The widely popular Solon High School Drama Club is going to be catering to an even wider audience for the 2017-2018 school year, with the introduction of Improv Hour adding a comedic touch to club activities.

Formed by Drama Club president and SHS senior Megan Lebowitz, Improv Hour seeks to provide an outlet for students who want to exercise their comedic talents through improvisational activities.

Lebowitz explained that the beauty of Improv Hour lies in giving participants the ability to interact with the audience during skits.

“Drama Club puts on scripted theater productions, but improv is acting without a script,” Lebowitz said. “At Improv Hour, we are going to play improv games where everything is made up on the spot through the help of audience suggestions.”

Kris Ferencie, the SHS Drama Club advisor, noted that traditional Drama Club activities may be intimidating to some club members, and Improv Hour provides members with a very informal way to sharpen their skills.

“For Improv Hour, we don’t plan on formal performances, but rather several informal meetings every three weeks on Fridays after school,” Ferencie stated. “Participation in each activity that we do during the hour is voluntary, so there’s no pressure.”

Improv Hour activities will seem quite familiar to some students, as many will draw parallels to skits seen on the comedy series “Whose Line is it Anyway?”

“The hour is a chance for any student who has watched the show and thought ‘I’d like to try that’ to see what improv is really all about.” Ferencie added, “Each hour starts with a warm-up exercise, then moves quickly onto activities similar to what you see on ‘Whose Line.’”

Shobitha Sanjeevan, an SHS senior who helped organize the hour, believes that students who aren’t traditionally interested in theatre should still not shy away from improv.

“Even if you haven’t been in involved in Drama Club during your time at SHS, Improv Hour may still be the activity for you,” Sanjeevan explained, “If you enjoy thinking on your feet, working with your friends, or even just laughing, then you will love improvisation.”

Students who take part in the hour will have the opportunity to work on a variety of skills that can even be applied to situations outside of acting.

“Improv really helps improve collaboration skills,” Lebowitz said. “‘Yes and’ is one of the biggest rules for improv, which basically means to agree and add onto your scene partner’s suggestion so no one is ever left in an awkward situation onstage. Improvisers definitely learn to build a strong sense of trust with their scene partners.”

While developing camaraderie and trust is deeply important to personal growth, Lebowitz added that the benefits of improv are even more far-reaching.

She said, “Improv helps improve quick-thinking skills, public speaking skills, and creativity, all of which are applicable to nearly everything in life.”

The first meeting of Improv Hour will take place on Friday, September 8th after school in the SHS auditorium. For more information about the Improv Hour, please contact Drama Club advisor Ms. Kris Ferencie at [email protected].