By Hope Zitting | [email protected]

South Valley - It has often been said that laughter is the best medicine. When you’re sad, why not laugh? When you’re angry or frustrated, why not laugh? The only bad thing that can result of too much laughter is your aching stomach and newly-found abdominal muscles. Herriman residents that were in the audience during the Herriman Arts Council Sock Puppets improv and comedy show can relate to the feelings laughter brings.

“We wanted a place with some friends and other talented people we know to have a place to have an improv show for the community. We didn’t hear of anything in the area, so we thought, ‘Oh, let’s do it,’” Seth King, one of the members of Sock Puppets, said.

Herriman City and the arts council have been especially supportive of the improv show, according to King, whose ultimate goal is for audience members to come out and have a good time.

“My wife talked to the city, and before we knew it, the city was excited about it. We took about six months to practice and get together and make sure we’re feeling it. I think November was our first official show or December. It was really a community effort,” he said. 

The show was separated into different comedic segments, ranging from “Wacky Party Guest” to “Scenes from a Hat” to “Expert Double Figures,” and many more. The show itself was free, but $2 donations were encouraged.

“I have fun once I come out, but the days that we do this, it’s terrifying. You know you are going to flop. It’s fun, but leading up to it is terrifying until you’re actually there,” one of the members of Sock Puppets, Dave Bennell, said.

“Improv is like that. You don’t know what’s going to happen. You don’t know what you’re going to say. And you’re like, ‘Am I going to say something stupid?’ I’m just barely getting to the point of confidence in what I’m doing that I’m not completely nervous every time,” Dave’s wife and fellow Sock Puppets member, Rachel Bennell, said. 

The Sock Puppets’ performance seemed to succeed in drawing the audience in and keeping their attention. The performers even brought a few surprised members from the crowd up on stage to participate in the show. 

“I loved it,” audience member Rachel Stokka said.  

The Sock Puppets are currently scheduled to perform their monthly improv show on the first Friday of every month at the Herriman City building, with the exception of March. The show will occur on the second Friday during that month.

For more information concerning the Herriman Arts Council Sock Puppets, visit the Herriman Arts Council’s website, http://www.herriman.org/arts-council/.