Why can’t I see performance art like this
The second story of today's This American Life on NPR caught my attention. The subject of this show was Mind Games and the second story was about a "mission" (Improv Everywhere speak for a "prank") pulled by the New York City guerilla comedy improve group "Improv Everywhere." The group created a living time loop where the patrons of a New York City Starbucks witnessed the same 6 sequential scenes repeatedly play out 12 times in a row. This mission was called “The Moebius” after the concept of the Moebius Strip.
Intro to “The Moebius” mission from the Improve Everywhere web site:
"'There is the theory of the moebius. A twist in the fabric of space where time becomes a loop, from which there is no escape. When we reach that point, whatever happened will happen again.' -Lieutenant Commander Worf, Star Trek: TNG, 'Time Squared.'
On Saturday, March 22, 2003 Improv Everywhere agents created a living moebius strip in the Astor Place Starbucks. Seven undercover agents meticulously repeated a five-minute slice of time for twelve consecutive repetitions. Starbucks employees and patrons were frightened, confused, and ultimately entertained as they found themselves stuck, without escape, in the middle of a time loop."
Some of the reported results of the mission by the agents (Improv Everywhere speak for the actors) were that observers caught on and commented that they are in a time loop; called out what part of the sequence is about to happen next, commented on which one of the agents is the funniest; called their friends by cell phone, told them what was happening, and urged them to come see it; some even made derogatory comments about what was going on.
My thought on this is: “Why can’t I see performance art like this?" The whole scene seemed like an amusingly surreal thing to experience once you caught on that something odd and fun was going on.
Intro to “The Moebius” mission from the Improve Everywhere web site:
"'There is the theory of the moebius. A twist in the fabric of space where time becomes a loop, from which there is no escape. When we reach that point, whatever happened will happen again.' -Lieutenant Commander Worf, Star Trek: TNG, 'Time Squared.'
On Saturday, March 22, 2003 Improv Everywhere agents created a living moebius strip in the Astor Place Starbucks. Seven undercover agents meticulously repeated a five-minute slice of time for twelve consecutive repetitions. Starbucks employees and patrons were frightened, confused, and ultimately entertained as they found themselves stuck, without escape, in the middle of a time loop."
Some of the reported results of the mission by the agents (Improv Everywhere speak for the actors) were that observers caught on and commented that they are in a time loop; called out what part of the sequence is about to happen next, commented on which one of the agents is the funniest; called their friends by cell phone, told them what was happening, and urged them to come see it; some even made derogatory comments about what was going on.
My thought on this is: “Why can’t I see performance art like this?" The whole scene seemed like an amusingly surreal thing to experience once you caught on that something odd and fun was going on.