Page 10

Story: Amelia, If Only

Kate: Hello, friends, and welcome back—or if you’re joining us for the first time, welcome! I’m Kate.

Anderson: And I’m Anderson.

K: And you’re listening to Pure Theatrics—

A: The podcast where two best friends and overgrown theater kids walk you through the latest and greatest drama, on and off

the stage.

K: And today, we’re unbelievably excited to welcome a pair of VERY special guests to the pod. You might recognize them from—oh,

you know—just a little YouTube skit called “Locker Room.”

A: I mean, it’s pretty niche. It’s only hovering around... what, three million views, at the time of recording?

K: Okay, real talk—how many of those views do you think are us?

A: ANYWAY! We are beyond excited to introduce the very funny and talented duo behind the buzzy new YouTube channel, Drama Clash!

Hayden Geller and Walter Holland, welcome to the pod!

Hayden: Happy to be here!

A: So, you two are actually both still in high school, right? Hayden, you’re a... sophomore? And Walter, you’re a freshman?

Walter: Guilty as charged.

A: laughs It’s okay! We’re freshmen too.

K: stage whisper In college.

A: So you guys actually met in drama class, right?

speaking over each other

W: Well, tech—

H: We did! We—

W: Haha—you go first.

H: No, you’re good!

W: It’s fine! I was just saying we technically went to middle school together, but yeah, we didn’t really know each other well

yet.

H: But look at us now.

K: laughs I read that you guys became, like, best friends, basically overnight. I imagine an experience like this—going as

viral as you went with “Locker Room”—that has to bond you, right?

H: Oh, yeah. It’s been quite a ride. laughs

A: Hopefully in a good way?

H: Definitely.

W: Mostly.

H: laughs It’s a lot.

K: I can imagine! What’s been the weirdest part so far?

W: Huh. For me... I guess it’s the, like, split reality of it all? Like, we go to school and it’s business as usual. Math

quizzes, cafeteria food—you know. But then you come home and open up your email, and it’s like—oh, interview request! Oh,

we’re a trending sound now!

H: Listen, I came home from school one day, and we’d gotten over twenty thousand new followers. Just that day. I’m like...

are you all lost?

everyone laughs

W: I literally thought it was a glitch! I was like... should we report this?

A: I’m obsessed with this.

K: Me too! Wow. So, like, how much pressure was it to follow that up with another big hit?

W: laughs Lots and lots of pressure.

H: Yeah, we actually filmed two entire skits that... let’s just say they weren’t quite ready for prime time.

W: Oh God. Yeah. Burn them. Please.

H: So I think what ultimately helped was deciding to just loosen the reins a little. Like, if we wanted to do a skit—great.

Another uke cover—great. If we wanted to just pick a topic and shoot the shit for a little on camera—also great. I’d say that

made things a little less intimidating.

K: That makes total sense to me.

A: Yup. And you guys have such insane chemistry, too, especially on video, it really works.

H: laughs Chemistry, huh?

A: Friend chemistry! laughs Or—look, I don’t know. You tell us!