100 Percent Improvised | Black Box Improv Theater | TEDxDayton

What you’ll see is 100 percent improvised, even the music, and will draw inspiration from the morning talks. Performing today are Justin Howard, Trey Stone, Caitlin Bennett, Karn Singh, Errik Hood, Meredith Hollingsworth, Libby Scancarello.
The Black Box Improv Theater was founded in downtown Dayton over three years ago and has
since performed for thousands of Daytonians, as well as in the famed Del Close Marathon in New York City. Its founder, Justin Howard, spoke at the first TEDx Dayton and is back to perform. What you’ll see is 100 percent improvised, even the music, and will draw inspiration from the morning talks. Performing today are Justin Howard, Trey Stone, Caitlin Bennett, Karn Singh, Errik Hood, Meredith Hollingsworth, Libby Scancarello.
This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at ted.com/tedx

[@elephantgrass631]

"It's not my fault!" whoops. That's called blocking!

[@thriveinchange]

I enjoyed watching. As an improvisor and improv teacher, I feel bad that many people who say they are improvisors are so critical with their comments. This ensemble worked well together, had fun and the audience seemed to enjoy it. The absolute most important principle of improv is to create a safe place. Negative and highly critical comments undermine improv as a safe place to play.

[@ryanmonaghan436]

i'm going to be in an improv show at my school; do you have any tips for improv?

[@thriveinchange]

@@ryanmonaghan436 Hi Ryan, In my teaching we focus on "Yes and" and paying close attention to our partner. With those two things everything else will fall into place and you will do just fine! Don't try to be funny, it will come to you!

[@ryanmonaghan436]

@@thriveinchange thank you so much!

[@gabrielvdenton]

Yes I thought it was very fun and the audience was great!

[@ejl1928]

You are not real

[@afro_973]

9:22 this guy is either a bassist or a singer 😂😂😂 that look and the facial drop with the note 😂

[@bballforlife1231]

How can you improvise something and make it look so rehearsed

[@wealthychef]

Hahahaha!

[@vitordarksider]

@@joehopp7247 proof?

[@HansKuhlmann]

With training and talent this is possible.

[@titomartinez9421]

By accepting every offer around you. Read Keith Johnstone's Improv book and it'll tell all the structures used to improvise a coherent show.

[@LornaBlakeEmpower]

Amazing!!! I am so inspired by the fact they made it all up right there on stage!! 👏

[@NimbusNikko]

no ones going to talk about how they never said yellow once ???

[@jacksorsky343]

the word yellow was the pretension to the scenario, the use of that specific word within their dramatisation was not a requirement

[@aidenisundead]

@@jacksorsky343 the problem with that is without actually saying the word, especially when it's such a simple word, it loses the fun interactivity of asking for a reference from the crowd in the first place. The bit had 0 to do with "yellow"

[@reda84.]

@@aidenisundead it did, it was about colors and yellow is a color

[@aidenisundead]

@@reda84. it was supposed to be about yellow though, not colors. That's like saying Friday the 13th and doing a skit about horror, like saying anime and doing a skit about Japanese culture, like saying metal and doing a musical, like saying 3 and doing 1 through 10 (but not 3 ;)). A rectangle is a square but a square is not a rectangle, it goes from being fun interactive improv to just a strange way to create comedy material if you don't include the original word that started it all.

[@toycatsowl4388]

@@aidenisundead they said yellow at 1:20 :)

[@lemurlover7975]

actually teaching is about the personal learning for the student and also the realization of the dreams of the teacher coming together in perfect harmony, like a symphony. If any one instrument is too loud, it won't work. :)

[@nordicdreki2068]

I think the point is that this meant to be a comedy highlighting the problems with modern teaching and the relative truth philosophy

[@camilascatonebedin3002]

I personally don't care that they didn't say "yellow". They got a related theme and improvised everything and it was funny.

[@sajpar9765]

OMG I LOVED IT I LOVED IT I JUST LOVED IT THEY JUST MADE THE WHOLE THING RIGHT THERE ON THE STAGE *WOW!!!* YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING!!!

[@seswrt1746]

I love Improv.

[@earthtominiryu]

this is so amusing, and the fact that it was all made up on the spot makes it even better

[@zig8925]

Guy just took the leader role straight away 💪

[@soulless_official]

there is a lot of bit blocking. "no your wrong", "stop stop" and "instead of....."are bit blocking phrases. it really makes it seem like that they are the head of the scene. of course the scenes context is required but when your are talking and someone says one of those to make the scene a transition off topic and THEIR own pathway of the scene, it makes it boring and hard to watch.

