Closet Cases

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A cathartic comedy storytelling show about the age-old tale of coming out of the closet. LGBTQ comedians and performers tell their coming out and transitioning stories hosted by Shawn Hollenbach.

Shawn Hollenbach


    • Jul 11, 2019 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 28m AVG DURATION
    • 22 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Closet Cases

    Season 2 Episode 12: Drew Tessier

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 11, 2019 43:21


    Drew Tessier grew up as a Catholic from the south with parents who played a 10-year-long game of "Chicken." He broke up with his last girlfriend on a sacred holiday as a theatre major as he had his Drew Awakening. 

    Season 2 Episode 11: Vixy Youngblood

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2019 42:40


    Queer comedian, Vixy Youngblood discusses her very liberal parents and finding her place among the LGBTQ community sans a grand coming out struggle. 

    Season 2 Episode 10: Jaye McBride

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 19, 2019 39:58


    Transgender stand-up comedian, Jaye McBride discusses her relationship with her religious family and invasive questions she gets asked by comedy goers. 

    Season 2 Episode 9: Calvin Cato

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 11, 2019 56:36


    As a child of immigrants, Calvin Cato discusses being black while going to a predominantly white affluent school and navigating the difficulties of coming out to his gaming buddies. 

    Season 2 Episode 8: Willam Belli

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 14, 2019 17:50


    You know Willam from a million things including A Star is Born and RuPaul's Drag Race Royalty. He discusses his mother catching him in the act to making his way from Philadelphia to Hollywood in his coming out story. 

    Season 2 Episode 7: Claudia Cogan

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2018 37:26


    Claudia Cogan discusses her crush on Blair Warner and her biology teacher as an early teen. We also play a fun new game called "Queer or Sneer" and discuss her mom being a quick ally. 

    Season 2 Episode 6: Adolpho Blaire

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 8, 2018 57:24


    In this episode, Adolpho Blaire discusses being out in high school, being convinced to join the wrestling team and ultimately coming out to his larger-than-life mother in a fight over watching Madonna or Miracle on 34th Street on Christmas Eve.

    Season 2 Episode 5: Brandy Rowell

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 1, 2018 39:56


    Brandy Rowell talks about her long journey in the closet, her abandonment issues as an adopted child and her own personal savior... therapy.

    Season 2 Episode 4: Michael Brill

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 25, 2018 46:33


    MAC Award Winner, Michael Brill takes us through his series of revelations in his coming out story. From performing behind the pool shed with electrical pom-poms (aka sparklers) to making amends with his brother, he covers his self-discovery growing up in Staten Island. 

    Season 2 Episode 3: David Hodorowski

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2018 41:10


    David Hodorowski talks about his first kiss with a guy based on a dare, moving in with his first boyfriend immediately and his supportive mother going with him to a Matthew Shephard memorial. 

    Season 2 Episode 2: Keith Price

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 11, 2018 54:57


    Keith Price takes us through his obsessions with West Side Story and Wonder Woman. He talks about meeting Lynda Carter in real life and how it was coming out to his immigrant father while working during his shift at a New York City strip club.

    Season 2 Episode 1: Kelsey Bailey

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2018 48:27


    Kelsey Bailey, originally from Harrisburg, PA talks about her obsession with Academy and Emmy Award Winner, Helen Hunt as a child. She shares her hilarious fan fiction from Mad About You. She also tells us how she hoped that lesbians would pull her into a gay bar before coming out of the closet.

    Closet Cases Returns

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2018 0:50


    After an eight-year hiatus, Closet Cases is returning. We're doing a live show at the legendary Stonewall Inn this Monday at 7pm with Kelsey Bailey, Michael Brill, David Hodorowski, Brandy Rowell, Keith Price and the show host Shawn Hollenbach! New episodes with a new format returns in October!

    Season 1 Episode 9: Amy Tee

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2010 12:53


    Boston native, Amy Tee comes down to New York City in her Hummer to let you know why she came out.

    Season 1 Episode 8: Scott Ryan

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 25, 2010 9:48


    Scott Ryan talks about his parents outing him and the new hand sign for gay people.

    Season 1 Episode 7: Eliot Glazer

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2010 8:55


    Eliot Glazer tells us that he didn't come out of the closet for other people to use the gays.

    Season 1 Episode 6: Elizabeth Dahmen

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2010 8:27


    Elizabeth Dahmen talks about her family and their own language.

    Season 1 Episode 5: David Hodorowski

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 31, 2010 11:55


    David Hodorowski discusses his dad in the slammer and the touching side of coming out of the closet.

    lgbt gaycomedy david hodorowski
    Season 1 Episode 4: Jackie Monahan

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 7, 2010 9:38


    Jackie Monahan discusses what she collected as a child, Joan Jet and her mother's choice in frames.

    Season 1 Episode 3: William Mullin

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2009 13:44


    William Mullin discusses his coming out to his mother...and her dog.

    Season 1 Episode 2: Brandy Rowell

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 1, 2009 11:06


    Episode 2: Brandy Rowell discusses her family conspiring to find out if she's gay and why she didn't date back in the day!

    Season 1 Episode 1: Michael Brill

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2009 12:02


    Michael Brill is the inaugural closet case! Michael talks about growing up on Staten Island and doing shows as a wee lad.

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