Matthew S. Starr

Charlie Todd giving a TED Talk about “The Shared Experience of Absurdity.”

Charlie came to Ohio State with UCB TourCo my sophomore year (2007) and taught me my first ever longform improv workshop on that same trip. TourCo was being sponsored by Febreze for a number of shows. I remember walking with him and the other performers (Lennon Parham, Chad Carter, Joe Wengert, and Eli Newell) around Ohio State’s campus as they filmed promotional videos for their sponsor and being awed at what his normal was. In true wide-eyed nerd fashion, I remember asking him, “This is your job?” and him very happily and simply responding to the affirmative. I had barely heard of UCB and I had definitely never heard of anyone making improv and improv-adjacent activities his livelihood who wasn’t named Wayne Brady.  

From that first time meeting Charlie to subsequent run-ins on trips to New York and DCMs and such, he always made an effort to be personable and positive, which is something I really admire. It is so easy to let yourself feel tired or negative or want to shut the world out, but Charlie seems to always want to be in the world and want to be having fun. When I moved to New York, I was at the training center leaving one of my first 101 classes and Charlie saw me made and came over to say hello and welcome me to New York, which honestly was one of the first times I felt welcome in New York.

I love seeing this Ted Talk with Charlie about shared experience because as I write this and run through all the brief moments of spending time with Charlie, I cannot think of one that was not absurd and wonderfully fun. Whether it was discussing wearing wigs that are just big enough to make people question whether or not it’s your real hair at Urban Stages at my first DCM to this past New Year’s Eve where Charlie convinced a random D Train car to cheer for everyone at every stop either to welcome them onto the train or give them a good send-off home; by the end of the ride, the whole train was cheering, the conductor came onto our car, smiled, and then went back into his booth, happier.

I am sure other people have their own Charlie stories. These are some of mine. I am writing them now for no distinct purpose, but like Charlie says in his talk, not everything needs a reason. It feels good to do positive things, and thankfully Charlie Todd is a constant reminder to be in the world and to have fun.