Meet the 2026 FIST Champions: You Better Call Tyrone!
Congratulations to the winners of this year’s Fighting Improv Smackdown Tournament (FIST), You Better Call Tyrone whose four-person cast is made up of Arie Rich, Eva Lewis, Lee Bennett III, and Stephanie Rae.
They are the first-ever musical team and second all-Black team in the competition’s 18-year history to win the coveted trophy. (Kinfolk became the first in 2024.) WIT asked them how they came together, what they loved most about the experience, and to talk about their innovative format called “The Tyrone,” which involves editing scenes by doing a short, a cappella musical improv interlude in between each one.
WIT: How did You Better Call Tyrone come together?
Eva Lewis: I knew I wanted to do FIST and try something different. I also view FIST as an opportunity to play with folks I normally do not get a chance to play with in the community. My first stop was Stephanie! She is a dynamite improviser/performer/freestylist and an all around good person, who is new to the DC improv scene but not to improv. I asked and she said, “Yes.” Then, she offered “The Tyrone” as our show format… [It felt like] danger! Good danger! Musical improv was completely new for me and that excited me so, I said, “Yes” to “Tyrone.” Next, I asked Arie, because she is funny and has musical talent, and I knew it would be good to have another person on the team with a good singing voice. I have gusto which makes my musical ability fun to watch. The last critical piece was Lee. I asked Darnell for suggestions and he said a few names but Lee’s stood out to me. Lee is funny and needs to be seen by audiences more often. Then I learned he is a poet. So, bam, boom, our FIST team was formed!
Arie Rich: Eva asked, and I said, “Yes to the fest!” She mentioned that she and Stephanie, whom I met at the Ocean State Black & Funny Improv Festival in 2024, would be performing a format called Tyrone that features a musical improv component. It sounded like it would be a fun and funky time!
Lee Bennett III: Eva… I mean, her talent and character are so highly regarded! When she asked all of us to be on the team with her, we all emphatically said, “Yes!” I don’t think Arie or Stephanie were planning on participating [in FIST] this year, and I never saw myself competing in it, but I couldn’t turn down the opportunity to play with Eva on-stage… and then you’re going to throw Arie and Stephanie in there?! Sold! Also, a shout out to Darnell Eaton because when Eva was looking for potential improvisers to play with for the tournament, Darnell recommended me to Eva.
Stephanie Rae: Eva is the mastermind behind it all. My call [with her] went like this:
Eva: “Hey Steph, do you wanna…”
Me: “Yes. The answer is yes.”
Eva: “Well, I was gonna ask if you…”
Me: “Doesn’t matter. If you’re involved, sign me up.”
WIT: What was one of your favorite moments from your FIST 2026 run, from on-stage or off-stage?
Eva Lewis: There were a ton! But when the audience started singing along, it was such a magical feeling. One of my faves was the rock song we did during the FIST Finals. I knew we needed to have a tempo change so I went for it and our team did not disappoint. We were stomping and whipping our heads. Off stage, I have gotten to know my teammates so well that we are locked in forever. There is no escaping, we will be connected forever. Also, before each show, we told each other, “I support you and will never let you down.” That is the improv spirit. I love that.
Arie Rich: I also loved that the FIST audience started singing along! When we played in the Elite Eight round, the “Cookie” song was the first one I remember the audience singing along to. When I heard the audience sing back “You gotta pay for the Cookie,” my eyes opened wide, and I knew something magical was happening.
Lee Bennett III: I really enjoyed getting to know my teammates throughout our run. I had only briefly interacted with Stephanie prior to putting the team together, and I had had a few short interactions with Arie and Eva, but I have been a huge admirer of them for years, and the legend of Stephanie’s talent was bubbling here and there. So, getting to know my teammates at practice sessions and genuinely cracking each other up in warm-ups was really special for me. It helped me feel centered and gave me the confidence and energy to be more playful on-stage.
Stephanie Rae: There are so many! It’s hard to choose. Probably my West Coast rap song about pickle ball. And any time the audience started to sing along!
Your inventive format involved editing scenes by doing a short musical improv interlude. Can you tell us more about your format and how you devised it?
Eva Lewis: Stephanie did it! She is the great creator!! I cannot rap or sing well. However, this format allows all performers of any level to shine if they commit. And woah baby did we do that!
Arie Rich: The Tyrone is Stephanie’s genius at work! The format was adapted for FIST, with each of us helping to arm Tyrone for the battle ahead. There was a lot of love and trust throughout the run.
