As the pandemic closed in on New York and shut down the feature film comedian Whitney Uland was working on, she realized two things: if the world was going to come through this pandemic, it was going to need a few laughs; and since the universe was upside down anyway, she might as well try and disrupt the predominantly white, male comedy scene. As one does. So, she pulled together the best up-and-coming comedic talent to quarantine together and unite their diverse voices around a live streaming YouTube comedy show. The result is The Improv House, which is streaming six live shows per week until August 15.
Think of The Improv House as a cross between “Whose Line is it Anyway” and “Big Brother” with a bit of “In Living Color” – all as reimagined by women. Got it? Good. The castmates, five women and three men, live together in the wilds of Vermont and perform improvised comedy shows, which are professionally shot, produced, and then streamed live to the world. The writing experience of the cast spans The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, College Humor, and McSweeney’s; their performances have been captured in clubs across the States and even at film festivals founded by Shonda Rhimes and Geena Davis.
“My dad always told me to seize every setback and make something good out of it,” said Whitney Uland, 28, the Creator and Producer of The Improv House, whose father died in 2016. “I realized I could assemble a team of great comedians to help make people laugh in a dark time. When the team came together, it was clear we didn’t look or feel like any other comedy experience out there, so I hope, even just by being who we are, that our comedy and troupe can help elevate the conversation about whose voices are being left out of the comedy world.”
The Improv House live streaming show runs Tuesday to Sunday every week at 8 p.m. and concludes on August 15. Tickets are $5 and available at The Improv House. Season passes are $99. The cast will share in the profits of the show. A behind-the-scenes, Waiting-for-Guffman-like mockumentary will also unfold with new tidbits released daily through The Improv House’s various social channels.
About The Improv House
The Improv House is a production of Hysterical Women Films. Hysterical Women Films LLC is a development and production company that creates stories by women, for women. Dedicated to inclusion and representation, Hysterical Women Films strives to make films and commercials that are as complex, honest, weird, funny, dark, and intricate as the people behind them. Laugh, Cry, Hysterical Women.