Improv Everywhere Takes TriBeCa

On Saturday, July 16th, over 3,500 New Yorkers downloaded an MP3 provided by the comedy group Improv Everywhere. At sunset, they gathered at two separate meeting points along the Hudson, and at precisely 8:30 pm, all of the participants pressed play at the same time. The MP3 consisted of some ambient music and a booming voice, which called itself Mark. Mark gave various instructions to guide the hour-long event.

Improv Everywhere is a New York based comedy group that specializes in pre-planned missions in public spaces. They are probably most recognized for their yearly No-Pants Subway Ride, where participants hop on the subway sans pants, acting as if they forgot them at home. Their website states that their pranks are intended to cause “chaos and joy,” and that they’re out to prove that a prank “doesn’t have to involve humiliation or embarrassment.”