Last year, my boyfriend introduced me to the wacky scenarios caused by Improv Everywhere - a growing "organization" (for lack of a better term) based in New York. This group was created by Charlie Todd in 2001, and has since then executed quite a few missions involving "secret agents". Some missions required participation from avid fans, while some were executed only by core members. Their tagline says it all - "We cause scenes" - and caused scenes they had.

I imagine that careful planning was always involved whenever the group comes up with a new mission - serious research, budgeting, some testing, composing songs and sometimes even rehearsals - the works! They exert all those efforts to "cause chaos and joy" to whoever is there to witness them accomplish their missions.

To date, I have 3 favorites so far:
  1. The Moebius - Undercover agents performed a series of events which lasted for 5 minutes, meticulously repeated 12 times, all within an hour. Patrons at that particular Starbucks outlet might have thought deja vu, or could've been weirded out, or if they were sane enough, have thought those agents were crazy.
  2. Best Gig Ever - Undercover agents headed to a club in New York on a Sunday night, at a dead time slot, to watch a band perform. They asked everyone who wanted to participate to download songs composed by the band and memorize its lyrics, so that they could sing along while the band performed. The result -- the best crowd reception the band ever got, a better time slot and more gigs!
  3. Even Better than the Real Thing - Agents performed on a rooftop and pretended to be U2! Undercover agents, strategically positioned a couple or so blocks away from the venue helped gather people to watch U2 perform live! The police had no choice but to make an arrest for the disruption of peace. However, even if it's clearly obvious that the band wasn't U2, undercover agents stuck to their "identity".
Take a look at their website, and have a good laugh while reading each agent's reports on their missions. The reports could be quite lengthy, but it sure is a fun read. :)