University students eagerly gathered at 1515 Thursday for the University Program Council’s Stand-Up Comedy Show. The open-mic event was open to anyone, from beginners to seasoned comedians, with an opportunity to meet comedian Joe Gatto serving as the grand prize. Attendees were treated to 13 distinct acts, each one roughly five to 10 minutes long, before voting for their favorite. In the end, second-year College student Jared Zhang took home the title at the end of a side-splitting set of performances.
Despite the underlying competition, the comedians remained supportive of each other, fostering a welcoming and lighthearted environment. Throughout the sets, the other speakers could be seen off to the side, laughing, clapping and giving signs of encouragement to their fellow students. Whether it was their first time on stage or their last time doing stand-up at the University, each performer was met with laughter and cheers.
A deserving winner, Zhang commanded the audience’s attention as soon as he stepped on stage. His vocal projection, audience interaction and anecdotal style of storytelling drew everyone in. Just when listeners were getting invested in the story, he would deliver a punchline seemingly out of nowhere. His control of dynamics — knowing when to change his volume, when to slow down and when to speed up — and his strong material and delivery made his act the most well-rounded of the night.
“This was the second time I have performed stand-up,” Zhang said in an email statement to The Cavalier Daily. “It was awesome to see a lot of people I didn't know really enjoy my five minutes and have a good time. I honestly was not expecting to see such a large group of people, but I enjoyed the crowd's energy.”
Zhang was not the only comic who gave a standout performance. Second-year College student Tara Sury’s act stood out in that her jokes followed a story surrounding her living conditions at the Spanish House. She was also the first of the performers to interact with the audience directly, asking questions that acted as setup for her jokes. Her crowdwork, along with some clever callbacks to previous jokes, left the audience cackling.
Second-year College student Jesse Smith had one of the most memorable acts of the night. The act was a direct sequel to his recent performance at a Step Comedy Jam event, which focused on his awkward demeanor. This time around, Smith walked the audience through his transformation from an awkward dork to a “cool and/or bad boy.”
Though he assured the audience that he would not be making them laugh, Smith did quite the opposite. Everything from the structure of his act — his five-step plan to becoming cool — down to his outfit was in service of his new frat-boy persona, which made it the most cohesive and creative act of the night.
Other acts also explored the experience of awkwardness, including that of fourth-year Engineering student Jack Vietmeyer. Vietmeyer tied his jokes to current events and talked a bit about his own struggle with putting himself out there.
“I struggle a lot with social anxiety,” he said on stage. “But I’ve been trying to push myself to try new things.”
Vietmeyer was certainly not alone, as several of the comedians mentioned their lack of experience with stand-up and their various reasons for getting on stage.
For example, third-year Batten student Velan Nagarajan Shanmuganathan, who had some of the strongest material of the night, spent his set discussing politics and current events with lots of personality. He took on heavy topics with a lighthearted tone, using the contrast to fuel his comedy.
“If you’re an activist, and you’re wearing a shirt that supports a cause, but you stank, take it off,” Shanmuganathan said. “You’re doing more harm than good — just go wear something for the other team. Be a double agent.”
Despite having little experience with stand-up before this, he found success in his topical jokes.
“I didn’t even think I was going to do this, I just did this because of a bet,” Shanmuganathan said.
The night had its share of experienced comedians as well. Third-year Commerce student Mary Walton Petersen, creator of the satirical brand “UVA Stepmom,” came on with a rapid-fire set of jokes. It is no wonder she has had as much success as she has running “UVA Stepmom”, considering her ability to bring the audience near to tears with her dry wit.
The resounding success of the event was in no small part due to its accessibility. Anyone was able to give it a shot, which meant the performers and audience were full of supportive friends, excited newcomers and enthusiastic veterans. UPC fostered an environment where anyone was welcome, and the result was a night to remember filled with laughs.
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