Proivisions DIY: How to Cause a Scene
Wednesday, March 12th, 2008
When I was a teen, I had this perverse fantasy of wanting to break out into musical numbers in stultifying and stupid situations. Did life really have to be this routine? This predictable? This gol-dang sonambulistic?
Not if Improv Everywhere has anything to do with it. Originating in New York City, and now with growing chapters across the world, the group stages elaborate musical numbers in public places, such as this one, done in a mall food court. The group is also involved in the No Pants events, where people agree to ride the subways (of New York, DC, and other cities), on a given day and time, sans pants. The whole thing is coordinated online so that participants get on at different stops, giving the appearance of a spontaneous desire on the part of citizens to drop trou.
There appears to be a growing “movement” of people interested in doing these sorts of playful dada-esque street actions. Zombie walks are another, where groups of seemingly unconnected people show up in an urban area in full Zombie costume and makeup, shuffling along, mewing for brains. All of these types of events use emailing lists, sites and services like Facebook and Twitter, and the supreme tool for so-called “flash mobbing,” the mobile phone/text messaging to organize.
I for one can’t wait to see more of this sort of thing and can’t wait to be on a street corner or in a dreary mall food court when somebody busts out into a showy number, ’cause I’m going to join in. Hell, maybe I won’t even wait. “Springtime for Hitler” in Lafayette Park, anyone?
Here for more about Improv Everywhere.
Here for Improv Everywhere Global.
Here for more on Zombie crawls
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