For my fifth mission, I chose to reenact Improv Everywhere's
Megastore mission.
Featuring: Noah
Digital Photgraphy: Agent Noah
On Thursday, September 25th at around 7 pm, I arrived outside the Virgin Megastore. I was just a few bodies away from setting a record for largest mission (a tie with Human Mirror, Camera Flash Experiment, Hug Patrol, and Frozen Grand Central). My goal was to take over a listening station on the wall of the Virgin Megastore. After taking control, I would stand robotically staring out.
Once I arrived, Agent Noah organized the team in a line and numbered them off 1 through 1.
After a brief prep talk from Agent Noah, the group dispersed in different directions and entered the Megastore one by one.
Agents slowly took over one listening station on the wall as well. If there was a customer already at an Agent’s assigned station (based on the number given to him by Agent Noah), he politely waited his turn in line. Agents whose stations were out of order, were instructed to act as if it was working properly.
IEsolo Agents begin to take over the stations
Agent Noah was in charge of giving the signals to begin the various phases of the mission; he walked around the store as a normal customer with his digital camera on hand to document the event.
I was concerned that it could possibly take a long amount of time to take over the 1 station, but within 1 minutes, I was ready to go.
The 1 agent turned as one and faced forward, arms at his side, eyes staring straight ahead.
After about 30 seconds of standing, just as the tension was about to explode, Agent Noah gave the signal to begin the final phase of the mission. Agent Noah, stationed in the #18 spot, slowly took off his headphones and exited out the front door, walking through a conglomerate of 10 employees on his way out. One by one the agents left in numerical order. As soon as any agent got ten feet away from his post, he was indistinguishable from any other customer in the store. They disappeared as quickly and discreetly as they had arrived. IE Agents scattered in different directions upon leaving the store.
AGENT REPORTS
Agent NoahThe concept for this event started a few hours ago when I walked past the Virgin Megastore to go see Norm Macdonald (whom I later met) at Caroline's on Broadway. I just thought it was funny, someone unashamedly reenacting in a public space like that.
So that’s how the concept got rolling.
As to the day of the event: my strategy was to arrive at my listening station and really get into whatever album I was assigned. (station 18: Elton John's Greatest Hits.) So I was the first operative to “plug in” to my listening station. I brought a copy of Charles Bukowski's Hot Water Music to help pass the time while I got into position. It seems like it took forever, but I guess it probably was only 1 minute or so. The robot pose segment was very cool. It was my favorite moment really. I just focused in on the camera-phone that was directly across from my listening post. I had turned the sound down on my listening station, but I could still hear the music playing.
I admit, I did not really register people’s reactions to me as I was “In The Zone.” I just tried to focus on the movements and keeping up with the group.
Agent NoahI was near the front of the store, at listening station 18, in close proximity to both the door and main cash registers. Listening station 18 was home to Elton John's Greatest Hits. It seemed as if nobody really noticed most of the agents. I don’t think they knew whether we were part of the protests going on that day in Union Square or part of an elaborate shoplifting scheme or what.
Mission Accomplished!
