Improv Everywhere

Some of you may have already heard about Improv Everywhere—it’s a cultural phenomenon (though not one that’s touched the NW much). Here’s how it works: Word gets around on the internet and through word of mouth that there is going to be an improv event. Regular folks show up at the appointed time—with the appropriate props, if necessary—to participate, usually not knowing what to expect. Once there, they are given instructions, which they carry out and then continue on their way. The most well-known event is the Central Station Freeze event in which over 200 people walking through New York’s Central Station froze simultaneously for five minutes, then walked away. It’s random for sure, but therein lies the fun!

A more recent event had over 3000 participants. Folks were instructed to show up at a NYC park wearing a specific color of tee-shirt. Before heading to the park, they were supposed to download an MP3 file to their MP3 players (but not listen to it). Once in the park, at exactly the appointed time, everyone hit “play”. They then played silly games of Simon Says, but silently. To any onlookers, it looked as though they were randomly acting in unison.

Here’s a video of the Central Station event, my personal favorite: