This transcript was automatically generated and might contain errors.

[0:00] Dora Dolphin: Hey, I'm Dora Dolphin, and you're listening to The Art of Kindness.

[0:09] Robert Peterpaul: Hello, beautiful people. Welcome to The Art of Kindness, where we have compassionate conversations with artists from all areas of the entertainment industry who are using their voice to spread joy and make this big spinning planet in the universe a better place to be. I'm Robert Peterpaul, and I'm so glad you're here.

[0:30] Robert Peterpaul: Hello, friends. Happy holiday season. I hope you're enjoying it with your loved ones and that they are truly merry and bright. I am thrilled to bring you a guest who is fantastic and a little strange. Truly speaking with this person was a gift. Honestly, I don't know what other way to describe it. Then she felt like Christmas. We're talking with Dora Dolphin. Dora Dolphin is a performer who has shown her beautiful light on projects like Disney Channel's Villains of the Valley and Nickelodeon's The Loud House, which kind of sounds like how I grew up. This past year, Dora turned her career upside down, making her Broadway debut as young Karen Wheeler in Stranger Things: The First Shadow, which is an epic play.

I am such a fan of Stranger Things, the show and the series, which I guess could be either one. Did y'all see season five yet? Woo. Anyway, I got to go see the show with my brother Will and his lovely girlfriend, Christina. Shout out, hey. And we had the most incredible time. I was struck by Dora's stage presence, but also the fact that she had written "kindness is key" in her Playbill bio. Her and I were lucky to have such a phenomenal conversation on kindness and of course, Stranger Things. I hope you enjoy, friends. I also hope maybe the giving holiday spirit will move you to find us on socials at Art of Kindness Pod and at Rob Peter Paul. We would love to connect with you there. And you can also leave us a five-star review wherever you listen to podcasts.

I know it's weird to say, but it truly means the world and helps get our message of kindness out there. Now without further ado, wait, what was that? That was strange. Anyway, without further ado, here's the delightful Dora Dolphin.

[2:57] Robert Peterpaul: Dora, I have to say, I am so thrilled that you are here today. I'm the biggest Stranger Things fan. And so when I saw the show, we were blown away. And then I was looking at the program and thinking about who from the show maybe would be great to interview. And I just came across your bio, which said "kindness is key." Yeah. And I said, okay, done. I was like, who is this angel?

[3:36] Dora Dolphin: Oh, you're so sweet. That's so kind of you. I've always loved kindness. I mean, I think my first Instagram bio when I first got Instagram in like 2012, it was "kindness is key." And it's always been a saying that I live by and something my mom taught me. So yeah, I really wanted that in my bio because I think it's so important to me. And I'm happy you saw it.

[3:59] Robert Peterpaul: I love that. Is Joan your mom? Because I see Joan. Okay, shout out to Joan.

[4:04] Dora Dolphin: Shout out Joan. We love you.

[4:06] Robert Peterpaul: We love you, Joan. We love you, mom. And you killed it in the show. And I quickly found in doing a little bit of research on you that you consistently have had "kindness is key" in your bio or sort of at the forefront of conversations, which is what we're going to talk about today through the lens of your career. And I just thank you for doing that. It's so important as a role model. Now people looking up to you get to think about kindness and feel kindness, which I think we need more than ever in this world. So thank you.

[4:33] Dora Dolphin: Thank you. I was literally gonna say the same thing to you. Because I think I admire you so much. And I've been watching your podcast. And I think you radiate such light. And you're doing such a good job with promoting kindness in such a beautiful way. And I just I commend you like truly, it's incredible.

[4:53] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, thank you. Okay, Dora, if you watched a little bit, you may know the first question I always like to ask is how are you at accepting compliments? And I feel as though you just turned my compliment to you on to me. So maybe that's what you do because you're a kind person. But how are you? You probably get so many at the stage door now too. So how has that process been?

[5:15] Dora Dolphin: Yeah, I think, you know, I definitely think I tend to deflect a little bit because I just love giving when I receive love. I love to give love as well. But um, I think it's been a journey with accepting compliments. I think when I was younger, it was a little bit harder, because I think, as artists, I think we have high expectations for ourselves and can be bits of perfectionists. So I think it used to be harder for me to do that because I couldn't see myself the way that other people see me. And I think that was like a confidence thing. But I think as I've grown, and actually, I feel like the show Stranger Things has helped me grow a lot is now I look at a compliment as such an act of kindness, and just a gift honestly, that someone would put themselves out there to compliment you, there's a vulnerability in that.

So now I really try to accept it and just like sit in it and believe it. Oh, but yeah, and when people compliment me at stage door, it is like the kindest thing. I just I love it. And it means so much to me for them to like support me. And yeah, I love when they say that I'm funny. So I'm like, Yes, I did my job.

[6:28] Robert Peterpaul: Yes. Oh my gosh, you definitely bring the laughs in this show and so many different notes and colors and just hearing you talk to you have like this kind of old movie star quality to you that just radiates and glows. And so it's interesting to hear you talk about perfectionism. That was one of the questions I had for you. But before we get there, I think you grew up in California. Unless I'm making that up. Is that true?

[6:52] Dora Dolphin: A little bit. It's partly I, uh,

[6:54] Robert Peterpaul: Okay, I saw a backstage profile that said California. I tried to do a deep dive. And I was like, where is Dora?

[7:00] Dora Dolphin: Where in the world is Dora? Yeah, there we go. I grew up in Minnesota. Okay. So I lived there until I was about 13. And then I moved out to California to pursue acting film and television stuff. To really pursue my dreams. My parents took me out there. And I've lived out there for six or seven years, give or take. And then I moved out to New York for Stranger Things. So I'm a new New Yorker. I'm a Minnesota Minnesotan at heart. And a little bit of California sprinkled in there.

[7:36] Robert Peterpaul: Welcome. Welcome. I always say this to my wife because she works with the education board of Minnesota. Like her job is in the education space. I want to give her a mini Diet Coke or something. I'm like mini soda. She's like, that's dumb. But I am dumb. I'm corny. I guess from Minnesota to LA to now New York. Have you noticed ways that people are kind, like differentiating ways people are kind in these different places?

[8:05] Dora Dolphin: Yes, I definitely think there is differences in the three places. Minnesota is known for like Minnesota nice. That's on a lot of our merch. It's, I think, more of an outward kindness in Minnesota. You can see people on the street and people smile and you grow up kind of going out of your way to talk to people and make friends. I think New York people keep to themselves a little more. I think but there's still so much kindness. I think it's like the more you get to know people I think here like the more you see their kindness come out. And then in California. It's a mix of both. I think I think it depends. I think a lot of people come out to California and New York. So I feel like those have a mix. Yeah, like Minnesota is this little like it feels a little more like a small town vibe.