[@cheapashvlogs4439]

I'm an improv actor and I totally agree

[@theclasssicks2407]

Absolutely wonderful

[@Avalanceist]

Oh how I love improv 😍

[@JoshPowlison]

That was hilarious XD Loved it!

[@StephanieFChase]

This was amazing!!! I loved it.

[@blueboi5140]

Thats going in my cringe compilation

[@hazy6932]

good

[@yunusquddusofficialactor]

love it

[@Jacob-ir6zi]

Second song is basically all the young dudes

[@benlaxton3371]

Long live Ian hunter. Rip Mick

[@aidenisundead]

It feels like all these people are extremely talented in their own rights but with a lack of chemistry or a good setup these guys were doomed by "yellow" (the lack of "yellow" was extremely off-putting, however)

[@reda84.]

They never said they had to say the word in the skit, it judt had to be related which it absolutely was

[@lemiless]

​@@reda84.I agree that it's not necessarily a requirement, but a good improvisor will somehow use the suggestion in a funny way. It is more clever, and way more satisfying that way.. imo

[@marcelluswallace4076]

That was interesting!

[@emmaporter7523]

10 mins of my life i will never get back

[@babyyoda587]

Wow this is amazing

[@thefakeshiva]

ideally... "Last"

[@ariella_guacha_cookie6093]

Lol what’s the grade their acting as? 😂😂😂

[@shariable256]

good work, fun

[@cheapashvlogs4439]

I'm just going to give my honest opinion. I'm an amateur improv comedy actor and I was not impressed with this. It felt really really amateur. Lack of cast chemistry and the guy leading the scene as the teacher kinda set it up for failure by opening up with a scene that wasn't funny. Well begun is halfway done. There were also mostly just awkwardly standing around in a line. That's what made it look so rehearsed. Even if they are imitating a class room, people don't stand in lines like that. One of the first rules of improv is to create the setting and interact with it. They didn't which made it really stale. The next thing is that if you just say "yes and" the scene will flow naturally. Constantly denying other actors makes for a really stiff scene. -- some good one liners and they clearly put effort in but overall it didn't seem like a professional improv team

[@weo1weo1weo1]

some of them seemed super nervous lol, imagine doing this for fun and then your on ted talk XD

[@DigitalNoomad]

I'm completely new to improv, I'm an introvert with suppressed emotions and I found this pretty impressive (in comparison to my social skills) and I learned something new. You probably have more experience than me in this field but isn't it the point to not be critical and negative and to create a environment where it's safe to fail?

[@aymijo8235]

you can say no in improv, you just don't want to deny the world being made. the teacher saying no to the pink water for instance still accepts the already established colorblind notion. I thought this was an excellent performance. though I've been doing improv for 3 weeks now so I guess I'l come back to this with a little more seasoning in the future

[@pauliecaccamise1980]

he shut down the physical offer that the "students" were giving him. He said "WILL YOU STOP MOVING" and shut it down. When that was really funny when they were scurrying about and meddling. Haha. It was very much like a child classroom. They were playful and reading off each other and he made it into a teaching scene and that is death for improv. He took away the permission of the other actors. He made it about colors which is fine, but something a little deeper or abstract like yellow bellied or banana or more steps further away from yellow would be more interesting. Also, he set up the scene for failure in that he created a rigid environment. The songs didn't have any emotional barring.

[@kmatson07]

All improv comedy is improved by talking about diarrhea

[@talentedpigeon3296]

Fun!

[@DouglasMoon-w8n]

😂🏋️🫂⚖️👍🫥🛵🎤🙏🏟️❤️‍🔥🫁🎩🎭👃👋😎🪞🕷️🤖🦻✌️🦾🤑💰💰💰💰💰💰🗣️🤳📟🦸🎧🦿🤙😅👽🥇🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆

[@kennedyzivirvin3766]

Right

[@rumpleteaserimprov7702]

Mr. Catharsis!

[@7grhpsyfuck272]

i was testimg your reaction with my reaction. from now on im mute. im going to communicate with sign language only. no talking because i dont speak language.

[@orlandochavez148]

I love the Tonys! Lol I love Broadway! 🎤 🎶 💃 Haha!

[@orlandochavez148]

The hardest one to pull off is empathy! Was it believable! If you have to ask yourself! What part exactly…….then yes! those classes paid off! If not then damn!!! Any feedback? Working on the voice!

[@gibbons7047]

oh my.

[@mightylionguard4096]

The musical talent required to pull that off is crazy!

[@BrandonHolleyClips]

Whose line is it anyway did it better. Ryan stiles, and Colin Mochirie are the 🐐

[@rootsOfMadness15]

Theyre veterans but im pretty sure there are others out there who can pull it off like mochrie and stiles do

[@GlynHarrison]

They are great! But, they do have the advantage of editing. I'm sure I read somewhere they'd record a couple of hours to make a half hour show.

