Improv Comedy at the University of Virginia

Founded in 1997, the Whethermen are the University of Virginia's oldest performing improv comedy group.  The group formed after several performance-inclined students witnessed improv shows from other schools in a coffee shop (where Boylan Heights stands today) and decided that UVA needed an improv group of its own.  They began to hold meetings, started performing, and eventually developed the group into a full-fledged and well-respected CIO.  The Whethermen perform two major shows per semester at UVA as well as numerous other gigs, workshops, and intermissions throughout the year.  We also perform at festivals all over Virginia and the rest of the United States.

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The Whethermen perform both shortform and longform improv.  Shortform improv consists of games that you might see on shows like "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" while longform improv is a series of scenes that interconnect, similar to an improvised play.  Some improvisation groups stick to a single style, but we love them both!

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At our shows, you'll notice that members wear white shirts with various brand names on them.  These "brand shirts" originated when founding member Patrick Gantz, claiming that "his mom made all his clothes," came to practice in a homemade Nike shirt, complete with a checkmark instead of a swoosh.  Other members followed his lead, and the Whethermen have continued to violate various copyright laws since.