Imagine lounging at Rockaway Beach on a sultry summer day: surfers ride the waves, young couples make footprints in the sand, teens run Pamela Anderson-style into the water—and everyone is dressed in tuxedos and ball gowns.

On August 20, prank organization Improv Everywhere made this quirky scene happen. Hundreds of formally dressed New Yorkers participated in the Black Tie Beach event along with groups in California, Rhode Island, Indiana, Australia and Sweden.

Jack Cheng, a writer and designer in New York, donned a simple black suit and snorkel mask to participate. Reactions to his curious outfit varied.

“One nice gentleman asked me what it felt like to swim with my tuxedo jacket on, and I said it was great and he should try it,” Cheng said. “I gave him my jacket, bow tie and snorkel mask, and he put them on and ran out into the water while his wife laughed and took pictures.”

This marked the second annual Black Tie Beach event for self-proclaimed prankster Charlie Todd, creator of Improv Everywhere. Last year, Todd’s group raided Coney Island. The event was such a success that Todd decided to do it again this year.

“We rarely repeat ourselves, but I just had a blast that day,” Todd said. “We had so many great, positive reactions from the locals too. So this year, we did the sequel at Rockaway Beach.”

Since 2001, the group has used NYC’s public spaces to create “scenes of chaos and joy,” according to its Web site. Some of Todd’s most well-known stunts include: Frozen Grand Central Station (in which two hundred people froze simultaneously in Grand Central for five minutes) and No Pants Subway Rides (a self-explanatory annual stunt pulled off every winter).

“Improv Everywhere is a gift to both participants and observers,” Cheng said. “The moment you accept the silliness, and stop asking why it is and what it’s for and just go with it that’s when you really start enjoying yourself.”

Originally born out of a spontaneous prank in which Todd pretended to be Ben Folds, thus gaining him VIP status at a bar, Improv Everywhere has grown to represent something more artistic than light-hearted pranks.

“I definitely never expected something like that to happen to our renegade comedy group,” Todd said. “I view what we do more in the context of comedy, but if others want to call it art – that’s great.”

Now the group is midway through a two-year series of projects for the Guggenheim.

“I was surprised when we started getting invited to art festivals and gallery shows,” Todd said, “but it has always been flattering when it happens.”

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