Five years ago, give or take, I was just wrapping up a run of a play I was in when some of the cast asked if I’d like to join their Dungeons and Dragons campaign, which was being DM’d by the director of said play.

I had previously had no real interest in playing D&D, but I did have an interest in continuing to hang out with this group of people, so I said yes. And wouldn’t you know it? It turned out I actually liked D&D.

That campaign continued throughout lockdown, and then I joined two more, both DM’d by my husband, Ross. And if that wasn’t enough D&D for me, I also started listening to actual-play tabletop roleplaying game (TTRPG) podcasts, where you literally listen to other people play D&D.

At some point, I decided I wanted to make one of those podcasts myself, and I had a great idea for it: on the day of their university graduation (because canonically, in D&D, all bards belong to a college), a group of bards find themselves the only heroes available to save their realm. If you’re familiar with D&D, you know that bards are a love-’em-or-hate-’em class whose utility to an adventuring party is hotly debated, and—theater kid that I am—I loved the idea of an entire party composed of bards, with all of their quirks and limitations.

Somehow, I managed to convince the awesome Nate Runkel of the Yo! That’s My Jawn podcast to produce, mix, and edit the podcast; several incredible members of the Mission: Rejected cast (and also my equally incredible husband) to perform on it; the extraordinarily talented Eddie Delaney to design the logo and characters for it; and The Porch Room to executive produce and distribute it.

And, after some trials and tribulations, the first episode of Oops! All Bards is out today.

Give it a listen, and like/subscribe/etc. if you feel so moved!