[9:00] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, I love a cozy small town. Well, that makes me curious to you know, from growing up there to now. What do you feel like your definition of kindness is or was and how has it evolved? Because you have kindness is key everywhere. But I would love to break that down a little bit and really just hear what kindness means to you.

[9:18] Dora Dolphin: Honestly, oh gosh, I'm so happy I'm here today with you because this is so fun to talk about for me.

[9:23] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, I'm so happy. I'm gonna lift my chair up. I'm like, whoa. I know. I'm like on a roller coaster ride, which Stranger Things it's it's relevant because your show kind of is an amusement park ride in a lot of ways. Anyway, continue.

[9:37] Dora Dolphin: Over the place. I love it. I my definition of kindness is, is truly leading with love. And the reason why I promote kindness is key so much is because I truly feel like kindness is the key to everything. If we were all to lead with more kindness and compassion. I think our world could be such like a more beautiful place. I think kindness is consideration. It's considering how, how your actions affect other people. And it's making people smile with the little things. It's, it's making people happy. I, I think for me at a young age in school, I really took to heart that lesson that we all learn the golden rule. I don't know if I've ever learned that but treat people the way you want to be treated.

And I think that's true like the foundation for kindness. But how am I how it's changed throughout the years, I would say, like, as a kid, I think kindness comes so naturally to us. I think on the playground, it's just like, let's play, let's play. And we're all, you know, it's fun and stuff. And I think as we get older, I think kindness becomes more of a choice. Because I think we go through stuff. And I think the things that we go through tend to jade us and it causes you to and it's not as easy to be kind, if that makes any sense. And I think it becomes a choice. And I it's a choice that I've wanted to make. Every single time I meet someone because I just love brightening people's day and making people happy. And I just love that.

[11:14] Robert Peterpaul: Okay, Dora, you're brilliant. Because that is something I feel like a lot of us have had to learn that kindness is a choice. It's it's more active than let's say, I mean, there it is like candy and puppies sometimes, but it's also dark things too. I mean, if we look at Stranger Things as a story, there's a lot of darkness and kindness could have been the key maybe to changing the plot if we could talk about that later on. But I think that's such a beautiful definition because it empowers people. It's something we need in this world. And I'm so grateful that you're here. I feel like I should give you the show to just host from now on because I mean, you seem like it's in your blood. I'm like, okay, take my microphone. Here we go.

[11:53] Dora Dolphin: No, no, no, that's all you. That's all you know. But I wonder, do you feel like there was an act of kindness early on that changed your trajectory in the arts? It sounds like you had a lot of support, which is beautiful.

[12:06] Dora Dolphin: Yeah, I honestly, well, it makes me emotional. I really I give it all to my mom and my dad. It's I think I was very blessed to grow up with parents who saw from a young age what I was passionate about, and just supported me in every single way and sacrifice so much. And I think that selflessness taught me so much. And I just love them so much for doing that, for me, because I mean, all the little things that we do as actors, like spending hours memorizing lines and reading them back and forth and go driving me to auditions or getting the acting classes, whatever it may be, it's like they were there for me. And a lot of my need to be kind comes from them, I think, because seeing my parents, they kind of went out of their way to be kind to everyone and make friends with people.

I mean, we'd go to a Starbucks and it was like, Hey, how you doing? Yeah, I'm still like that at the theater. I'm really close friends with the people at the Starbucks in the Marriott Marquis theater.

[13:14] Robert Peterpaul: Oh yeah, I know. Oh my God. They're awesome. So I think that's awesome. I grew up with going to a cheesecake factory and the best talk about I mean, the Bible, the menu that they have there is insane. I can talk about that for brown bread. I know the brown bread, it's warm. There's the butter that comes with it. They give you cheesecake on your birthday. Maybe in high school, we would say it was our birthday when it wasn't but that's okay. We still got the cheesecake.

[13:43] Dora Dolphin: I know. I know. Yeah, I knew him all there in Minnesota. So it's like, Oh, I love that made friends wherever you go. Imagine if we all kind of did that in the world if we felt safe to and even just saying hi to people on the street, especially in New York is such a vulnerable, hard thing, right? You know, it feels weird, even just smiling at somebody. Sometimes we talk about that a lot on here. But it is a choice. And I really loved what you said earlier to about tapping into your inner child because when we're kids, this comes naturally to us. And I think that also applies to acting right? When we're kids, we're just doing it for the play. We're doing it because it's fun. And then all these business things start to get in the way as you get older, and maybe you start to overthink things.

And so I wonder before we get into First Shadow, I would just love to fly over your sort of iconic voiceover career. And then you know, the Disney show you were on, I wanted to ask you sort of about what we touched on before, which is with something like Loud House, or even filming for Disney Channel, when you know, it's going to live on forever.

[14:41] Dora Dolphin: Yeah. Have you felt that pressure on yourself to be quote, unquote, perfect? And how have you navigated that?

[14:50] Dora Dolphin: Yeah, I think, you know, being in children's television, I think there is a little bit of a pressure to be a role model. But I feel like that was also, you know, it's kind of like with great power comes great responsibility from Spider-Man. It's not Spider-Man. Yeah, it's a blessing, though, because I think I felt excited to do that for kids and to be a role model. I think that's, it does create a bit of a perfectionism. I think, I think this industry creates a bit of a perfectionism, which is yeah, rejection. And it's a lot, but I think there was a bit of pressure, especially with Loud House playing a character that was already known. For kids in like an animated form, I really wanted to do it justice because I know they love their Loud House characters.

And I love Lenny. I play Lenny Loud. There was a bit of pressure with that. It was a different side of the spectrum with Disney because I played a supervillain. I couldn't be nice there. I was like, shoot, I can't be kind.

[15:56] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, there you go. You're like the hardest acting challenge ever.

[15:59] Dora Dolphin: Oh, yeah. I talk about destroying people's families all the time. Oh, my God. Oh, my gosh. That's wild. Oh, no.

[16:05] Robert Peterpaul: That's what's fun about acting, right? You get to do different things.

