Life Upon the Wicked Stage

About Life Upon the Wicked Stage

Under the spotlight of arts and entertainment, Jen, Olivia, and Ashley (who are, in fact, three different people) unpack details of "murder, mayhem, and Mame" in sagas of crime, scandal, hauntings, and more!

Publisher

Upstage Right

Category

arts · true crime

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

13 Sept 2024

Latest episode

14 Aug 2026

Latest episodes

43 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   14 Aug 2026

   2nd Annual Floozy Awards

   Jen, Ashley, and Olivia host the second annual Floozie Awards for Season 3 of The Wicked Stage Pod, a true-crime podcast under arts and entertainment, using real-time voting across comedic and serious categories. They define "biggest thumb" and award it to Lou Pearlman over nominees including Charles Manson, Jerry Lee Lewis, Joseph McCarthy, Andrew Cunanan, Arthur Miller, and Alan Griffin Stanford Jr. "Creepiest old man" goes to Marilyn Monroe's boarding house predator. Best side character is Orson Welles; most unproblematic man is the boy bands; most shocking moment is the Twilight Zone helicopter crash; best surprise cameo is Alice Cooper; most wanted merch is "The blimps all crashed. We're starting a boy band." Floozy of the Year is unanimously Marilyn Monroe. They promote socials, Patreon, Spotify playlist, and sponsorships. 00:00 Listener Warning 00:16 Meet The Hosts 00:42 Floozie Awards Setup 02:53 How Voting Works 03:47 Biggest Thumb Nominees 15:58 Thumb Winner Reveal 17:36 Creepiest Old Man Category 22:51 Jen Panera Dating Story 28:57 Olivia Disney Liar Story 37:14 Boarding House Predator 38:36 Picking the Worst Floozy 39:55 Emotional Support Triscuit 44:53 Blimps to Boy Bands 46:16 Fresh Whores and Dickies 51:17 Triscuits Blimps Whores Vote 54:07 Best Side Character Nominees 01:00:47 Orson Welles Wins 01:02:58 Merch Brainstorm Aftermath 01:04:50 Most Problematic Stage Mom 01:13:23 Charlotte Shelby Takes It 01:14:12 Most Unproblematic Man 01:19:09 Boy Bands Win One 01:20:55 Most Shocking Moments 01:29:59 Best Surprise Cameos 01:32:18 Most Wanted Merch 01:35:50 Floozy of the Year 01:43:17 Season Wrap Up

2. 

   31 Jul 2026

   Athalia Ponsell Lindsley: A Florida Floozy Struck Down Too Soon

   The hosts of Life Upon the Wicked Stage introduce a true-crime/arts podcast episode about Athalia Ponsell Lindsley (born Maryanne Fetter), a wealthy Florida-raised former Powers model, Broadway chorus girl, and early TV hostess whose life later shifted to real estate, civic organizations, political activism, and inventing a patented potato-related kitchen utensil. After moving to St. Augustine, marrying former mayor James "Jinx" Lindsley, and clashing publicly with neighbor/county engineer Alan Griffin Stanford Jr. over his credentials and alleged corruption, Athalia reported he threatened her. On January 23, 1974, she and her pet blue jay Clementine were brutally killed on her porch with a machete. Evidence included an eyewitness who initially identified Stanford, a blood trail to his home, and a dumped bundle containing a machete checked out by Stanford and his bloodied clothing and watch, but police mishandling and defense arguments led to his acquittal; a friend, Frances Bemis, was later murdered while Stanford was out on bail, and both murders remain officially unsolved. 00:00 Listener Warning 00:17 Show Intro and Hosts 01:03 He-Man and Movie Chat 02:07 Small World Animatronics 04:35 Robocall Name Riff 06:50 Meet Athalia Ponsell 12:29 Old Money Origins 17:13 New York Reinvention 23:18 Modeling and Chevy Girl 33:18 Broadway Chorus Years 35:01 Game Show Hostess Era 37:34 Gossip Column Romance 41:25 Midroll Intermission Break 43:51 First Marriage Ends Fast 47:40 Florida Reinvention Years 50:58 Clubs Patents And Pedigree 53:58 Move To St Augustine 58:50 Town Politics And Prejudice 01:04:35 Feud With County Engineer 01:10:54 Threats And Case Date 01:14:28 Bathroom Stop Setup 01:16:57 Doorbell And Mailbox Walk 01:18:25 Machete Porch Attack 01:21:09 Eyewitness And Suspect ID 01:29:58 Blood Trail And Coverup 01:31:34 Dump Bundle Evidence 01:36:39 Motive And Trial Fallout 01:41:04 Acquittal And Lasting Impact 01:45:26 Closing Tribute And Signoff

3. 

   17 Jul 2026

   The Murder of Gianni Versace Part 2: Andrew Cunanan's Killing Spree

   The hosts of "Life Upon the Wicked Stage," a true-crime podcast framed through arts and entertainment, discuss the distinction between serial and spree killings while recounting Andrew Cunanan's 1997 murder spree. They describe the first two murders involving Cunanan's acquaintance Jeffrey Trail, beaten to death with a hammer in David Madson's apartment, and Madson, who was forced to travel with Cunanan and later shot near Rush Lake, Minnesota. They note law enforcement missteps, including treating the early deaths as domestic violence, delays in FBI coordination, and Cunanan not being added to the FBI Most Wanted list until June 12. They cover subsequent killings of Lee Miglin (brutally murdered and car stolen), William Reese (killed for his truck), and Gianni Versace, shot at close range outside Casa Casuarina on July 15, 1997, amid a rapid media circus and failure to warn Versace despite Cunanan's claims of knowing him. 00:00 Listener Warning 00:15 Meet the Hosts 00:41 Spree vs Serial Killers 03:08 Cunanan Case Begins 03:48 Jeffrey Trail Murder 04:42 Motive and Relationships 09:38 Confrontation at Apartment 12:35 Hostage and David Madson 16:49 Mid Episode Intermission 17:57 Law Enforcement Missteps 19:01 Police Bias Missteps 19:50 Spree Case Reforms 20:38 Miglin Brutal Murder 22:33 Truck Theft Killing 23:44 Most Wanted Delay 26:49 Versace Risk Ignored 30:24 Versace Final Morning 36:05 Media Circus Aftermath 39:01 Dove Bullet Mystery 40:16 Podcast Wrap Up

Who has been a guest on Life Upon the Wicked Stage

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Daniel Wozniak
• Julie Kiboishi
• Sam Hare
• Wesley Freelick
• Dan Wozniak

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

417

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Spotify

4.7 / 5

9 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 49 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

53

Social presence

0

YouTube

64

Engagement

51

Contact Life Upon the Wicked Stage

Guest appearances

Does not typically book guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Life Upon the Wicked Stage