The Musical Innertube - Volume 2, Number 177 - Megan Timpane

JOHN

We are just so happy today to have Megan Timpane as our guest on the Musical Innertube. I love Megan because I have to. She's my niece. And a very talented, funny and quite beautiful lady. She's an actor, a stand up comic, and a conceptual theater artist who's produced and performed in film, television, on the web. She has just finished a San Francisco run of her new show, Lymphomaniac. In true Megan style, it derives comedy and wisdom from her journey with having cancer. And Lymphomaniac is going to have runs very soon in Los Angeles and New York, and putting a real exclamation point on it, she'll be at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland performing Lymphomaniac August 13th to 24^th. Meghan was diagnosed with Hodgkins lymphoma about a decade ago, she's been in remission for a long time, and Lymphomaniac is actually her second comedy show about her experience. We'll find out about the first and much, much else right now. Welcome Megan Timpane!

MEGAN

Thank you both so much for having me. I'm excited to be here.

JOHN

Take us back to that day when you learned that you had Hodgkins lymphoma. I mean, obviously you're such a strong person and so positive, I can just attest to that. But I'm wondering, did you go through all that denial and resistance and bargaining and all that stuff?

MEGAN

Yes to all those things! It was a mix, for sure. I was a year out of graduating from UCLA Theater school and starting to gain some momentum in my acting career. I was getting a lot of auditions and starting to get called back, and casting directors were starting to know who I was, and unfortunately this - in one sense spun itself on me, and then on the other hand having some symptoms for eight or nine months or so and not knowing exactly what they were, what was going on. But the day that it happened, I could barely walk, and I had to drive myself to the emergency room - just a couple blocks from my house, thank God - and they pricked my finger, and I fainted right there and was wheeled into the emergency room. And I had three emergency blood transfusions, followed by test scans, all those things. And I remember the doctor initially told me that he thought I had leukemia. And of course, growing up, you see movies, and leukemia is a buzzword for cancer, and especially for cancer for younger people. And then, yeah, a lot of movies about it, and I thought to myself, there's no way I could have it, I don't look like those people in the movies who look sickly or anything like that.  I found out the next day, it was not. It was in fact lymphoma, which I at the time didn't even know was cancer! I remember turning to my mom and saying, mom, I'm so lucky. I don't actually have cancer! And she said to me, actually, Megan....

JOHN

Actually, Megan...

DON

Yeah.

MEGAN

Megan, you need to go back to school!

DON

Yeah, yeah.

MEGAN

It was shocking. You don't think something like this can happen to you at a young age, and even when I found out I was sick, I had Stage 3 Hodgkin's lymphoma. I still felt relatively healthy, I was still going to the gym every day, I was still hanging out with friends. There were a lot of mixed emotions. I felt very much like, why me? And as an actor, on some sick level, there was that moment of: Oh, gosh, I get to look in the mirror and finally say, “I have cancer.” It's like that moment you think you're gonna have that wins you Oscar. But it was real and it was so weird to say that out loud, and it almost felt, it felt almost embarrassing. Like your life is just now put on pause. You can't do anything else. So yeah, I cried a lot at first, a lot, and I felt really, really bad for myself. But you find a way somehow to get through it and. I was still young. Like I said, relatively healthy otherwise. So you just find a way to navigate this new normal in the best way that you can. And that was through the help of friends, family, humor, all the things that I had been relying upon for my life up until that.

DON

When you get a speech from your doctor, let's say when you first get the diagnosis, doctors can be very blunt, or they can be very helpful. Which were your doctors? Were they blunt and sorry, you know, or were they helpful in in steering you in the right direction to get well?

MEGAN

To be quite honest, I don't remember the initial person that came in because when I went into the hospital the first time, when I went into the hospital and found out that I was sick, it was Hollywood Presbyterian, which was near my house. It's not. It's not known for treating cancer. I just happened to go to the emergency room there because my primary care doctor was there. And there were a lot of different people going in and out throughout because I was there over a weekend, so I even had to wait a few days to get a sur. To do the actual surgery on me and get the pathology done. So there were so many people in and out of the room. That what I associate with my care team was at UCSF in San Francisco, where I was treated and I will say it's funny. I actually do impersonations of the doctors that machines that people like I take paying a life of chemo during the show and.