[16:08] Dora Dolphin: True. Yeah, we got a family or two being destroyed and some pets in Stranger Things, which we'll get to. But I will say I had recently, I've auditioned for Loud House a couple times randomly. And so I learned about the show. And I started to see the fan base. And it really is a very popular beloved show. So I can see what you're saying, especially when you're kind of doing a matching of a voice or stepping into a character that's known. And I love that you kind of mentioned them because that leans into the love of it versus maybe the fear you have.

[16:39] Dora Dolphin: Exactly. I try to focus on the good. And just remember that like bravery isn't like the absence of fear. It's through the fear. So I think focusing on the positive helps with pushing through that fear.

[16:57] Robert Peterpaul: Well, okay. Speaking of fear, let's talk about auditions. Stranger Things on Broadway, we got to get into the first shadow here. First of all, were you a fan of the show when you got the audition? Like everybody else in the world?

[17:07] Dora Dolphin: Absolutely. Stranger Things is one of my absolute favorite TV shows. I've actually watched the show four times all the way through.

[17:18] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, wow.

[17:19] Dora Dolphin: So I'm a big fan. And I think I actually auditioned for Max, who Sadie Sink plays way back in the day.

[17:26] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, cool.

[17:27] Dora Dolphin: And that was when I had first seen Stranger Things is I went and watched season one. And then I was like, wait, this has got me hooked. I love this show keeps you on the edge of your seat.

[17:36] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah.

[17:36] Dora Dolphin: And then I think I auditioned for like Chrissy and Angela as well.

[17:40] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, so they've known you. You've kind of been in that world for a long time.

[17:44] Dora Dolphin: Yeah. It's always been a dream to be involved with something Stranger Things. I'm like, I feel so honored to be a part of this now.

[17:51] Robert Peterpaul: Well, what was that audition process like then? I mean, it sounds like they knew you, the show had been in London, where I know, you know, they got mock sides. It was a very mysterious sort of process. What was your audition process like for Broadway?

[18:03] Dora Dolphin: My audition process for this show was actually quite wild. I auditioned back in 2022 for the original workshop for Stranger Things, The First Shadow. So it was actually in a really odd time of my life where I was deciding if I wanted to do the Loud House series. And I originally had signed on for movies. And I just I was guided with by my team to not go forward with the series just because I had already done it. I just felt like I needed to grow and just do something different and stretch my wings a little. That was really hard because anytime I get something, I'm so grateful for whatever I received that it was hard to let that go. Especially because I love that character. And I love that fan base and the people I worked with. So that was hard. But I had just said no to that project. And two weeks later, I got the audition for this.

[19:03] Robert Peterpaul: Wow. It sounds like you had a good team then that maybe knew something was coming.

[19:08] Dora Dolphin: Yes. Shout out. Shout out to them. I love them so much. And it just shows like your choices truly mean so much because you never know what you could miss out on. But yeah, so I auditioned for the original workshop. I did two different self tapes. I did one and I did a callback for two different characters. It was really mysterious. It was called the Untitled Stephen Daldry Project. And the sides were like fake sides. I was like, what is this? And then I actually went in person and they took my phone away. They gave me the real sides. And I saw that I was going for Karen, young Karen Wheeler. And I was like, okay, I like this. I like this. So yeah, I ended up getting the original workshop in 2022 and working on it that fall. And we presented it to the Duffers and presented it to Netflix. And they basically were getting it kind of ready to go to the West End.

[20:06] Robert Peterpaul: Hold the 80s phone. This is a ring light, which I'm like my ring lights not doing great today. I need to know. Talk about, I guess, sort of your mental well being or state going in front of the Duffer Brothers and Netflix. How did you get through that?

[20:17] Dora Dolphin: That was probably one of the scariest moments of my life. I mean, it's already nerve wracking working with Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin and Kate Trefry, who are such incredible artists. And I'm just amazed by them. So that was nerve wracking in itself. But then to do the workshop and know that I was performing it for the Duffers, their characters, like, because I wanted to do Karen Wheeler justice, but I also wanted to bring myself into it and pay homage to what Kara Buono does so incredibly in the series. So I was nervous. It was so crazy. I remember one of my castmates and I started singing the song from High School Musical. What is it? This is the last time to get it right. This is.

[21:02] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, yeah. Yeah.

[21:08] Dora Dolphin: By saying that before I performed it for the Duffers. So that kind of got me going mind over mouth. Yeah, it all comes back to High School Musical. And in a way, it's a high school musical. There are spoiler alert, some musical numbers, which I didn't expect. You're giving us everything we want on Broadway. And so I stopped you halfway through. But then you get the audition. How many sort of rounds did you have to go through?

[21:25] Dora Dolphin: So for the workshop, I did one self tape, and then I got a call back. I did another self tape, and it was two different characters. And then they were like, we have a different character for you that we think you're perfect for. And she's a homecoming queen type. So we didn't really even have character descriptions. It was very like one word character descriptions. And then I went in person. I called I did a cold read.

[21:54] Robert Peterpaul: Wow. Sometimes those are good, though, because then you can't overthink it. You're just like going on your instincts.

[21:58] Dora Dolphin: Yeah, yeah, exactly. So I think that helped a bit to just let myself be free. And I, I think that was the moment I just breathed and was like, if this is meant for me, it will be for me. It's all I can do is just put it all out on the floor. And if it's meant to, it'll work out. And then the next day, I got put on hold. And then I got the workshop a couple days later. And then I had very good signs that if it went to Broadway, I get to continue with it. So I wait, it's been three years where I was like, Oh, I really hope this works out. And then it's like the Shrek song, the waiting. It's like waiting, waiting.

[22:37] Robert Peterpaul: That's hard. Yeah. Um, but then last summer, it came back around. I was actually in the finals for this other Broadway show, The Hills of California. It ended up coming back around where they asked for my availability for this year. And then I was in town for Hills of California. So they were like, why don't you come in and like, we'll see if you look the same. It's been a few years. Why don't you read the sides? And I was like, sure. And I came in and I got to see Steven and Justin again, wonderful, amazing directors. And they and then I ended up getting it and it was just such a blessing. And I can't believe I'm on Broadway.

[23:13] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, my gosh. Well, well deserved. And I'm so excited for you. This show, as we touched on before, it centers around empathy or lack thereof. What has being in it thus far taught you about the way we treat others? I know you had the golden rule growing up. And I work with an organization that has actually studied the science behind the golden rule as well. So it is sort of rooted in science, too. But, you know, I learned that as well, Catholic school growing up. And I wonder, what has it changed about your perspective as a kind person going into this?

