In this TED video, a young woman is reading when a man wearing a coat and boxer shorts boards the train. She’s taken aback but tries to ignore him. After all, this is New York.
At the next stop, another guy gets on, also in his underwear. By the time this happens again, the reader is starting to see the humour in it. You can see it in the exchange of smiles with two fellows sitting across from her. The weather is below freezing, but a total of seven men board the train with bare legs and underwear. I won’t give away the final act in this crazy improv show. You’ll want to watch the video for that.
Meet Charlie Todd, the creator of Improv Everywhere, which he describes as “a New York City-based prank collective that causes scenes of chaos and joy in public places.”
Ten years of pranks are detailed on Todd’s Web site. Check out the Subway Art Gallery Opening, King Philip IV, the Carousel Horse Race or any of dozens of others.
It’s all playful. Eyes brighten, smiles widen as passersby get into the crazy spirit. Not everyone catches on, but that’s all part of the fun.
The world can seem a pretty humorless place sometimes, as we go about our serious lives, listening to serious news and discussing serious issues. Improv Everywhere lightens things up, and I’ll bet anyone who witnesses one of their crazy scenes talks about it for years.
Improv Everywhere’s pranks aren’t the kind where someone is humiliated or scorned. They’re the sort that add laughter to the world. We can never get enough of that.
You can buy the book by Todd and Improv Everywhere senior agent Alex Scordelis , follow the fun on Twitter, subscribe to their YouTube channel, surf their Web site and Like them on Facebook.
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