DON

No.

MEGAN

Jokes that my doctor was actually very afraid of me. Was a young guy and he was relatively new to UCSF Oncology and I think my mom and I really scared the **** out of him. And I came in hot with a lot of energy. I was. I was the youngest person being treated. I was the only person anywhere near my age. I think that he. He was a little. He was a little scared, a little bit more reserved and tried to keep us on track in terms of energy and just prognosis and all these things. But there were times when he had to crack and laugh and really be human, but I honestly wouldn't have had it. Other way he was. He was very clinical, I would. Didn't have like the warmest bedside manner, but he also ended up then being. He's a character in my show and he's seen. Show which is so. Overwhelming in the show has seen the show which? Really cool so.

JOHN

That's that's really a great thing to think about. That everybody. Who helped helped you has gone to see it and you know, I bet you do. Have they had notes afterwards? Did they? Did they chip you some? See, when I said. I didn't mean and you made me and now.

JOHNker

Well, I.

MEGAN

I I. Sure. To check in with all of them before I performed them to ask their permission to do a character of them, and they knew that I was an. Mean there was no hiding that I was an actor in the oncology ward. I was doing voices and reading scripts in the corner with all my friends and constantly being told I had to stop because serving other patients and.

JOHNker

Uh.

JOHN

Look, this is the biggest laugh, laugh riot dialysis you've ever. I actually hung out with Megan for a couple of hours during one of the sessions and you were you were just. You were just rattling on and driving them all, you know.

DON

Well, now were. Were you in the corner with your acting? And here's a room full of people who have been diagnosed with cancer, and you're in the corner with your acting friends. I'm going to tie.

MEGAN

My acting teacher, my school. In and we. We read a like 4 plays while I was there in different voices and they ended up putting us in another room.

JOHNker

Right.

MEGAN

All the different nurses would come over. And they'd want to hear clips of what we were doing because.

DON

Oh, OK.

MEGAN

I mean, it is really sad when you're in a position like that because. Everyone around you is doing so much worse than than I was doing because I was young. I had a good prognosis. I had what is considered the good cancer to have because it's curable, but unfortunately. Not everybody was having that same experience as I was. So as much as I was, yeah. Engaged with all my friends and still young and doing, you know, doing all these voices and things. I had to be cognizant of the fact that. That was everyone's experience, and so it. Not have always been appropriate. But it's the corner. Every time we came or put us in a different room. Yeah, as it got as. Got went on as you probably know, chemo gets progressively worse with time and I was less and less able to have that much energy. But it does help you get through. It really it really did help me not focusing on my mortality while I was.

DON

There I I. It occurs to me that it might have been a good idea to have. Let's put on a show. You know, do a show for those of those poor people who are sitting in bed with nothing else to do but contemplate the the situation there and then. And the pain that they're in, it might have been fun to have a a little show with you guys. Hey, it's it's passed and I'm not in charge of a hospital.

JOHNker

I.

JOHN

So I just want to say.

DON

That's not going to.

JOHN

I just want to say for our listeners that all three of us have a differing experiences with cancer. Don very bravely. Helped his wife for many years. The the Blessed Lauren, who was such a wonderful person and put up with Don. We still don't understand that and, but she and Don was amazing about it. And so yeah, he does know about. What the treatment can be like with. But you know the transfusions and and and and everything can be likened. And I have a little bitty tiny shade of of cancer in my my in my boy parts. It's not bad. I mean, yeah, I could still die from it, but not right away. And certainly not in the foreseeable. Having it and knowing that you have it does change your perspective, doesn't it? Just does it suddenly. You know, yesterday I didn't have this to think about. I do. You know, so we all, we all understand. I'm wondering too, and that's where Don was going with his last comment. When did you know that you were gonna? Act about. When did you know that this was gonna be? You say you know. I need to do is to do a show.