[23:45] Dora Dolphin: Thank you. I think definitely, I don't think people are born, not good people. I think the things we go through in life really shape us and how we choose to navigate those events, I think truly shape us and how other people treat us. And that's another thing with this show is I think it definitely shows that how important kindness is because you don't know how your actions affect other people. And maybe if someone had just smiled at Henry Creel a little more, who knows?

[24:20] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, exactly. And it is like he has this one spark and moment of kindness that's maybe too late that he finds in the high school. But then at home, it's not matched up. There's not really kindness at home. It's like the mom's sort of pretending sometimes to be kind to him and but is really scared of him. And so it's interesting. You know, I was trying to think if there was one thing in the show that could have gone differently and if kindness had stepped in, how the plot could have turned out differently. But then it's crazy to see how when he gets the kindness in the end. I mean, this isn't really a spoiler because if you've watched Stranger Things, not fast forward, but he gets the kindness from maybe the wrong source or feels like it's kindness with the hamster. I can't even talk about that. What happens at the end? But yes, it's just interesting.

[25:10] Dora Dolphin: Yeah. Like, do you feel like there's a moment in the show where maybe it could have gone another direction for Henry?

[25:18] Dora Dolphin: I think Paddy showing him kindness and love and seeing the good in him was the closest he got to maybe turning things around. I think that that shows so much because I think he was like going downhill and she like almost like, do you know what I mean? I think that just shows how powerful that can be of like seeing the good in someone. And I think a lot we we judge people at face value and kind of like, you know, don't judge a book by its cover kind of thing. And I think she didn't do that. I think she saw him at his core more. I think if more people had done that, I think if his mom had stopped pushing down and being like, you're normal, you're normal, and accepted him for who he was, and just gave him a little more love, led with love, maybe Henry would have had a different outcome.

[26:12] Robert Peterpaul: Well, it's interesting, too, because at the start of the show, to your point earlier, we think we know these caricatures. I mean, it's like, we have the homecoming queen cheerleader, we have the football player, we have the thespians, the theater kids. And what I appreciate about your performance is that you're sort of not the stereotypical mean girl. It's like, sort of like a homecoming queen, maybe we haven't seen before. And I think Stranger Things always does that brilliantly. It's like they show you people in the beginning, and then by the end, you see them at least a little differently. And I mean, there's a lot of storylines, they balance in the show super well. I saw that you got to meet your on screen counterpart, the OG Karen Wheeler, even though you're kind of the OG, because you're the younger version at the show's opening night, Kara, and you called her extremely kind on Instagram in your caption I saw. Can you talk to me about the kindness of that moment?

[27:06] Dora Dolphin: Oh, that was the biggest dream come true to meet her. I've spent three years working on this character. And I watched a lot of Stranger Things leading up to prepare for this show. A lot of watching Kara as Karen and trying to dissect what happened kind of in between the events of the show and high school in high school. And trying to implement what she does so brilliantly, but also what would she be like as a teenager in high school. And I felt like there's such a brightness to her in high school, which was a lot of fun to play with. And I think life kind of beats her down a bit before they see the events of the first season. But I do think you see a lot of that light in in Karen, especially season three and stuff like that of Stranger Things. So I spent a lot of time watching Kara. So to meet her was so exciting. And she is so kind and treats people with so much love. And I could just feel it radiating off of her just the light that she is.

[28:13] Dora Dolphin: And she truly treats everyone like the same. Do you know what I mean? I could just feel that there's no like, yeah, oh, you know, I'm better. It's like she truly is like everyone is equal. And that's something that I hold dearly to my heart and connected with Ron. But yeah, we ended up talking for like 40 minutes. And they were like, guys, you got to go to the after party. I'm like, okay.

[28:38] Robert Peterpaul: Any words of wisdom? You know, I guess for you being Karen, or just being ushered into this crazy Stranger Things universe.

[28:43] Dora Dolphin: She was just saying how refreshing it was to see Karen so full of life and so bubbly. And seeing her at the start of the Stranger Things story. I'm excited to see how season five plays out. And I'm so excited for the world to see season five because it is gonna be crazy. I will say and it's I think people are gonna be really happy with the ending to the story. It's gonna be very special. I'm excited.

[29:16] Robert Peterpaul: It sounds like you know the ending. Did they share like those things with you throughout the process? Obviously, I know you can't say the ending. I don't want to know. I don't want to know.

[29:25] Dora Dolphin: I mean, there's a few things that I know that I think are really cool.

[29:32] Robert Peterpaul: Okay. Okay. But uh, but yeah, I don't know everything but I know I know some things.

[29:39] Dora Dolphin: One of the things I love most about these sorts of epic franchises is that there's a lot of Easter eggs, and I wonder if you've built in any Mrs. Wheeler or Karen-like Easter eggs into your moments on stage, and if you have a favorite.

[29:51] Dora Dolphin: Ooh, that's fun. I think I played it a lot. So you know how Karen is in season three with Billy, how she's very flirty, and it's almost like a midlife kind of crisis moment of like, wanting that wildness again. And I think she's reverting back to how she was in high school, which is what I'm playing a bit is she's, she's free, she's wild, she's confident in who she is. And I think that was fun. It helped me build my confidence for sure, playing Karen, I get to be very bold in the show, which is fun. But yeah, I think that is definitely a callback to the show of how I'm playing that. I think it is very interesting to see Ted Wheeler and Karen's relationship in high school compared to how you see her in the series. Yeah, I mean, in the series, like, eat your chicken, Ted.

[30:50] Robert Peterpaul: It's so good. That's brilliant that you looked back on that season. I mean, that's also sort of when Karen became iconic, I think, in the fan base in her own regard, people were became like, she was so viral, and everybody was obsessed with the lifeguard moment, her by the pool, all this stuff.

[31:09] Dora Dolphin: Oh, yeah. And I think it's smart that you thought of it that way. Oh, yeah. It lends into the comedy of it all. I mean, you have these funny moments when you're like, you know, what is it you're in like a church confessional with the curtain closed, and there's like legs. I feel like you two must get into a lot of bits back there. Like, are you two trying to make each other laugh back there? Because I feel like that must be actors behind a curtain, like on a stage.

[31:27] Dora Dolphin: Oh, you're probably me. Martin man who plays Ted Wheeler is my perfect Ted. I love him so much. Shout out. I love him. But we have so much fun as Ted and Karen. A lot of the stuff we do in the show was choreographed or created by us. Like there's a jump kiss that we do. And we were like, I think we need to go full full for this one. And just I'm just gonna jump on you. But we're trying to make people laugh. And we're trying to make each other laugh. Things like Melvold's, which is where we're dancing with the 50 skirts at the diner. We're always laughing back there talking about real life stuff. When we're slow dancing and things like that.

