14 DAY TRIAL // Last week, a woman caused an incredible Internet storm after turning up in central London walking a man like a dog in a leash. Many morning commuters witnessed the bizarre scene and began wandering what its purpose was. Internet users also made assumptions about the incident after pictures and videos went viral across Twitter and other social sites.
Well, the woman involved in the stunt revealed that it was neither a PR trick nor bizarre role-play, but a theatrical project. Eden Avital Alexander says she got involved in the acting scheme because it focused on audience reaction. She explains that the idea behind the project was to create art by filming people's reactions to the man being walked in a leash.
The incident happened on Friday morning, when a smartly dressed man was seen being pulled around in Farringdon with a pink leash around his neck by a woman holding a coffee in her hand. At the moment, nobody knew the real purpose of the unusual performance, but many speculated that it was a PR stunt.
“It was not a BDSM or a PR stunt, the project seemed at the start like a funny thing to be a part of and was all about the audience, which for me I think is the most important part of acting,” Eden said, as reported by London Evening Standard.
The 27-year-old actress adds that many passers-by approached her and asked her questions, with one even starting a debate on human rights. Others asked her if the man was her husband.
Eden, who had been a stage actress for 20 years, says she replied to all “within character.” But the most surprising revelations she made was that the man on the leash was actually the director of the theatrical project, who wants to remain anonymous until the piece goes live.
“I believe that artists, actors especially, should take the audience out of their normal everyday life and make them think and feel other things, in this case was to make them laugh, but while doing it different things came up,” she added.
The bizarre act also sparked interesting debates regarding gender equality, human and animal rights, and the blurred lines between our personal and public lives, the actress says.
Apparently, the best reactions people had to their performance will be compiled in a three-minute video. It is not known when the clip will be released for the public.