MEGAN

Well, interestingly enough, it didn't start out as an active thought or a conscious thought. To create something. Out of the experience, but I was struggling with my mental health during the time and I had a lot of anxiety and I had. Been trying to find ways to make myself feel better and one of the things I came to was writing down 5 things I was grateful for every day and the more I started writing. First it started. Like I'm grateful I was able. Walk around the block today. Or I'm grateful that I could. I could eat a full meal today and grateful I went and got ice cream today. Like that, like I'm. My white blood cell count was high enough so I could see my friends. And then as I started writing it, it almost like it got exponentially expansive as I started writing because I. Everyday, just write. I'm grateful that I walked around the. It just the more you open yourself up to. What is? Happening around you, the more you start to see. See and. So what I started writing about was I'm grateful for the woman who checked me in today. Is so. And she said this funny thing and it started turning into a lot of interactions that I was. At the hospital. And because I was spending so much time at the hospital, whether it was chemo or checkups or shots or things like that. And as I started writing that, I was. Wait a second. These are. They they're people, but in my mind, in the way that I view the world in as a comedian. They. They are characters or caricatures of themselves that started to form in these stories. These true stories and interactions of ironic moments that. Would have. That made me laugh and made me smile. The show almost wrote itself and I was towards the end of my treatment and started to get into the very philosophical what does this mean? Am I now? Perspective shift that I think a lot of people have when they go through cancer. And that started to shape. A. What is it that I want? If I were to say something. What is it that I would want to say about this? And at the time, we had met a performer. Of a bunch of boy man shows in San Francisco. Very well known. His name's Don Reid and he was performing at the Marsh and he used to be the stand up comedian for the OR the warm up comedian for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. And I reached out to him because he went to UCLA and I had seen. Of his shows and I met him after one of the shows and I told him. Him my story and that I'd been through cancer and we stayed and talked for two hours and just did voices and impersonations. And I said, you know, it would be really cool to write a I've been thinking about writing a show about this, and I go isn't having. Just hilarious.

JOHNker

And he.

MEGAN

He goes. It. That's your show. That's the name of the show he goes. Go. And when I started writing, like I said, a lot of it was written for me. It it's almost like the show just came to me. Never. I never sat down and said OK, today I'm writing. There was never that moment I would have this like, weird late night creativity where things would just come out. Saw the show. I would see it. Through all the stories that I have. Would see the. I would see the lighting and it just it truly came to me. Know that. Very woo woo. But it's it's so it's true.

DON

And I know that, as John said, I've had experience in, in hanging around hospital. With the nurses and the aides, and John will probably. Know about. But in newsrooms, there's a certain sort of I want to say. Gallows humor, when something really bad happens and something bad happens every day in a newsroom. That's what it's there for. To take. Take care of the bad.

JOHN

To tell everybody.

DON

Right. And so there's a certain sort of Gallic humor where you get into telling really, really unacceptable jokes about really terrible things just to get your mind off it. And I found the same thing with nurse. And and AIDS when you're in a in a, in a bad situation, and you're coming in for transfusions every couple of days, and it takes a couple of hours and it's not very comfortable. The nurses are there to to take your mind off it. And I I'm sure you found that with the people that that you worked with and that's probably where you a good place to get a lot of characterization from from those nurses who do this everyday for 100 people or a week.

MEGAN

Yeah, yeah.

JOHN

God bless.

JOHNker

Him.

MEGAN

And I at times I have this. At times I I try to reflect and say, am I doing this in service of me doing a character and making making someone out to be something that they're? Or am I truly performing the essence of who that person was to me at the time and as long as I'm staying true to that, I feel I felt really comfortable. Performing them and, but yeah, and I I even say it in my show. Even though some of these experiences were sometimes awkward or well, I really ironically funny and not really.

JOHNker

Hello.

MEGAN

Maybe not even funny at the time, but later looking back was funny and was the only way I could process the information. But regardless of what kind of humor it was that came about from this time, and the kind of experiences I had, these wild wacky. Unique personality is. Whoa, what got me through treatment and. They were a large. I mean, they literally brought me back to life in so many different, so many different ways. If you will.

