve ME/CFS Initiative- a nonprofit whose mission is to find a cure for & end Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. The developments with ME/CFS are paving the way to understanding Long Covid. She is also the Chief Scientific Officer of You + Me: a registry and biobank that collects patient-recorded data & biological samples that are passed on to researchers to drive discovery & cure! Sweet! “I’m a big believer that information is power - when you’re dealing with an illness, you as the individual know more about what you’re going through than any other person alive,” she says and we couldn’t agree more. In this episode we celebrate the creation of the vaccine and the innovation and sense of community it brings us. Sadie brings to the You+Me Registry a deep understanding of the scientific discovery, drug development, and drug commercialization processes, as well as extensive experience in engaging members of the healthcare community.If you or a loved one is suffering from Long Covid symptoms, create an account with youandmeregistry.com. Even if you’re not suffering Long Covid symptoms anymore, you can still log your old symptoms! Contributing your input could help pave the way to a cure for Long Covid. Additionally, Raymond is on a road trip across the United States so we’re happy to introduce Laura Wendt to the airwaves! Laura is our social media manager and you have probably seen her on our IG live. She’s an amazing dog mom, stage manager,  and friend - we’re lucky to have her on our team. Thanks, Laura!

Continuing with the theme of Mental Health Awareness Month, this week we spoke to Chelsea, the Volunteer Resource Connector for L.A.Work’s TeleSocial Program — a program that our very own host Raymond started! What is TeleSocial, you ask? The L.A.Works TeleSocial Program is a great way to connect isolated & lonely seniors to buddies who will call and check in on them once a week. “During this time of self-quarantine, it is very easy for social distancing to become social isolation…especially for seniors, who are most at risk for COVID19 so must stay away from other people.” You can sign your loved ones up at https://www.laworks.com/telesocial where they will receive a friendly phone call from a volunteer to check in, share their experiences in self-quarantine, or just chat! Pretty neat, huh?  You can also check out all the other L.A. Works volunteer opportunities at https://www.laworks.com/Chelsea has taken this program to new heights, and she’s truly the perfect candidate to do so. She is currently pursuing a Master's in Social Work & Disaster Resilience at Tulane University and hopes to further her work in the broad field of mental health and community development. We cover so much - what does a Disaster Resilience degree entail? How does isolation manifest in the body? And what inspired Raymond to create this program? Find out in this episode!

TW: death & griefThis week we connected with Victoria Noe, an award-winning author, speaker and activist. She is the perfect candidate for Mental Health Awareness month because of her contributions to the AIDS community & her writing about grief, particularly her Friend Grief series which recognizes the importance of friendships in shaping our lives.  A little background about Viki: her HIV/AIDS activism led her to write Fag Hags, Divas and Moms: The Legacy of Straight Women in the AIDS Community, the first book to honor the ways women changed the course of the epidemic. She is an accomplished public speaker with two degrees in theatre, she has presented at The Muse and the Marketplace, Book Expo America, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Open Hand, ACT UP/London and libraries around the country. She is also a Nerinx Hall Alum with Caroline and the two of them gush about their high school shenanigans in St. Louis, Missouri.

Welcome to Mental Health Awareness Month! We've got a series of interviews we really think you'll enjoy. We begin with Kate, a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, specializing in complex trauma and complex PTSD. Some of her work includes the Crisis Intervention Team for the Knoxville police department which involves helping EMT service, fire rescue, and police sheriffs. We describe her as "the helper's helper" and take comfort that there's someone out there to aid our first responders. Trauma therapy is more important than ever in this pandemic and she says, “We’re coming in in the midst of your worst nightmare … and I’m coming in as a stabilizing force to get a sense of what do these people need, and what can we do to be a soft place to land for them as they are navigating a very difficult situation." We also talk about her self-care routine which involves plants! Lots and lots of plants! Kate is a ray of sunshine in a dark world, enjoy!

Surprise: we’re our own guests this week! Both of us share our vaccine stories and experiences. At this point Raymond has received both doses and Caroline has gotten her first. (Hashtag Team Pfizer.) Unrelated but after staying home for a year with unlimited access to your toilet, has anyone else noticed their bladder’s capacity significantly decrease? We discuss that at length lol. We also talk about why we like our podcast and what we’ve learned from it, and we want to hear from you! What do you like about us? What do you want us to cover? How is your own personal pandemic story unfolding? Follow us @fatiguedpodcast on socials and feel free to email us with feedback: fatiguedpodcast@gmail.com. Also head to our website www.fatiguedpodcast.com to sign up for our newsletter and be the first to hear about upcoming episodes! Thanks for listening!

We've found a common theme among our April episodes: pivoting in the pandemic. This is exactly what our friend Jason has done (and quite well, we might add!). He owns The Long Room, a friendly neighborhood tavern in the Ravenswood Community of Chicago. Inspiration struck when all the bars & restaurants needed to close down, and he began selling bottled-up cocktails to go, which is not only cool but has kept his business thriving! It's also a great way to keep his staff safe which is a top priority for him. We also discuss being a Black-owned business in the wake of George Floyd's murder.The Long Room, Chicago - https://www.longroomchicago.com/The Blue Bird Inn (AirBnB) - https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/39821609?guests=1&adults=1&s=67&unique_share_id=8a3408a7-3843-4c90-90e0-e07fe4c2d83a

Our guest this week is Jill, a compassionate & determined woman with a big heart and too many emotions for one person to contain. Her big heart led her to a position as an early childhood special education teacher in St. Louis, which has taught her a lot about herself: particularly that she's capable of pivoting on a dime to provide the education her students' need and protecting herself and other teachers in the process.  She says, "It goes without saying that all of the success with virtual and in person learning is because of my incredible teaching team; understanding parents and families; supportive admin; and of course, friends and family." This episode provides keen insight into the teaching world and is a testament that teachers are truly the backbone of the pandemic society, especially as their jobs become more complicated as the lines are blurred between teacher, health monitor, caregiver, and more.