ABOUT THE PROJECT

Conceptualized during one fateful Dec 2021 shower, fleshed out and written in part over one fateful, final semester, and intended to be recorded, produced, and released later this year, A Cure for Commencement is a new audio drama podcast about the epic highs and lows of figuring out where to go with your life after graduation—and also undoing a magical curse. Did I mention this was a contemporary fantasy?

As a graduate from the Sweetland Minor in Writing, Cherish Dean was given the opportunity for her final Capstone course to create a project entirely of her own choosing. As a lover of audio dramas and the unique storytelling affordances of the medium, she took the freedom of this final project as an opportunity to toss her hat into this ring. This meant diving into research via Audio Fiction 101 courses courtesy of the creators behind Wolf 359 (and many more), engaging in a lot of close-listening of her favorite shows and close-reading of their scripts, and reaching out to consult with successful members of the audio community like showrunner, sound designer, and VA (all one person!) Newton Schoettelkotte, known for Inkwyrm and Where the Stars Fell.  

The process has only begun, but the wheels are now in motion. Hopefully, in script-form today and reaching your ears tomorrow, it’ll take you on a ride.