Patterson Brothers Turn ‘Shared Wavelength’ into Comedy Act

Only when brothers Zade, left, and Ted Patterson brought their act to Winthrop did they think of turning professional.

Zade and Ted Patterson had the nagging feeling that the art of mime was missing something. Then, after developing their own comedy skits, they figured out what that something was: sound.

The brothers, natives of Lexington, S.C., have made a name for themselves on campus with their inventive act, a blend of mime, slapstick humor and sound effects. “We give mime what everybody wants it to have,” said Ted, a freshman. He and Zade, a junior mass communication major, have opened for a number of Dinkins Student Union acts, including comedian/magician Tim Gabrielson and comedian ANT. They wrote a skit for the 2009 Halloween Arts Ball – “that was our big college break,” Zade joked – and won the fall 2009 DSU Talent Show. Zade and Ted also served as entertainment for the 2010 Mass Communication Awards Dinner.

Before coming to Winthrop, the brothers impressed family and high school classmates with their knack for anticipating each other’s thoughts and movements. The brothers took inspiration from the Umbilical Brothers, an Australian comedy duo, and began writing and performing their own skits. They became the de facto performers for family gatherings. “We couldn’t go to a family reunion without someone saying, ‘Entertain us',” said Zade.

After college, Zade and Ted hope to work the college entertainment circuit and possibly try to break into the highly competitive world of stand-up comedy. “Though it’s a fun job, it’s a gamble,” said Zade. “But this act is different from what’s out there; it’s not just stand-up.”

Still, whether or not Zade and Ted make these skits into a career, both brothers plan to keep performing for the sheer fun of it.

“We enjoy making people laugh,” said Ted. “That’s something we try to do every day.”