Frozen for Posterity

On August 1st, the Village Idiots conducted their first urban prank: a freeze. It was meant to be a 5-minute, low-key event that was supposed to give the group their virginal experience at improv everywhere-style planning.

In spite of the multiple hours of the event, a Democrat and Chronicle reporter happened to walk by at that very moment the group was doing this, and then later interviewed Swithun. This is an excerpt of what he wrote up the next day:

Pedestrians kept a steady pace as they made their way down Park Avenue — except when they were confronted in the middle of the road with art of a different kind shortly before 4 p.m. near Goodman Street.

Performers from a local improv group, the Village Idiots, staged a "freeze" for five minutes, with each coming to a standstill in a distinct position.

Two men appeared to share a conversation, a woman scratched her face and a girl threw a punch at another girl before they and the other participants unassumingly walked away.

The scheme was in part the idea of Swithun No, the group's artistic director, who said it was their first time performing a freeze.

"I wanted to do something crazy," said No, who froze while drinking a water bottle. "I wanted to do an urban prank."

Congratulations, Vidiots, on making a spectacle of yourself and having an impeccable sense of timing!