Fredonia’s Student Comedy Troupe Friday Night Live Is Set for a Free December Performance

Fredonia’s student sketch comedy scene is buzzing again, and much of that excitement comes from Friday Night Live!, a dedicated comedy troupe preparing for a free performance on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 10:30 p.m. at Main Street Studios, located at 50–52 West Main St. in downtown Fredonia. The event is open to students and the broader community, giving anyone interested a chance to enjoy fresh, student-created comedy.

The group’s revival and current momentum can be credited in large part to Lauren Shilansky, a senior B.F.A. Musical Theatre major from West Hartford, CT, who serves as head writer and vice president of Friday Night Live!. She describes the group’s mission in simple terms: “We want audiences to laugh.” She hopes people not only enjoy the performances but also consider whether sketch comedy is something they might want to participate in—especially as the club plans to hold auditions in the upcoming semester.

The Dec. 6 performance will feature sketches written, directed, and performed entirely by students, highlighting the club’s emphasis on student creativity and collaboration. The evening will also include a musical performance by Dynamic Intonation, one of SUNY Fredonia’s most prominent a cappella groups. Hosting duties for the night will be handled by Tali Kam, a sophomore Acting major from Westchester, NY, and Abbie Paddock, a sophomore Musical Theatre major from Ilion, NY.

Friday Night Live! currently includes 18 members, covering actors, directors, writers, and even one “loyal stage manager.” Though the club originally began several years ago under alumna Juliet Pearson, it had gone inactive until Shilansky revived it in October 2024.

Her motivation to bring the troupe back was rooted in a long-standing love for sketch comedy. During her earlier years at Fredonia, she had spoken with Pearson, who shared all the information she had on the former club. Still, Shilansky didn’t immediately move forward. It wasn’t until she participated in the **Performing Arts Collaborative production of Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind and wrote sketches for the show that she realized how strongly she wanted a space on campus devoted to sketch writing and performance.

That realization led her to act. During a playwriting class in the fall 2024 semester, a classmate mentioned his own love for sketch comedy. That moment confirmed to her that the campus would support the revival of the club. She pulled together an executive board made up of students enthusiastic about writing and performing comedy and held auditions that same fall, officially relaunching Friday Night Live!.

When reflecting on what makes sketch comedy effective, Shilansky says there’s no strict formula—but there are a few guiding ideas she considers “super important.” Among them: “Louder, faster, funnier.” She encourages performers to take risks, try new ideas, and never signal to the audience that they’re aware a joke is funny. As she puts it, “The only bad ideas are the ones you don’t try.”

For readers interested in SUNY Fredonia’s arts community, more information about student performing arts groups can be found on the university’s website through the SUNY Fredonia Theatre and Dance page.

Friday Night Live!’s upcoming free show offers a chance to see original student comedy, support local performers, and get a sense of the creative energy growing within Fredonia’s campus arts scene—all starting Dec. 6 at Main Street Studios.