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August 29, 2005
Inside With: Charlie Todd
Charlie Todd (pictured right with bear) takes the stage tonight at the UCBT in a new show called Paid Programming. In addition to being a regular fixture in various shows at the theatre and a darling of the internet, he's also the leader of Improv Everywhere--a world renowned troupe of high-concept pranksters.
What's Paid Programming all about? Will it be a monthly gig?
Paid Programming is a new series of shows I created where I find a particularly absurd infomercial, buy the product, and then do a show about it. The cast of the show will try out the product live on stage, and there will be bits a plenty, including prank calls made to the operating line.
I'm not sure if it will turn into a monthly thing. It all depends on how the first one goes on tonight. I've bought these ridiculous inflatable mattresses called "Restform High-Rise Airbeds." I was at a bar late one night with a few friends when I first saw the infomercial. It was insane; they put all sorts of things on the beds to prove how strong they are: gymnasts, wrestlers, BEARS. I have no idea what will happen when we try these beds out... they might pop. We have some wrestling planned, as well as a bit where we'll get enough audience members on the bed to approximate the weight of a bear. Just showing clips of the infomercial itself is almost enough—it's laugh out loud funny. I tivo'd hours and hours of "Paid Programming" to get a copy of it.
Sounds like another winner! You've been a part of so many wildly successful groups and concept shows, has everything you've touched turned to gold?
Ha. I wouldn't say that, but I do really love coming up
with big ideas and concepts and making them actually happen. The UCB is such an amazing playground for big ideas. I'm currently working on my one man show, "Charlie Todd Sings the Ballads of Sammy Hagar." It will definitely not turn to gold.
Your brainchild, Improv Everywhere for example, is enormously popular and nationally recognized due in part to web buzz and NPR's This American Life. Were things palpably different following that broadcast?
It's been a slow build over the past year. A few major sites blogged about IE in October which led to more traffic and lots of press. The only thing that's really changed is the size of the volunteer list. It's no longer only made up of my friends and folks I know through UCB. It's now got a load of complete strangers who heard about us on the radio. The influx of new people has helped with the diversity of the group, something that has always been lacking.
The missions are really well thought out--you set the bar incredibly high for yourselves. Is it hard coming up with stuff to top previous stuff?
I've always tried to give myself the freedom to execute both large and small-scale missions. IE can do something like the U2 mission, which took months of planning and nearly a hundred people, and then follow it up with a very simple idea that takes just 20 minutes and five people to execute. As long as it's a fun idea, I'll try to make it happen no matter how complex. I have a few things planned for the fall.
Is IE ready for television?
We've been doing our thing for over four years now. We know what we're doing, and if we find a network that is ready to bring us to a wider audience, that would be awesome.
Paid Programming premieres tonight at the UCBT @ 8:00PM.
Posted by The Apiary at August 29, 2005 2:24 PM