JOHN

That's really that's that's really interesting. So as we were mentioning lymphomaniac, which you just finished a run of. It's it's AII wouldn't say an updating, but it it's a it's it's kind of an echo with new stuff thrown into it of having cancer is hilarious and I don't want you. To you know, tell us everything. But can you characterize how the second play is different from the 1st? You tell us a little bit about. What you've. What your what you're doing? What you thought you should be talking. About now.

MEGAN

Yeah. I mean, obviously it's been 10 years now going on 11 since I was first diagnosed and went through treatment. And I'm not the same person as I was 10 years. So naturally, I cannot do the same show and also I have a different perspective on things and I've had a bunch of other things then whether they're related to cancer or not and. I couldn't just. Up and do the same thing and. It took a lot of. Reflection a lot of reflection and I'll say that writing this show was significantly harder. Then writing the 1st. Because this show is actually the second act, at least, so I do in the first act, I do somewhat of a condensed version with some things added here and there. Added one that little extra spicy character in there. That is probably one of my favorite parts of the show. And then I added a whole second act. What's happened since? And I take you through all the things in my life that have been affected from this experience that I had 10 years ago and. The first show you can almost tie it in a little bow at the end. I had cancer. I used humor to get through it and now I'm better. And you can walk away feeling good about. And yes, it's difficult to watch, especially if you know someone who's been through cancer. You've been through your yourself. There's a lot of sadness around there, but it is a story of overcoming something and and. Whereas this show actually was was so different about this show. Is that there's no. At the end. What the ultimate message is of this show is that we all have things in life, whether it's cancer or something else. We all have our own traumas or. Or moments in our life that change us. And it's how you deal with the repercussions of that and how you. From those things. And the overall message is that healing is not linear. It's not something that just ends one day. It's something that you're continuing to work on and the ability to give yourself grace for not being over something that happened 10 years ago could be 50 years ago could be, however long ago. But it's that it's a never ending thing like cancers. Will always be with me and my life has been greatly impacted in both negative and positive ways from having been sick. So it's a reflection of that and it's. It felt very. It felt very vulnerable to. I was really scared to do this version. I actually contemplated not doing a lot of the second acts and had this internal battle with myself and ultimately decided, you know what, this is actually of service to other people. Is bigger than me. It it's no longer about. It's about finding a way to invite people to have more open and vulnerable raw conversations about mental health and Wellness. And that can stem from something that's happened to you physically or not. But using humor as that access point. Because it's too hot as you don't. See making jokes and things like that, or or people going through tough times using humor as a tool to get through. That's absolutely. That's one of the tools, but there are so many other tools as well, and I dive into. Lot of what those things. So it's no longer like humor is the. It's like, yeah, humor is part of me, but also. Life isn't always funny, and the things that happens you. You can't always laugh them off, and it's about finding ways to heal yourself and finding ways to forgive yourself for the parts of you that are not ever going to be fully healed.

DON

Yeah, because the the, the one of the ideas that came to me when you were talking about the show. And I've I've seen the little clip show that you put together pieces of it is very much a Pagan thing laughing. So you don't. Hi. And it's funny that you say that the humor is is just part of what you're dealing with as you as you heal because sometimes people laugh so they don't cry, so they don't have to think about the things that make them cry.

MEGAN

Good.

DON

And deal with them. And so that's an interesting thing to have you say that.

MEGAN

Wait. Well, what you just said, I I'd like to just go off of that a little bit and expand on that thought of laughing. So you don't cry.

JOHNker

Well.

MEGAN

That is really what the first show was about. This show is. About laughing and also being OK crying. And it's that that balance of the two ends that both can be true at the same time. Can exist at the same time and that it's OK. Have. I I actually am inviting my audience in this show more than in the last show. To cry with me. Who reflects on their own lives of what they haven't dealt with, and it's an invitation to open up that conversation to something that's deeper.