Lee Bennett III: That’s all Stephanie’s brainchild. All credit goes to her for coming up with that one!
Stephanie Rae: “The Tyrone” was created in 2018, as a signature long form [style] for the Black Improv Alliance house team, Wakanda vs. Everybody. It started as a Harold and I cut and added elements until we made it our own. In light of The Harold & Armando being the reigning names in long form improv, I wanted our form to sound immediately Black. Thus, the Tyrone was born.
I pitched it to our FIST team as, “Kinda like a Harold, but it has a game after every beat, and the game is always a cappella musical improv. And the whole thing is a really long game of “First Line, Last Line.” I expected the team to be like, “That sounds nuts.” But they were fully on board. And each week, every member has added new twists and suggestions, which have elevated the original vision.
WIT: Aside from being the team that took the title, what has made You Better Call Tyrone special to you?
Eva Lewis: Chemistry! It matters! I knew I liked each one of my teammates individually but you never know when you put people together. As the kids say, “the vibes were immaculate.” Everyone brought their full and talented self to the mix and played to their strengths… the blend was just right! Communication was key as well. We spoke our mind about ideas and how a show went for us. It was always respectful and a pleasure! “Yes, And” was in full effect.
Arie Rich: There is something so beautiful about feeling taken care of in the midst of all the fun and foolishness. We are in sync and tethered to each other, yet still so free to let the fun, silly, crazy thing happen. I feel so blessed to have gone on this journey with such dope players!
Lee Bennett III: It was so crazy that this team even happened. Again, FIST was not on my bingo card for the year. That we came together and actually won is bananas. But what made it special was seeing my fellow teammates get the win. I am very competitive, so I had to approach this from the perspective that I was “just having fun with my team and nothing more.” But this is Arie’s first time making it past the first round, and she’s hella talented and funny. Stephanie, (a FIST first-timer like me) was brave enough to put her own format out there with an untried team…I could see how much this meant to her. Lastly, I especially didn’t want to let Eva or anybody else down. My pre-show reminder was typically, “Let’s just do us and the rest will take care of itself.” Seeing that Eva asked us to take this ride and it paid off is super dope! It’s cool we got the win. Super humbled and thankful. But way cooler to have gained three sisters out of this experience.
Stephanie Rae: Performing with these three! Lee is our poet laureate and a master at “Yes And,” while Arie brings gorgeous vocals and big characters who crack us all up, and Eva is queen of creative gifts and has one of the most brilliant improv minds I’ve ever seen. Each of us has a unique specialty area that makes the show better, and it was such a joy to play with them every week.
WIT: Eva, this is your second turn as a FIST champion but it’s the first time you were actually in the room when your team won! When your team Ze Bestie Textie took the title in 2022, you were officiating a wedding while the Finals were happening. How does it feel to finally experience the thrill of winning in person?
Eva Lewis: It feels good! I was ecstatic! When I heard Kendall announce the winner and he said “You,” I jumped for the ceiling. There was a rush of excitement that hit me and then the realization that I have done this in front of my sisters, Rhonda and Dawn, friends, and strangers that voted for us. Also, thankfulness and gratitude came over me, because our team did something special. We had never played together as a unit before FIST and we did the darn thing. Whenever I think of You Better Call Tyrone, I smile from ear to ear thinking about all the silly and funny times we made together, and hoisting that trophy! There is a certain electricity that comes from being in the room when it happens. Fun fact: The day of the Finals, April 11, is Founder’s Day for my alma mater Spelman College, and I was wearing a sweatshirt with a picture of famous Black women, who attended a major literary conference at Spelman in 1988. The win was made extra special by that! A moment and feeling that I will remember for the rest of life. Improv is Life! Life is Improv!
WIT: What advice do you have for future FIST hopefuls?
Eva Lewis: You need a high number of laughs per minute! You have got to commit to the bit. The show duration is not long, so make sure you are entertaining yourselves and the audience. Also, warm-up before your show.
Arie Rich: If Eva asks you to join a FIST team with her, do it! Play in a fun format that lets each member of your team shine. Warm-up and hype each other up before the show. Have some fun with the audience! Give ’em some razzle-dazzle!
Lee Bennett III: Have fun, be in the moment with your team, and the rest will take care of itself.
Stephanie Rae: Try the weird thing! Involve the crowd and give them a reason to remember you. When you’re having fun, they’ll be having fun too!