Our 3 favorite podcast episodes of 2025, plus the live story that still has everyone asking “What was in the box?”
Our year-end gift to story lovers everywhere.
Hello, Sacramento story lovers and beyond! We’re wrapping up 2025 here in Nutshell Land and thought you might like to listen to some stories and interviews while you’re preparing for the in-laws and grandbabies or packing the ol’ vehicle for a long drive to the airport or your least visited relatives or that batch of friends who like to gather for the holidays and blow their holiday card cash on casinos and dumplings (shout-out to Aaron Carnes! See ya at the slots, bay-bee!). And then we’re sharing with you a video from our LIVE storytelling show because Happy Xmas and all the other ways you celebrate this time of year!
Here are each of our favorite podcast episodes from 2025 (the paid versions are even better, I’m telling ya, well worth the price of admission. Here and here and here, if you’re feeling loosy-goosy.)
Our favorite podcast episodes:
Keith’s favorite:
Amy’s favorite:
Aaron’s favorite:
Podcast in 2026
We still have a few episodes being edited, and then we’ll be back out there, talking to the storytellers who’ve performed at our show to learn more about the stories behind the stories. What to look for in 2026: We’re changing the name of our podcast to . . . well, something different. Turns out our podcast, named as it is (Prompt), is getting buried by tons of AI content. So we’re going simple, like Nutshell or The Nutshell or Nutshell Presents or Nutshell Stories . . . we don’t know yet. Have an opinion/preference? Speak up! I always like hearing what you have to say.
LIVE Storytelling show 2026
Have you seen the shows slated at the fabulous Sofia Theatre for 2026? Here they are. I bet you could call the box office and get tickets to any show that piques your fancy! (916-443-0394) I KNOW, it’s totally weird to use your phone for phone calls, but some people still do it. And that’s okay; we love them anyway.💜
JAN 23: Drugs Are Nice (FYI, The Sofia asked us to change this to “Stories of Substance” for their promotional materials, so if you see that name anywhere, it’s referring to this!) Not all drug stories end in disaster. Some end in joy, connection, transformation, hilarity, or that one unforgettable night you still think about. These are the stories of drugs done right. ( Teller Sneak Peek: Shane Mauss, Kimberlli Joy)
FEB 27: In Defense Of . . . Every one of us has something we’ll go to bat for: a strange habit, an unpopular opinion, a sketchy hobby, a once-maligned ex, a misunderstood food, a questionable life choice. These stories champion the things we probably shouldn’t defend, but absolutely will. (Teller Sneak Peek: Kiry Shabazz, Meghna Bhat, Brian Copeland, JP Frary)
MAR 27: All You Can Eat Stories about the meals that shaped us, the cravings that controlled us, the dinners that went wrong, and the food moments we’ll never forget. From sketchy buffets to secret family recipes, this night is all flavor, no filler.
APR 17: Take This Job and #$&! Work makes heroes, villains, fools, and escape artists of us all. These are the stories from the trenches: horrible bosses, dream jobs gone sideways, workplace breakdowns, breakthroughs, and the unforgettable moments that made us quit… or stay. (Teller Sneak Peek: Jessica Robinson, Corey Rosen, Gloria Jones)
MAY 15: Cults, Crackpots & Swindlers A night of deception, devotion, delusion, and the people who convinced us (or tried to) to follow them down the rabbit hole. Jaw-dropping tales of the bizarre, the charismatic, the manipulative, and the true believers who got swept up in it. (Teller Sneak Peek: Johnny Taylor Jr)
JUN 26: NSFW The stories we should probably never tell in public… and definitely shouldn’t put in writing. Sexy, messy, awkward, funny, embarrassing, and deliciously human. A wild summer night of don’t-tell-HR tales.
JUL 31: Best in Show Pets have a way of running our lives, breaking our hearts, and saving us in the smallest, strangest moments. This night is all about the animals who shaped us from the beloved, the bonkers, and the badly behaved, to the ones we still miss. Joyful, tender, and full of surprise. (Teller Sneak Peek: Manual Camacho, Zai Gulmohar, Chip Powell)
AUG 28: Epic Fails We tried. We really did. These are the beautifully catastrophic stories of plans that exploded, leaps that flopped, and moments so cringe we became better people… eventually. A joyful celebration of glorious failure. (Teller Sneak Peek: Keri Keirnan, Max Houghton)
SEP 25: The Long Way Home Road trips, detours, reroutes, misadventures, and the unexpected journeys that changed us. Whether across the country or just across town, these are the stories of how we got lost, got found, and finally made it home. (Teller Sneak Peek: Maryam Moosavi, Kathleen Taylor)
OCT 16: Dark Hearts Twisted romance, haunted love, breakups with teeth, devotion gone sideways, and the relationships that reshaped us in all the wrong (and maybe right) ways. Moody, funny, eerie, and deeply human. (Teller Sneak Peek: Regina Stoops)
DEC 11: UNresolute Forget fresh starts; this night is about the resolutions we abandoned, the habits that won, the cycles we repeated, and the freedom of letting go of perfection. Stories about trying, failing, trying again… or deciding not to. (Teller Sneak Peek: Silvana Clark)
ALSO
We are so excited to have Wild Sisters Book Co. at every one of our shows in 2026! They’re gonna bring some books for you to peruse and purchase, all curated to the theme of the show. And if a teller has a book, bet your britches Wild Sisters is gonna have that book available. By the way, if you’ve never visited their bookstore in East Sac, go check them out. Not only do they have an excellent selection of books, but they also have millions of fun things going on: classes, clubs, get-togethers, signings. . . I don’t know how they do it. Those sisters are a whirlwind of fun and energy. I think they officiate weddings, too? I don’t know, don’t quote me on that. But I wouldn’t put it past them.
AND NOW . . .
For you, my favorite people in the whole world, lovers of story and live events and enjoying your community while there’s still community to enjoy, from us Nutshells at IAN to all of you, THEE story that no DOUBT stayed in everyone’s mind long after the show, told by the Story Pope himself, the rapscillion of rapscillions, JP Frary:
Merry Xmas, Sacramento and beyond! We can’t wait to see you in 2026!
If you love knowing why a story landed, how it was shaped, or what got left out, that’s what we do for paid subscribers. Paid subscribers get extended versions of our podcast interviews, the behind-the-scenes conversations that don’t make the free newsletter. Supporting the podcast also helps us keep producing live shows and making weird, wonderful, heartfelt things in Sacramento. No pressure, just an open invitation if you want to go deeper.