JOHN

Yes, I remember. When my father died, you never met him, Megan. You would have enjoyed him and he would have really enjoyed you and we're all sitting together in the limousine, a whole bunch of us 'cause. The eldest of nine, and there are, you know, we took two limousines to the burial ground. And my my youngest brother Patrick, was sitting there across from me, sitting next to Mommy. OK, so this thing has happened. And then suddenly this has happened. And little Pat says. So they're. To put Daddy in a box and he's going in the ground. Are worms gonna eat daddy? And then he started to laugh as hard as he could. Does that the way he asked it? Worms going to eat Daddy. We just couldn't stop laughing the whole way, I mean. You know, as we got to the burial place, we we couldn't stop laughing. And and finally Mom was the one who said, you know, we've got to do something. We can't get out of this, this limousine going.

JOHNker

Ha ha.

JOHN

You know just. And we've got to we pleased and she was pleading with all us and we we had to stay in the car for just a moment. Everybody thought it was the opposite reason, you know, that we were grieving and wanted to pull ourselves together. It was a re. And it was, uh, a very so yeah, is very Tim Paine thing to do, but it was also sort of very cleansing. But it was also hysterical, that is to say, we were where we were and it wasn't great and and and the laughter. Let us just let it hang out together for a moment.

MEGAN

Yeah, yeah.

JOHN

You know, you know.

MEGAN

Great example or great parallel.

DON

Now the friends that helped you put the show together. How did they? Like when you were in the hospital and your friends came over and you would do some rehearsals and that sort of thing. I know that when people get sick, sometimes there's sort of. A. A leper quality to. I want to say, you know, we don't want to disturb that or we don't want to get too close to that it. You know, there's there's that sort of thing. What sort of reaction did you get from your friends and and how supportive or non supportive were they when you went into that situation?

MEGAN

You know, writing both versions of the show I I've had this really unique opportunity with having been sick. To reflect on how many people in my life love me and support me, and I consider myself. So immensely lucky for the support I have such a such an expansive support system will and when I was going through treatment, I realized that that's not true for everyone. And I realized that that was really, really unique. I was the only person at chemo who would have friends coming to visit me from LA or New York or wherever it was. People would take shifts and go on different weekends, and I even had friends stay at next. Neighbors homes. Offered up their homes because my white blood cell. Below I had strangers who heard about my story sending me boxes of 1000 paper cranes that they had folded in my honor. Mean I had so many people. Who just jumped right in and. On the flip side of that as well. I lost a lot of friends. There are people who just don't. Know how to handle illness and and are not familiar with it. Had experience with it and. I look back a lot and have this really interesting like inner. Argument with myself that if it happened to one of my friends, I'd like to think I would be there for them in the way that. Were there for. But I, being honest with myself, I don't think that I would have been. And that's a really hard pill to swallow. And that's because I never really dealt with. That, but I think it taught me. That that's how I want to now. Up for people? And that that's. Kind of person that I want to be and. First, it really sucked to lose. Some of my best. Completely ignored when I was sick, but learning to forgive people afterwards because it's not about how much they love you, it's about their own stuff that they haven't figured out how to deal with or they haven't figured out how to face, but forgiving those people and being able.

JOHNker

Right.

MEGAN

Move on. I mean for a lot for some of my friends, it took years. Some people, it was quick but. Yeah, it's it's difficult and there's so many different, whether it's cancer or anything else. It could be you. You lose a spouse or. Bob and or you get divorced and. Your friends. Talking to you or you just hear less from. And I've had such a continuous amount of almost aggressive support and as as.

JOHN

We're going to take care of you. You like.

MEGAN

It or not, Julie, and as a fun example of this, I actually had. Some of my girlfriends come up to to go to chemo with me and like I said, I had a lot of girlfriends. Up from LA who? My best friends from college just taking turns. Coming with me to chemo and. Of my favorite stories was when. Got home from chemo? I would sometimes be emotional for no, I say for no reason, but truly almost for no reason. It was like your your hormones I was putting to menopause during treatment. Just throw that out there. So my hormone, we're going nuts and after chemo obviously was a little bit out of it coming home. So I warned them in advance.

JOHNker

Yeah.

