The Harvard Westlake Outreach Performance Club, started by Tigist Menkir ’14, will put on plays for the Children’s Hospital and a nursing home this year.

HWOP (prounounced “hope”), currently plans on performing a shorter version of “Arabian Nights” as one of their two performances, as well as a stage reading of “A Happy Journey” by Thornton Wilder.

Menkir said that the plays “will mostly be happy, uplifting ones so that we can lift their spirits.”

“I thought of the idea in the middle of last year but it was too late [to start a new club] so I talked to [performing arts teacher Chris Moore] and he said that he would help me start the club,” Menkir said.

Around a dozen people attended the club’s first meeting.

In addition to the play that the club will perform for the Children’s Hospital and a nursing home, “we will also have individual performers from the Harvard-Westlake community, such as singers or musicians,” Menkir said.

Sanah Ebrahim ’14 is one of the members of the new club, who says she was initially drawn to their table at activities fair because her friends were running the club.

“When I heard what they were doing I thought it was really cool so I decided to join,” Ebrahim said. “I want to sing at their performances since I don’t really act.”

Ebrahim said that she is excited about their performances because “the idea of being able to sing for the kids or seniors and make them smile is really nice because it will hopefully give them something to look forward to.”