Your Dark Companion Podcast

Mike Rhyner pulls up a barstool with Matt Lyle (playwright/agent of chaos) and Max Hartman (actor/true believer) to unpack The Trade—a sharp, satirical stage play where Luka “gets shipped” to the Lakers… strictly in parody land. It’s a Greek tragedy with punchlines, puppets (yes, a giant one), and the kind of Dallas sports heartbreak that only theater can make weirdly healing.
In between a studio lightning strike (because of course), a Rangers victory lap, and Shoopy’s drive-by quips, the gang digs into how you spin sports calamity into catharsis, why comedy is the only way to survive a news cycle like that, and what it’s like rewiring a script on the fly while your opening night anxiety does suicides in the lobby.
Come for the Mavs angst. Stay for the craft: character builds, last-minute rewrites, staging a sports scandal with style—and the reminder that, sometimes, parody tells the truth better than a press conference.
⏱️ Chapters
00:02 — “Thunder, Meet Rangers”A literal lightning strike says hello as the crew toasts a World Series and checks if the breakers—and Mike—are still alive.
03:13 — “Luka to the… Lakers? Relax, It’s Theater”Max and Matt introduce The Trade: a satirical fever dream, not Woj-bomb reality. (Everyone breathe.)
05:08 — “Friendship, Grief, and a Giant Puppet”Building characters from fan trauma, plus the Patrick Dumont mega-puppet cameo you didn’t know you needed.
08:17 — “When Sports News Feels Like a Prank”Remember that day you refreshed your phone 400 times? They bottle that energy—then set it on stage.
11:32 — “Greek Tragedy in a Jersey”Matt on using pain and rage for laughs (the good kind), and why parody hits where pressers won’t.
17:20 — “The Trade: A Comedy Built on a Collapse”How to stage the unstageable: tone, pace, and keeping the crowd howling without twisting the knife.
24:24 — “CBD Time-Out”A mid-show pit stop at CBD House of Healing. (Because opening nights and sports fandom both need balm.)
26:48 — “Rewrite, Rehearse, Repeat”The breakneck cycle of writing in April, staging by fall, and changing lines five minutes before curtain.
29:30 — “Parody vs. Press Release”Sports drama on stage vs. in real life—and why one of them actually gives you closure.
34:44 — “Stage Fright & Film Fights”Max on opening-night nerves, theater vs. film rhythms, and making the laugh land on two.
40:29 — “Tell a Friend, Bring a Frenemy”Mike’s parting shot: subscribe, share, and yes—argue with us in the comments. It’s tradition.
Follow Your Dark Companion on Patreon for every episode: patreon.com/YourDarkCompanion
IG: https://www.instagram.com/yourdarkcompanion/X: https://x.com/YDC_DfwTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yourdarkcompanionFB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559876685445
The Old Grey Wolf: X: https://x.com/TheOldGreyWolfIG: https://www.instagram.com/theoldgreywolf16/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikerhyner579
To reach out email us at: Info@Stolenwatermedia.com

Show Notes

Mike Rhyner pulls up a barstool with Matt Lyle (playwright/agent of chaos) and Max Hartman (actor/true believer) to unpack The Trade—a sharp, satirical stage play where Luka “gets shipped” to the Lakers… strictly in parody land. It’s a Greek tragedy with punchlines, puppets (yes, a giant one), and the kind of Dallas sports heartbreak that only theater can make weirdly healing.

In between a studio lightning strike (because of course), a Rangers victory lap, and Shoopy’s drive-by quips, the gang digs into how you spin sports calamity into catharsis, why comedy is the only way to survive a news cycle like that, and what it’s like rewiring a script on the fly while your opening night anxiety does suicides in the lobby.

Come for the Mavs angst. Stay for the craft: character builds, last-minute rewrites, staging a sports scandal with style—and the reminder that, sometimes, parody tells the truth better than a press conference.

⏱️ Chapters

00:02 — “Thunder, Meet Rangers”
A literal lightning strike says hello as the crew toasts a World Series and checks if the breakers—and Mike—are still alive.

03:13 — “Luka to the… Lakers? Relax, It’s Theater”
Max and Matt introduce The Trade: a satirical fever dream, not Woj-bomb reality. (Everyone breathe.)

05:08 — “Friendship, Grief, and a Giant Puppet”
Building characters from fan trauma, plus the Patrick Dumont mega-puppet cameo you didn’t know you needed.

08:17 — “When Sports News Feels Like a Prank”
Remember that day you refreshed your phone 400 times? They bottle that energy—then set it on stage.

11:32 — “Greek Tragedy in a Jersey”
Matt on using pain and rage for laughs (the good kind), and why parody hits where pressers won’t.

17:20 — “The Trade: A Comedy Built on a Collapse”
How to stage the unstageable: tone, pace, and keeping the crowd howling without twisting the knife.

24:24 — “CBD Time-Out”
A mid-show pit stop at CBD House of Healing. (Because opening nights and sports fandom both need balm.)

26:48 — “Rewrite, Rehearse, Repeat”
The breakneck cycle of writing in April, staging by fall, and changing lines five minutes before curtain.

29:30 — “Parody vs. Press Release”
Sports drama on stage vs. in real life—and why one of them actually gives you closure.

34:44 — “Stage Fright & Film Fights”
Max on opening-night nerves, theater vs. film rhythms, and making the laugh land on two.

40:29 — “Tell a Friend, Bring a Frenemy”
Mike’s parting shot: subscribe, share, and yes—argue with us in the comments. It’s tradition.


Follow Your Dark Companion on Patreon for every episode: 
patreon.com/YourDarkCompanion

IG: https://www.instagram.com/yourdarkcompanion/
X: https://x.com/YDC_Dfw
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@yourdarkcompanion
FB: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559876685445

The Old Grey Wolf: 
X: https://x.com/TheOldGreyWolf
IG: https://www.instagram.com/theoldgreywolf16/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@mikerhyner579

To reach out email us at: Info@Stolenwatermedia.com



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Creators and Guests

Host
Mike Rhyner
Mike Rhyner… "a little on the bumpy side, but rather likable"…so stated famously by a grade school teacher in Oak Cliff, where Mike grew up. A complicated guy, yet a guy who can do long division and remember call strike three to A Rod. Probably best left unattended. Don't expect assistance from him if a medical situation arises.

What is Your Dark Companion Podcast?

"Whatever I want it to be about on a given day; is what it is." Your Dark Companion couples your familiar friends from radio, Mike and Grubes! Mike brings his classic interviews that draw you in, and Grubes—The Devil—drops…well the drops, and throws the occasional grenade. Mike likes to draw on his fascinating acquaintances and friends allowing them to tell their stories as you've never heard them. But he also goes outside his network, sharing Grubes' network, and often outside of both, to bring you those they don't know, but believe have a story that will make you laugh, make you think, think differently, or just entertain you…"that's what we are trying to do here."