MEGAN

When I get home from chemo. I tend to cry randomly for about 5 minutes and I can't control it and it just happens and then I move on to the rest of my day and I'm totally fine. For whatever reason, something just wells up and I I have to cry and. So my girlfriends took this as a really fun opportunity. To make me perform while I was crying. This parody video of a sorority girl. Crying about making it snow with a fire extinguisher while she was drunk. And you go we. You know all the words. So as I start as we get home and as I start welling up and I go oh. Gosh. You guys can leave the room like please leave. You know, I'll be OK in five. I'll call you back in and. And my friend Anna goes no and gets out her phone and goes. We're recording, OK? Do the video and. Go no. No, I don't want you, she goes. The video and stuff you. Just fun opportunity to film me going.

JOHN

I just wanted to make it so and I'm really.

MEGAN

I was just. Of those like you just take what's? And and. You don't put so much pressure on it. Be like the. It is the worst thing in the world that you can imagine having cancer when you're young, but. Taking those moments and those opportunities to change the narrative and to own your own experience was something that my friends gave me that. Is was so invaluable to my experience.

DON

And and did the video show up on Tiktok?

MEGAN

I need to go find that video. Do not know where it is.

JOHNker

I don't think I just.

MEGAN

Nine years. But this reminds me on.

JOHN

The other hand, on the other hand, maybe you don't really need to go find that video. No, actually it would. It would be a hoot. I I think you probably you probably broke the. You probably knocked it out of the park on that one, Megan. Can just see you doing that. Talk about the Edinburgh Fringe for folks who don't know what that is once a year in Austin. August Umm, Edinburgh, Scotland becomes the center of the arts world. It has first of all theatre is probably the biggest single thing the the Edinburgh Festival is. You're basically theatre festival. Then there's the fringe. Which? Is all around the big festival. The fringe is 3000 acts at 300 venues and it's a lot like that. Plus at the same time, the Enbrel books and Literature Festival is happening. So the biggest names in English, Scottish, Irish and European, you know writing are walking around watching plays and stuff. So you've decided to put yourself right in there, Megan, I. To hear your thoughts.

MEGAN

Well, it's funny because the story actually starts 11 years. I was studying at the British Academy of Dramatic Arts at Oxford and after we were done with the program, my friends and I, we took the train up to Edinburgh and we saw the fringe and we went to the fringe in Edinburgh. Stayed for a few. We saw quite a few shows and. Had a great experience unbeknownst to me, and when I first arrived at Bada, I actually had cancer and I. Know it and I fainted the first night I was there and actually ended up hitting my head on the dresser and getting a black eye vomiting all over the floor.

DON

Hey.

MEGAN

It was awful. It. It was. And then I made-up a Lady Macbeth monologue because I had hit my head and couldn't remember it in front of the world. Leading ShakeJOHNre experts with black, white and vomited my hair. And they put me in the absolute worst. It. It was terrible. We made it through and and I remember one of my professors at the end. The program going. Why were you put in that group? And I go? Well, this is what happened. And they go. Yeah. I was confused as to why you made-up a Lady, Mac. Monologue and I go 'cause I couldn't remember. It it's funny, but also I didn't know that the reason. Because I had cancer, and as I was taking the train up to Edinburgh. I felt so sick and like I was going to pass out that I contemplated going to the emergency room and I didn't know what to do and I finally got there and calmed myself down and some of the symptoms went away. I went about the festival. I just was. Really off during the entire fest. Sure. Yeah. And. It's also just one of those festivals that it's like a. List item for. Actors, I mean, it's the number one theater festival in the world and comedy. In the. And yes, I never thought that I would be performing there, ever, ever.

JOHN

Yes.