[@DaFancyBird]

I really want to do some improv

[@ceasarianidolecleo1252]

i was watching becuase of my subject art app.

[@themassageflow]

mmm...

[@thestitchguy8115]

Ok, this somehow gives me hella Avenue q vibes, anyone else?

[@MaxFisc]

Is it just me or is improve just not funny. Like they’re talented but I don’t find it funny.

[@hazy6932]

yes

[@MrEpiknation]

Please give Middleditch and schwartz on netflix a chance. Its the funniest thing ive ever seen. This wasnt that good

[@ndr1259]

This was pretty bad actually, I really enjoy improvised theatre one of my favorite youtube channels is an improvisation group (they are Brazilians, but their old videos have subtitles if you want to check it out "barbixas" there are some jokes that you won't get but whatever) believe me, some are funny.

[@kandiikrushh3253]

@@ndr1259 what is it called ?

[@ndr1259]

@@kandiikrushh3253 barbixas

[@gRosh08]

Nice!

[@willgrowdon9775]

lol even if you don’t find it funny you can still laugh at the faces of the audience members that share your opinion

[@brentyalowica9992]

Segues, Freud Free Association , and Improv have what in common? Basil Ganglia Instinct HINT

[@brentyalowica9992]

unnecessary assumptions examples, All Singers should also play Guitar, not true GET OUT THE WAY , EXAMPLE, Madonna never played guitar first half of her career

[@flashpb04]

This is so freaking awkward, also none of these people are actually funny…

[@Cresta-fm8uj]

i view it as a skill so you can use it to be your own kind of funny. your favorite comedians did the same stuff to get where they are now

[@BrokenKey]

9,999th view cool

[@brentyalowica9992]

GLEE fan Parody GLEE in works 2021

[@one.2622]

How do we know those aren't their ideas in the bucket

[@juliempankinn]

Why wouldyou assume they cheated. That's not what they do. Plus, they have collected those from the audience

[@aaronranger6608]

The water song had absolutely nothing to do with the scene or her offer of we want to call you this. The beginning of the song said nothing and then was even called out within it. If it was their own ideas you’d expect at least a small bit of reference to the premise. They pulled it back at the end of the song with the clear Colour bit. I love the fact you said this because you gave an inadvertent compliment of the highest degree in the art form.

[@anastasiaseltzer800]

I guess you wouldn’t really know but I’ve been to many improv shows and they always have the audience write words in the bucket or will ask the audience directly for a theme. If you go to a smaller show it’s pretty clear that it is not pre planned. They’ve taken my themes and me friend’s themes before.

[@anastasiaseltzer800]

I guess you wouldn’t really know but I’ve been to many improv shows and they always have the audience write words in the bucket or will ask the audience directly for a theme. If you go to a smaller show it’s pretty clear that it is not pre planned. They’ve taken my themes and me friend’s themes before.

[@abderrahimaitlaqdour932]

I mean it might be good to be called something else but improvisation. Just regular drama, how about that? Unless you heard the word ''yellow''!

[@DigitalNoomad]

Safe environment No negativity and criticism

[@pauliecaccamise1980]

I would not say anything negative generally, but a group that puts themselves in an environment where they are considered experts it is a little strange that they didn't share or demonstrate their talents. In fact , they did quite the opposite and failed to follow many of the basics of improv. Remember this is framed as a TED TALK. I mean now a days ted talks are silly and anyone who thinks they have something to say can have one, but TED TALKS usually are for people who are astonishing or make a large impact in their field. Even if it is a simpler one, they have a point. It seems like this was a group of people with a twice a month hobby using TED TALK as an excuse to have a recital. That is not negative that is reality. In fact, the comments are very fair. But you know, we have to coddle everyone.

[@replicativeimpact1574]

Not funny and doesnt fit to the TEDs concept

[@georgehiggins1320]

I enjoyed it...

[@anthonyespinoza4889]

they looked goofy.

[@randallarmstrong1840]

I can tell this was not rehearsed…

[@PealsAtCVS]

I mean that’s kind the point

[@GiGitteru]

Do you know what "improv" means??

[@DoomSlayer-lk9nt]

Not funny

[@georgefloyd1453]

Was this supposed to be funny?

[@lopezklu]

improv is so cringe

[@ejl1928]

🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@jayboi7565]

Meh

[@SuperRandominator]

First

[@Luthertp]

Is this leftist humor?

[@Sean_Regan]

Surprisingly not a great improv group. Just a soup of stage skills doesn’t make a good show.

[@damianxd720]

I felt wildly uncomfortable watching this.