CHARLIE TODD
Improv Everywhere Founder
In this laugh-out-loud presentation, Charlie tells the story of how Improv Everywhere got its start and how it grew from a small group of comedian friends into an international phenomenon. Charlie discusses the importance of life-long play, the unique joy of being a part of a happy crowd, and how our shared public spaces can be put to much better (and funnier) use. Improv Everywhere’s decades-long work to turn cities into playgrounds for people of all ages will leave you inspired to see new possibilities in your community.
ABOUT
For over 20 years, comedian Charlie Todd has been creating big moments of unexpected joy in everyday public spaces. In 2001 he founded the comedy collective Improv Everywhere, a New York group that pioneered large-scale surprise public performances, long before anyone had heard of the term “flash mob.” Charlie’s projects are site-specific, hugely uplifting, and uniquely hilarious.
Who doesn't want to live in a world where high fives are offered at the top of a subway escalator, time suddenly freezes in Grand Central Terminal, and random people are given the chance to conduct a world-class orchestra on the streets of New York City?
Charlie was one of the original YouTubers, and Improv Everywhere was one of the very first comedy channels on the platform in early 2006. To date the channel has over half a billion views. With viral hits like the legendary Grand Central freeze and the absurdly silly No Pants Subway Ride, Improv Everywhere has created iconic projects that have entered the zeitgeist and spread to all corners of the globe. Charlie’s success with Improv Everywhere has led to a career in television, recently serving as executive producer and director of the Disney+ series “Pixar In Real Life.”
Charlie has spoken at high-profile conferences around the world, including TED, and has given lectures at institutions like the Museum of Modern Art and the New Museum of Contemporary Art. He is the author of the book Causing A Scene: Extraordinary Pranks in Ordinary Places with Improv Everywhere and the subject of the documentary We Cause Scenes, which premiered at SXSW. Charlie has been profiled by The New York Times, The Today Show, This American Life, and New York Magazine, to name a few. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and two sons.
“Improv Everywhere tramples the lines drawn between spectacle and spectator, theatre and real life, public and private, performance and protest, and reclaims the streets for ordinary people.”
— Lyn Gardner, The Guardian
“Improv Everywhere is reliably hilarious to millions of people. The masters of mischief. [The Frozen Grand Central stunt] is one of the funniest moments ever captured on tape.”
— Martin Bashir, ABC News Nightline
“I love Improv Everywhere. Look at the peoples’ faces. You cannot be unhappy. I love it.”
— Gayle King - CBS This Morning