[32:09] Dora Dolphin: Oh, it's such a fun cast. I feel so grateful. Every day's a party. Let me quote Jesse. Feels like a party every day.

[32:20] Robert Peterpaul: I love that. Oh, yeah. Feels like a party every day. Okay. Well, what I think is so cool about this show is that it is sort of like cinematic theater. It does fuse theater and TV together very nicely. And you sort of get all the elements of Stranger Things on your screen on stage.

[32:37] Dora Dolphin: Yes. Is that something that your co-director Stephen and Justin discussed with you all in your acting style? Because Broadway stage acting, it can be very big and you have to, I mean, reach the audience. But like in this show, you also want to be very grounded. So I'm just curious about that.

[32:56] Dora Dolphin: Yeah, they talked a lot about that with us. I think, you know, the show was written by Kate Trefry, who is a writer and executive producer on the TV show and works very closely with the Duffers. So they told her, act one, write it as an episode one, act two, write it as episode two. And she literally wrote it like an episode of Stranger Things. And Stephen and Justin were like, okay, write it as an episode. We will figure out how to put this on stage. We will do things we've never done before. But we're gonna do this. And it's, we're gonna, it's gonna be mind blowing.

[33:33] Dora Dolphin: I know they were like, and you're so expensive. I know they were ragging on her being like, you wrote everything way too expensive. Literally, literally, we definitely wanted to be quite grounded and emulating how they act on the show. But also elevating it for a stage. And I think different characters are more elevated than others, depending on if it's more comedic or not. But I definitely think that came into play. We had a lot of talks about staying grounded, and it's still feeling like Hawkins, Hawkins, Indiana. And I think that's something that's really cool about this show, because it really does feel like the TV show and feels like an episode of Stranger Things. And it's Easter morning with the amount of Easter eggs that are in the show. It's crazy.

[34:18] Robert Peterpaul: Oh my gosh, it really is. Yeah. Well, do you have a favorite Easter egg overall? I mean, I feel like there's so many that I picked up on personally, but...

[34:28] Dora Dolphin: Oh, gosh, that is that is hard. That's like...

[34:32] Dora Dolphin: I know, it's like every scene.

[34:34] Dora Dolphin: There's so many. Um, this is difficult. I think, you know, I'm a big Joppa fan. So I love how they show their dynamic early on in like their high school days and how it really reflects them in the series. There's a line that Sue says, Sue Anderson, who's Lucas's mom, where she's talking about Hopper and Joyce's relationship in the first scene called Picture Day. And I think if you come see the show, watch that, I think it definitely is a little bit of a hint of Hopper and Joyce's relationship later on. So I really like that because I love Jopper. Love Jopper.

[35:11] Robert Peterpaul: I do. Oh, I do too so much. And I think it's such a brilliant way to introduce you all that Picture Day moment. I mean, hats off to Kate and all of you because it does really set the scene for the whole school and these giant group numbers that you have on stage.

[35:24] Dora Dolphin: Thank you.

[35:25] Dora Dolphin: I read a stat that something like 60% of the people coming to see your show are first time theater goers, which is extremely special. And we touched on the amusement park ride of it all at some points. Like I know people were screaming and gasping when I was there. I'm sure you have some matinees where people are very, maybe dead silent. So what has that been like, you know, experiencing crowds of mostly first time theater goers? It's kind of magical, I'm sure.

[35:52] Dora Dolphin: Oh, magical. And anytime I'm at the stage door and someone says, this is my first Broadway show, I feel so honored to be a part of a magical experience like that. Because I remember my first Broadway show, I saw Matilda on Broadway as my first Broadway show. And I never forget sitting in the audience and being like, I want to do that one day. To be here now, I just, I'm like little Dora, you're gonna be so happy. So to be that for someone else is so special. I feel so honored. And the Stranger Things fans are so enthusiastic. I love them. We love it. They dress up as the characters. I remember during previews, it was so fun because we had some of the diehard Stranger Things fans there. And we were literally, in picture day, when we're introducing all those characters you know and love, like Joyce, Hopper, Bob, Karen, all those characters. People were, we were, they were applauding like, woo! At each introduction.

[36:50] Dora Dolphin: Oh, it was so fun. It's fun to see how hyped they get. And of course, you have some days where it's a little quieter audience, but I appreciate those audiences too. We love you guys. Sometimes they enjoy it the most. You're sort of up there like, this isn't getting a laugh. And then afterwards, you meet the people and they had the most fantastic time. They're just not vocal. And so, yeah, it's really special. It's community building, which I think is part of kindness. And we need more shows that bring people together like this.

[37:19] Robert Peterpaul: Very interactive.

[37:20] Dora Dolphin: Very interactive. I mean, honestly, I might need to talk to the merch people because when I saw the dead cat at the merch stand, I was like, who thought of this? This is crazy. But also very brilliant.

[37:29] Dora Dolphin: The bone, it moves.

[37:31] Robert Peterpaul: Yes. And we just got cats. I was never really a cat person, but now we have two. So when I saw that, I was like, ah!

[37:37] Dora Dolphin: You're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. I can't see that.

[37:40] Robert Peterpaul: I know. I was like, I lagged out. But in looking at your community in this show, you know, teamwork, I feel like is vital on this Tech Heavy show. Things could be dangerous if you're not in the right place or you're out of sync. Can you share a bit about working in harmony every night when there's, you know, so many effects going on around you?

[38:01] Dora Dolphin: Oh, it is. It was a journey, especially with the revolving stage. Finding that rhythm, like a scene picture day, it has to be in the right rhythm. The lines have to be in the right rhythm so that everything is towards the front of the stage because we are just constantly revolving. And it takes such teamwork. And I think that's something that Stephen Daldry and Justin Martin and Kate Trefry led so well because they created such a team and such a strong family dynamic that it's like second nature for us. And it's extremely hard what we do with our crew and our cast every night, but we work together. And I just I love I love every single one of these people. And I'm so grateful. Like, I can't even imagine my life without them anymore. It's so special. And that's why it works so well on stage is because this team, it's the dream team. Truly.

[39:04] Robert Peterpaul: Isn't that such a cool, unique feeling when you're all in the right place and you're in the rhythm and like there's no other feeling, I think, in life. I mean, maybe you experience it sometimes, X, Y and Z. But when you're on stage, that magical feeling of just like being in the rhythm together in like a room full of so many people. It's such a specific, weird feeling. And I wish our world had that, honestly. I wish we could all be in a rhythm together all the time, which might be impossible.

