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Improv Everywhere, a New York based group that aims to “cause scenes of chaos and joy in public places,” recently executed their latest mission: creating a wave of flashing light across the Brooklyn Bridge at night. Unlike traditional improv comedy troupes, Improv Everywhere incorporates local New Yorkers in their self-described “missions,” sometimes even relying on the participation of hundreds of willing civilians to complete their good-natured shenanigans.  During the latest mission that took place on May 16th, Improv Everywhere assembled seven hundred people, or Undercover Agents, as the group refers to them, on a rainy evening in Downtown Manhattan. Dubbed “The Camera Flash Experiment,” the many undercover agents lined the span of the bridge and created an urban aurora borealis of sorts, using camera flash bulbs sequentially à la a sports game wave from Manhattan to Brooklyn. The mission was held in honor of the Bridge’s 125th birthday. Past Improv Everywhere missions have included an impromptu musical in a food court, a mass of commuters freezing in place in Grand Central (parodied on Law and Order: SVU), and more irreverent pranks such as a coordinated “No Pants!” subway ride. Through their missions, Improv Everywhere seeks to add humor and levity to everyday city bustle. They are a modern and more organized take on Ken Kesey’s Merry Band of Pranksters, if you will. To learn more about Improv Everywhere, watch archived footage of missions, or to join the mailing list in order to become a part of future missions, visit improveverywhere.com. Words by Erica Block. Photos courtesy of Improv Everywhere.
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