When a local performer received his first $7 for working a three-hour improvisation show, he proudly called his father to tell him that he was “now a paid actor.”

His father’s response: “Don’t quit your day job.”

“‘Learn a skill,’” Buck Vrazel and his twin brother Clint simultaneously said as they parroted their father’s advice.

The twins, two halves of an improvisational duo christened Twinprov, will lead the first of 11 presentations at Friday’s sold-out TEDxOU event, co-organizer Adam Croom said. They will also act as emcees to facilitate the transitions between discussions.

The brothers’ expertise at improv and their unique compatibility made them naturally attuned to speaking at the innovation conference, Croom said.

“We needed a host ... who could be the anchor for the entire event,” Croom said. “Naturally, people who are humorous fit that bill.”

The profound nature of the TED events often leaves audience members either emotionally drained or emotionally pumped up, Croom said.

“When you’re watching deep talks throughout an entire day, it tends to be emotionally draining, and you need that comedic relief,” Croom said. “You need that anchor throughout that keeps it fun, brings the culture of what TED is ... and creates a really engaged environment.”

The TEDxOU event is an independent event to encourage innovative thought within the community, according to its website. It is based on national TED discussions, which stands for Technology, Entertainment and Design.

The Vrazel brothers were completely “ecstatic” upon being chosen as speakers.

“The fact that it’s come to Oklahoma at last is extremely exciting,” Buck said. “I’m looking forward to being in the audience just as much as I am to the presentations.”

Although Twinprov’s website states that the two have been performing for 11 years, Clint said he and his brother were doing improv before they knew what the word meant.

“Our parents were storytellers, and [improv] was just a natural part of our life,” Buck said.

Over the past decade, the group has come from performing games based on the TV show “Whose Line Is It Anyway” in a friend’s living room to co-founding OKC Improv, a non-profit theater arts organization.

OKC Improv has contributed to the growth of improvisation in Oklahoma with the number of improv crews increasing from five to 35 over the past 22 months, according to the organization’s website.

“It’s a nice, messy, comedic ecosystem from which things emerge,” Buck said. “We thought it would take a decade. It’s happened so quickly that it’s really indescribable.”

Through OKC Improv, they hope to create the first improvisation theater in Oklahoma, but they’re a long way from achieving that goal, Clint said.

They have, however, obtained a love for their craft, they said.

“Improv is risky; it’s a roller coaster,” Buck said. “When we pull something off as a team ... [and] get that standing ovation from a packed crowd, it’s glorious.”

While reminiscing over an 8th-grade memory of formulating hilarious characters, Clint said he fell in love with the act of creating what comes next.

“I’ve been chasing that moment again and again to make it happen,” Clint said. “It’s not just a fun way to show off — it’s transformative.”

Improv acts as an essential mirror for the character of society, Clint said.

“One of the founders of improv, Del Close, once said, ‘The job of the improviser is to enchant and to horrify,’” Buck said. “We like to think that you can learn more about people by watching them play.”

Drawing on their passion for improv, the brothers have aptly titled their TEDxOU presentation “Making a Date With Inspiration.”

The discussion will center around the improviser’s mindset and what creativity means for the audience in general, Clint said.

“We’re going to give them a taste,” Clint said.

“And there will be a sing-along element,” Buck said with a laugh.