[39:29] Dora Dolphin: Same. Oh, my gosh. Yeah. What a what a cool experience that we get to do every single night and get to share with an audience. So cool.

[39:40] Robert Peterpaul: Well, I hope you enjoy the ride, literally on a turntable and all. I thought we could play a game really quickly. It's sort of like a flash round. So I'm going to share a phrase or a sentence for you to complete. Maybe a question. Who knows? But just share the first thing that pops into your head. So without even thinking about it, it'll be honestly not hard at all, I'm sure for you. But this is called Upside Down Kindness.

[40:06] Dora Dolphin: I'm playing with my soundboard. Okay. Copyright free knockoff Stranger Things version. Yeah, don't tell anybody. Okay. The first one here for you, Dora, is favorite way for co-stars to show you kindness.

[40:26] Dora Dolphin: Oh, my gosh, that's so sweet. I think our cast is so supportive where I love how we get each other little gifts every single time someone makes their debut. We love to get like desserts and different little gifts for each other. I think that is I think gift giving is such a cute little what is it those things? The you know, like different kinds of love. What is it called?

[40:50] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, yes. I was gonna say la-boo-boos. I thought you were talking about like weird gifts.

[40:54] Dora Dolphin: We do have la-boo-boos.

[40:55] Dora Dolphin: Okay, I figured you're probably getting all sorts of things back there from Pam. Oh, love language. I think you're talking about love languages. Yeah.

[41:01] Dora Dolphin: One of my love languages is gift giving. So I love like giving gifts. I feel like we all do that for each other and like to surprise each other. So I think that's really special. Yeah, I think I like that.

[41:15] Robert Peterpaul: Okay, well, you answered my next one too, which was my favorite way to show kindness to my castmates in my company is but it sounds like it's gift giving.

[41:22] Dora Dolphin: Oh, yeah. And I'm always I'm okay. So me and my castmate Naya Garner, we're like the co-dessert captains where we will try the desserts and be like, is it a good dessert? We're always eating candy. I think we run on Nerds gummy clusters at the theater.

[41:41] Dora Dolphin: Yeah, so I feel like Naya and I are like, always eating some sort of dessert or sweet treat.

[41:48] Robert Peterpaul: Okay, I love that. No, you haven't. You've probably done this, but I did this at a contract I was on recently. Have we done the candy salad trend? The TikTok?

[41:59] Dora Dolphin: Naya actually showed me this and was like, we have to do this. And I was like, we've got the assignment.

[42:06] Dora Dolphin: It's really fun because you also see people's personalities come through and what they bring. Like there's always people that forget and like borrow from somebody else or it's like, you know, it kind of reflects who they are. And I recommend it. I also am eating way too much candy or pop in these things. I didn't take one today. I should have like the Grethers.

[42:23] Dora Dolphin: We have those too. We run on those Grethers for sure. And everyone calls me. So I'm a bit of a sugar addict. I don't know how to get into it yet. So this is my everyone calls it the Dora drink at the theater. Okay, I get teased for it because it's basically a straight sugar and water. Basically, it tastes like a liquid nerd. Um, it's a venti mango dragon fruit lemonade with three Splenda five pumps of sugar free vanilla and no inclusions. And that is the Dora drink.

[43:03] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, wow. You know what, maybe we should all be drinking that and we could all be as like bubbly and kind because I there we go. This is sponsored by Starbucks sponsored by doors drink. I love that. That's me with pumpkin. Do you get into like the pumpkin syrup this time of year? It's Yes, the pumpkin cream cold brew.

[43:23] Dora Dolphin: Surprise that I have teeth. Honestly, I'm like, it's it really is. I need to calm down. Sour Patch Kids are my jam. But I know that the nerds ropes, the clusters, I see you. I see those little candy corn to in the girls dressing room. There's nine of us in one dressing room. We have such a little sisterhood in the room. I literally love that all gosh, they're the best. Um, but Jamie Brookshire brought us all candy corn. So we're all eating candy corn and the candy pumpkins.

[43:50] Robert Peterpaul: Okay, y'all don't trick or treat or like trick or treat in the big fake house that's in the lobby. I mean, something's there. I love that. That's so special. Perfect for trick or treating. Look at that Creole house. It's spooky. It's spooky. It's welcoming. It's fun. It's fresh. You definitely won't die stepping inside. It's all good. Yeah, it's like fine. Maybe Okay, I'm going to manifest a nerds movie. I feel like those little characters need need a movie.

[44:14] Dora Dolphin: Yes, you could vo it and then just nerds send Dora nerds. Okay, let's let's manifest that. Please sounds like you don't need them. But I want you to have them. I used to keep I had an army like

[44:28] Dora Dolphin: People in the army would have like tins and put their items in it. I think there was like ammo or something. I thought it was so cool. But I was like, not a normal little boy, maybe like, I don't know, putting baseball cards in there or whatever, stereotypically, someone would do. Mine was filled with Sour Patch Kids. And I would just like reach under my bed and eat Sour Patch Kids every day. It's like a miracle I'm here.

[44:49] Robert Peterpaul: Me too. They all say, Dora, how are you? Like, are you still functioning? We need they try to get vegetables in me. And I'm, I will say they've helped me out. I've been eating carrots. I've been. Okay, there are they candied? Are they like coated in brown sugar? And like, I never thought about that. That's a great idea. It's really good. It's really good. I put they also know me for my ranch because I'm from Minnesota. I feel like ranch thing. So I dip the carrots and ranch. So I'm actually I'm doing good.

[45:17] Dora Dolphin: I'm proud of you. Okay, report back. I'll check back in in a year. I'll be like, where are we at? This is the sugar club. Oh, okay. I forgot. This is Yeah, this is a little flash round kindness, your favorite way to show kindness to the front of house staff or the ushers.

[45:33] Dora Dolphin: Oh, my gosh, hugs. Oh, I love literally yesterday. I hugged them. Goodbye. They're so lovely. And we've got such a good, good team as Stranger Things. Honestly, very blessed. Very blessed. I love that. That's amazing. What about your favorite stage manager kindness moment?

[45:54] Dora Dolphin: Oh, my gosh, I just feel like they always make us feel really safe. I think with a show so technical, you know, maybe something doesn't go exactly as we planned. They're always calm, keeping us calm. And just being there for us no matter what. And I think a stage manager keeping you safe and making you feel safe is really important. So yeah, I think they just make us feel really safe. And I think that's such an act of kindness to make people feel safe and able to confine in you.

