Improv Everywhere Review

www.improveverywhere.com

Overall 5.00 of 5 (by 1 user)

Cat
Charlotte, NC

Yeah, They Do Cause Scenes

adventurous, a fan of improv comedy, always looking for fun sites

Pros

improv on a large scale, creative, funny, well documented

Cons

these guys are only in NYC, may not be your type of humor

SEP

2007

Someone forwarded me a link. That's how it always happens. I rarely click on links that get forwarded to me, but this person was known for their high quality finds on the Internet. That link led me to Improv Everywhere at http://improveverywhere.com.

About Improv Everywhere
Improv Everywhere is a site run by a fellow named Charlie Todd, who also happens to perform with the Upright Citizens Brigade theatre in NYC. I once found myself outside UCB, and then later inside UCB, on a dark and bitterly cold New York night. It was my only experience witnessing a live improvisational show until I saw Second City perform in Chicago, and it was great. Todd is also a native of the Carolinas, where I live. The idea for staged improvisational performances came to Todd after he and two friends managed to convince a number of people that he was musician Ben Folds one evening.

Improv Everywhere coordinates "missions" in which their "agents" participate. You can sign up for the mailing list to find out more about these missions and anyone who's in New York can be a part of it. For many of these, you follow the instructions outlined in the email and show up. Often "agents" have no idea what they are going to be doing until they get there.

And suddenly improv is born.

Some of my Favorite Missions
Annual No Pants Day on the New York Subway
The most internationally known mission performed by Improv Everywhere is their "No Pants" day on the New York subway. Agents simply show up on a day in January, and in a coordinated effort, remove their pants and go about their business on the New York subway. This annual event received international notoriety in 2006 when a police officer freaked out and arrested eight members of Improv Everywhere, snarling subway traffic in the process. Because the members are all wearing underwear and are, in fact, no less dressed from the waist down than what you'd see in a New York park in the summer, they were eventually released. The event received a lot of publicity because of the officer's actions, and it didn't make the NYPD look so great. When they showed up for their No Pants day 2007, they found officers there to escort them through their "mission" and make sure no one bothered them.

Best Buy Freakout
This one amused me to no end, because I lost respect for Best Buy many years ago after their highly publicized effort to keep customers from doing price comparisons. In this mission, agents simply showed up in royal blue polo shirts, tucked into their khaki pants. Dozens of "agents" slowly streamed into Best Buy and positioned themselves around the store. They offered help if asked, and disturbed no one, except for the Best Buy managers who went into a bit of a panic.

Ben Folds Tunes In
Another favorite stunt of mine was when an act performing with Ben Folds contacted Charlie about doing a mission with Ben during one of his concerts. Charlie Todd does not look exactly like Ben Folds, but as a brown haired, skinny white guy who doesn't look terribly different from Ben Folds he could easily pass as his brother. Ben met with Todd before the act, and they had Todd and two other "agents" go out on stage in NYC and open, pretending to be Ben and the band. A few moments into the act, the CD they're performing too starts skipping, and Ben comes out to terrorize the interlopers and kick them off the stage.

There are dozens of other missions too. Improv Everywhere has staged impromptu birthday celebrations and wedding proposals on the subway. The overall aim of the group is to involve the general public in something spontaneous and wacky. Not everyone is amused, and some people get upset, but the agents are never rude or hostile. They just want to engage people.

All in Good Fun and Well Documented
The best part of Improv Everywhere is the lengths they go to in order to document their "missions". Each mission on the site is written out at great length, with pictures and videos. The main agents in each mission also write up the event from their perspective and post it as well. It's a fun read.

Cat's Bottom Line
This kind of humor isn't for everyone, but it's definitely for me. Some people think these guys are jerks, or attention mongers. I think they're just people out to have fun and to shake up the routine of life a little bit. If you want to read some fun stories, check out Improv Everywhere's site below. It makes me wish I lived in NYC!

http://www.improveverywhere.com

Improv Everywhere is recommended by Cat

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Comments about Cat’s Review

This sounds like fun. I have to go check it out. Thanks for sharing the info!!!

I went to the site. That was quite hilarious. I can just imagine what it would be like to have been there. Although you can't appreciate the overhead cameras if you are on the ground. Thanks for sharing.

This sounds like a blast!
Kristy

Now that is interesting! I wonder if they have any stunts in the Chicago area? I'm not sure what would happen if a group of people suddenly took their pants off on the El train...LOL