Humor: The Best Medicine (radio sketch)

So I was Googling myself (oh, like you haven't) and stumbled across this comedy sketch I wrote for The Stanford Storytelling Project almost three years ago. The SSTP is an excellent arts program that teaches documentary-style personal storytelling, a la Radiolab or This American Life. It's best reflected in their radio series, State of the Human. And just this once, they decided to fool everyone. If only for eight minutes and twenty seconds. 

Their "Joking" episode included, for the first time,  an actual joke--a fake story. I wrote it and did the sound design. Charlie Mintz produced, narrated in his best Ira Glass, and cast the actors--one of whom, Claire Slattery, I collaborated with a year later, never knowing we had actually worked together before. 

We all know that sometimes practical jokes hurt. In our next story, we learn how they can also heal. Or can they? Producer: Charlie Mintz and Ken Grobe Featuring: Stanford Alum Claire Slattery and Nathaniel Nelson Music: Silence is Sexy, Person, Lulo

Grab a listen to the entire episode if you have a chance. It includes an interview with comic Tig Notaro, a think piece on Reggie Watts, and an edifying (but still funny) piece by educator Marvin Diogenes about how jokes can change the world. But only mine involves feral dogs and skateboards on the roof.