The joy and power of improvisation With The Unscripted Project, President’s Engagement Prize winners Philip Chen and Meera Menon create an improv curriculum and bring teaching artists to Philadelphia public school students. Winners of a 2020 Presidents Engagement Prize, Philip Chen (left) and Meera Menon founded their nonprofit, The Unscripted Project, and created a curriculum incorporating improvisation. Unscripted provides artists to teach the improv courses in Philadelphia public middle and high schools.
Improv is much more than comedy sketches when teachers work with teens, helping them build confidence while fostering social, emotional, and communication skills. And the games can be fun, a welcome addition to an academic world confined to computer screens.
The show must go on, even amid a pandemic Student performing arts groups continue to persevere putting together new virtual shows featuring dance, comedy, music, and drama this fall. Penn student performing arts groups found ways to create virtual productions during the pandemic, often editing individual videos to bring them together. The Arts House Dance Company members, including senior and chair Erin Bailey, performed solos outside while wearing masks to create “The Movement Series” three-part video.
Penn student performers persevered during the pandemic, finding innovative ways to create new shows together while staying apart during pandemic restrictions. Acting, dancing, singing, creating comedy, playing instruments, and more, they were able to collaborate and stay connected with each other and newly recruited members.