[46:24] Robert Peterpaul: So yeah, I love that. Yeah, it may be sugar, spoiler alert, everyone. But your favorite way to show kindness to yourself during a long Broadway run, because being on Broadway is no joke. And this show is long, too. So I mean, that's a lot of stamina.

[46:39] Dora Dolphin: Yeah, definitely sweet treats. We love brownie sundae at Stranger Things The First Shadow. Oh, fun. Yes, we we love a little brownie sundae. I think also just recharging when I get home and I like to hang out with my mom. So just spending that time with family I think really is feeds me and brings me back to like home. But also watching my guilty pleasure show is Love Island.

[47:07] Robert Peterpaul: I've heard it's wild. Yeah, I gotta get I love a reality TV show, but I haven't gotten into that. But people love it.

[47:15] Dora Dolphin: It is really good. I started watching Love is Blind as well.

[47:19] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, that one. Yeah, that got me.

[47:21] Dora Dolphin: That one's I'm watching Denver right now. I heard Minnesota was the last season. So I got to watch that one.

[47:26] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, you got to get into Minnesota. Come on. It's waiting for you. That's wild.

[47:30] Dora Dolphin: My home.

[47:31] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, your home. So there's your you know, the Netflix people Netflix is doing a Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory reality show where you they're literally creating the candy factory and then contestants are going in and they're competing for money and there's games and I was like, there's a reality show I would want to be on that.

[47:50] Dora Dolphin: Netflix, you know where to find me.

[47:52] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah, season two maybe I don't know if they're filming it now but email them and be like, I need to eat candy on screen for money because that's the dream. That's all I need.

[48:00] Dora Dolphin: Yes, I feel like the whole cast would love that. Stranger Things edition.

[48:04] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah. Hey, I'd watch it. Okay, speaking of Stranger Things, you got a lot of fans. The last one here is kindest thing a fan has done for you during this run.

[48:14] Dora Dolphin: Oh, that's so sweet. Honestly, any bit of love I receive at the stage door is so greatly appreciated. I think that's something that's so magical about theater is that we get to make people happy on stage. That's why I love to act I love to make people feel something, but continuing that offstage to the stage door is so special.

[48:36] Dora Dolphin: So I feel very grateful. We get a lot of bracelets and stuff. Oh, art too. I actually have some art around my house.

[48:44] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, please, please do.

[48:48] Dora Dolphin: Um, here, I'll, let me go again. Okay, take your time. I'll be here. I'll probably be eating candy.

[48:54] Dora Dolphin: Good, good, good. This is some art of Jamie and I. Oh my gosh.

[49:01] Dora Dolphin: Karen and Ted. That is amazing. It's so wonderful. Anime style. Yes. So I feel like that was really kind. I loved, loved receiving that. And then there's actually, I have this on my counter here. This fan.

[49:19] Dora Dolphin: Crazy. This was bedazzled. It took like, uh, I think they said like, 25 hours. Oh my gosh. What? That is unique and beautiful. It's giving like Dolly Parton energy. Yeah, it's um, I can't even believe that people spend the time to do that. I got some earrings the other day.

[49:38] Dora Dolphin: Um, we get a lot of these little friendship bracelets. Oh, the colors are perfect. I love that. This one actually says, I wait, it's backwards. It says I WS because there's a line I see in the show that says I just want to be sexy. Um, and that was actually an improv line that I did.

[50:00] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, cool. And so they made this little bracelet. So now it stands for that. Oh my gosh, that's amazing. That's so cool that it was a line you improvised. I wasn't sure how much they let you guys sort of do that and how much made it in. But that's cool to hear that they did. That's kind of iconic. Now you'll eventually you'll have other productions saying that line that you improvised, which is really cool. That's so crazy. I know the line. I'm so grateful when Kate put it in the script. I was like, Whoa.

[50:26] Robert Peterpaul: Yeah. Oh my gosh, that's amazing. Well, you deserve all the love. I'm so happy for you. Speaking of love, we have one more surprise game here. This is a game we always like to play when we can. It's called the compliment game. And basically, I reached out to someone in your life for a loving statement or a compliment about you. I'm going to read it to you. And then you have to guess who said it.

[50:48] Dora Dolphin: That is so sweet. Wait, this is such a fun game. I'm so excited. I'm excited. And full disclosure, sorry, I was looking down to see if I thought I had to one more was coming in. These are my DMS with with your friend, Jamie. So tell Jamie, thank you for trying. Jamie was going to submit one and then just couldn't be on their phone. They were in a meeting or something. And well, they might they might do it now. So I'm going to keep that open. Well, then you won't have to guess. But anyway, this one is a mystery here. Okay. Okay. Are you ready?

[51:19] Robert Peterpaul: Compliment game.

[51:21] Dora Dolphin: Compliment.

[51:22] Robert Peterpaul: Compliment.

[51:27] Dora Dolphin: You get three guesses. You can ask me yes or no questions. I don't really know anything, but I'll try to help you. Okay, that's good.

[51:35] Robert Peterpaul: One of the things I love the most about Dora is how she'll start singing along to a song you're singing or playing even if she has no idea what it is.

[51:46] Dora Dolphin: She just wants to be a part of the moment. And we love her for that. And there is a hint if you need it.

[51:52] Dora Dolphin: I think I know who this is. You do? This might be my blonde twin. I think it's I think it's Logan. Logan. Is it Logan? No.

[52:02] Robert Peterpaul: What? Okay. That's so funny. Because I whenever Logan starts singing, I will start singing the song that he's singing. Um, and we call ourselves the two blondes.

[52:13] Dora Dolphin: Don't know why it just came out of nowhere. I call him Blondie. He calls me they call me D Dolphs or Dolph.

[52:19] Robert Peterpaul: I love that. That's fun. But it's such a good name, by the way, like that is a that's a marquee name.

[52:25] Dora Dolphin: Thank you. Um, is it I'm trying to think. Is it Robert Cunningham? Nope.

[52:34] Robert Peterpaul: I'm the only Robert here. There's a hint if you need it.

[52:37] Dora Dolphin: Okay, I want the hint. I want the hint. Okay, the hint is, oh, and I love when she blasts off with me on Sundays.

[52:45] Robert Peterpaul: It's Tom D'Agostino.

[52:49] Dora Dolphin: It is Tom. Yes.

[52:49] Robert Peterpaul: Oh my gosh, that's so funny. Okay, so that makes sense that it was Tom because Logan and Tom are like, I feel like they're I that's what I do with them is they'll start singing something and I'll start singing along, even though I don't know the song and they love it.