MEGAN

In fact, I don't even act anymore other than the show. I haven't acted in seven years, six or seven years, and I just made the act of decision not to be an actor, not to be a part of the industry. I teach public JOHNking and I teach executive. For a. That's my full time job, but. I felt really compelled to bring this back because. Just felt very serendipitous. I was offered a spot at a theater in San Francisco over a year ago and said no. I was at a work event. I said no, but thank you. Heard about my show. My 10. Of being diagnosed came around and I thought, well, maybe hold that thought. Maybe I could. Have some things I've been thinking about. Let it. Called them up said are you? You're interested, they said. So then I rewrote the. And then I had the thought of. Why not? Why not apply? Their the reception that I got in December was. Not significantly different than. First time I performed the show 10 years ago, but. It impacted me in a different way what people were saying about and what stood out to them. And what their takeaways were were different this time around. And I. It's once again it was the sense of feeling like this was bigger than me and feeling like it's something that needs to be said. And it's one of those moments in your life, and I think they're few and far. So if you have them latch onto them, but a moment where you feel like you are giving out as much as you're getting back, the sense of Dharma, if you will.

JOHNker

It just.

MEGAN

Felt like the right there was no question. I just immediately thought I've got to. To the fringe. There were still like, should I do this with it or that with it? Immediately popped into my head and I. Said yeah, I'm. Gonna apply even though I have a full time. I'm taking a month off in August to go do this and my bosses are totally supportive, so that's it's this weird, serendipitous moment. As if the first show was meant to happen, and then the second show was meant to happen in a really different way. And I'm really excited to go. Yeah. I think it will be a really emotional. Experience when I get there. For sure.

JOHN

Now you're gonna be doing a lot of theater in Edinburgh. You gonna be watching a lot of theater? You're gonna go around and do what everyone does, which just go to plays and stand up comedy and music and have a great time.

MEGAN

I would love to. I there's a couple things that come to mind when you see that one, it is likely. Gonna probably have to work, even though I said I was taking a month off. It's likely obviously a really busy month for my own personal clients and. It's likely I'll be working full. Maybe while I'm there I'm trying time.

JOHN

Oh my God.

MEGAN

It is likely that I will have to be. At least a good chunk of the time I do. Would I?

JOHNker

And wish. I'm.

MEGAN

Definitely gonna see shows. Definitely gonna see comedy. But it's just also a matter of taking care of myself and making sure if I'm working and giving facilitating workshops, seminars while I'm there, I'm taking care of my voice. I'm. I'm. Doing how many shows? I'm doing 11 shows in 11 days and I've never done that before. Wow. And this show, let me tell. It takes it out of you. It is not an emotionally easy. It is a roller coaster of my trauma in front of everyone and part of what I do for a living outside of that is. I teach people vocal cues and things like. So JOHNking for 8 hours at a stretch at a workshop and then going and doing the show is just I have to learn how to take care of myself. It's finding I've got to find the sweet spot. I got to find the balance. I need to navigate work and all that, but the answer. The short answer is yes, I am going to see shows. Yes, I am going to see how many well in there I just don't know how much.

DON

That's zoom, you know. Hey, I'm going to take a month off. See you later. No. You can zoom from wherever you are. So.

JOHN

Right. You can't escape, you cannot.

DON

Yeah. You won't be totally off work so. Yeah, sorry about that.

JOHN

Well, our guest, our guest has been the wonderful Megan. Her show is lymphomaniac. It will be playing all over the place. You won't be able. It's it'll. It'll be an awful lot like. You won't be able to get out of its way. Playing in Los Angeles. San Francisco and as we've just been saying at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

DON

And maybe maybe New York.

JOHN

So that's 8 million people there, Meg. And but the Ed Borough Fringe Festival from August 13th to August the 24th. I know you're going to kill it. Really. Do.

MEGAN

And I. I shamelessly plug too. If you want to follow along with my journey, I follow along at lymphomaniacshow.com or you can follow me on Instagram at Lyndacom. Will also be updating my TikTok to reflect at Lymphomaniac show as well as the viral. Be the trifecta? And I'm also doing a little fundraiser. Expensive to go to the. It's gonna cost me about $25,000. So if you feel inclined, donate. I have the donation page on my website and.

DON

We will give you links. To all of her websites on our. So just go to musicalentube.com and find the entry for Megan Timpan and you'll find all that information. There.

MEGAN

Thank you so much for having. I I so appreciate it and the conversation was fun. Your questions were thoughtful. So thank you so much.

DON

We love you. Thank you, Megan.