[53:04] Robert Peterpaul: I love that. Well, it sounds like it's such a party backstage. How do you balance that when you y'all I mean, pretty much everyone in the show have nice downtime backstage, except for maybe, you know, Henry Creel.

[53:19] Dora Dolphin: Oh yeah. Louie McCartney. What a hero.

[53:21] Robert Peterpaul: Oh my gosh, such a talent. Incredible. Phenomenal. How do you balance like the party, the fun of it all with then being on stage and these like very tech heavy moments? And I mean, I know you're professional. So maybe that's a dumb question, but

[53:34] Dora Dolphin: No, no. I think, um, I think that's come with time. I think in the beginning, it was more focused and trying to kind of find our rhythm that we were talking about earlier, finding that rhythm, trusting each other. And I think as we've gone farther in the run, I think we feel more comfortable to be able to joke around. I think there always was a lot of joking around like in tech and stuff.

[53:58] Dora Dolphin: Yeah, we are a very silly cast. And that's what makes it so fun. But I think it's easier to balance now. Hmm. But yeah, oh, gosh, I can't wait to get to work today.

[54:09] Robert Peterpaul: I can't wait for you to go there. And I want to see it again already. You know, it's so weird. I was just thinking about this because my friend had directed the show that I think was last in your theater, which I think was Elf.

[54:21] Dora Dolphin: I saw Elf.

[54:22] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, then you know who starred in it. We had a Stranger Things star in Elf. So it's kind of weird. Sean Astin was Santa.

[54:28] Dora Dolphin: Yes.

[54:29] Robert Peterpaul: And then, isn't that weird? I don't know. It just hit me.

[54:31] Dora Dolphin: I met Sean Astin as well after the show. And I remember I met him at stage door at the marquee. And I was like, I'm going to be in the show that's next in the theater. And he was like, you're gonna be in Stranger Things. And I got to talk to him about it. And we got to like, fangirl about Stranger Things. It was so awesome.

[54:49] Robert Peterpaul: I loved him on that show. What a sad storyline. But he should come see it because he's present in the show. And well, now he's literally not just present, but he's president. He's our president of SAG, which is iconic and amazing.

[55:02] Robert Peterpaul: Okay, I'm going down a rabbit hole. I know I got to let you go eat more candy, Dora, but I would love if we can and I have to eat candy too, obviously. But I would love if we could end our time together by you sharing a tangible kindness tip. So something you would love for everybody out there listening to do on their own corner of the world.

[55:21] Dora Dolphin: Oh, I love that. Gosh, I love your podcast.

[55:24] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, thanks.

[55:25] Dora Dolphin: I would say to truly listen. Like, listen to people. I think a lot of the times when we're conversing with people, we're thinking of what we're going to say next or what we can bring to the conversation. And I think to truly just sit in a conversation and listen and understand and see things from other people's perspective.

[55:51] Dora Dolphin: And just notice, I think. Like, for example, I'm in a cast of 35 people and we've been doing this for nine months now. And, you know, sometimes we're going to come in and we're having a bad day. It's like, notice. Do you know what I mean? It's like, if someone just needs a hug, just give them a hug.

[56:09] Dora Dolphin: I think there's so much strength and love in that. And I think just to be there for people. I think we go through a lot in our lives and we just never know what someone's going through. And I think to just always be kind and think about how your actions affect other people. Because I think you can truly make someone's day or lift someone up so beautifully throughout a day. And you never know if they're having a bad day.

[56:37] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, that's so beautiful. Well, you've lifted up my day. This was such a joy. And hearing you say that, I wonder, before we go, is there a listener in your life you would like to thank? Is there someone you feel like, I don't know, taught you the art of listening or always made you feel like seen and listened to?

[56:55] Dora Dolphin: Oh, that makes me emotional. I just really would love to thank my mom and my dad. My dad passed away last year.

[57:09] Dora Dolphin: And I think, thank you. And I think a lot of his light and just how much he wanted to make a difference in people's lives really inspired me. And my mom has been so selfless and loving growing up. And I just, I thank them. And my grandma, my granddad, my Uncle John. I just love them all. And I just love my family. So, yeah.

[57:33] Robert Peterpaul: I love that. Well, I'm sure they love you. And I know that you're doing them so proud. And I'm sure they're just blown away at what you're doing with your life. But also the way that you're using sort of the platform you're growing to give back and have this great message about kindness and spread kindness and make the world a brighter place. I think it's so special. And I'm so grateful that we not only have you on Broadway, but that all these other young artists have you to look up to because you're a good one.

[58:00] Dora Dolphin: You're a good one. So thanks for being you, Dora.

[58:02] Dora Dolphin: Thank you. Thank you so much. That means so much. And I literally the same for you. Like, truly, I'm...

[58:08] Robert Peterpaul: Thank you.

[58:09] Dora Dolphin: So, you're amazing. And I want to be friends. Like, I love...

[58:12] Robert Peterpaul: Let's be friends. I'm so down. Let's eat candy. Have you, wait, have you been to, I need to give you all the cookie shops in New York City if you haven't been.

[58:20] Dora Dolphin: Please. I've been on TikTok trying to find the good, the good places to go.

[58:24] Robert Peterpaul: Okay. I'll give you some. We got Schmackeries.

[58:27] Dora Dolphin: I love a schmack. I love a schmack.

[58:29] Robert Peterpaul: We love a schmack. We did a kindness cookie with them during World Kindness Week. Maybe we'll do it again.

[58:33] Dora Dolphin: Yeah. Momofuku. What else do we have? Chip City. I can give you, I'll give you a list of sweets.

[58:38] Dora Dolphin: Please give me a list.

[58:39] Dora Dolphin: Sweet places. Yeah.

[58:40] Dora Dolphin: I've been, I tried Thin Cookies recently. I really liked them.

[58:43] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, okay.

[58:44] Dora Dolphin: I tried them. I was on vacation and I was like going around and trying all the fun foods here because I haven't had a chance to explore New York.

[58:53] Robert Peterpaul: Oh, that's fun.

[58:54] Dora Dolphin: Which was really fun. The weather was good too before it started getting cold.

[58:57] Robert Peterpaul: I know that storm the other day was crazy. It was, I was blown around, which was wild.

[59:01] Dora Dolphin: But yeah, I'll think of some, some sugary adventures for you.

[59:05] Robert Peterpaul: Until next time, remember, everything is going to be A-okay.