Adapted from IMPRO, Improvisation and the Theatre,
by Keith Johnstone

Objective: To allow students to explore status in relationships.

Materials: Slips of paper numbered one to four

Initial Format: Four students are each given a slip of paper with a number (one, two, three, or four) which they are to keep as their status number. They are not to tell anyone else their number. They are then given a situation in which the group must make a consensus decision, such as choosing a movie to see or video to rent, planning the menu for a party, or selecting one of the group to run for class office. In pursuing the objective, each member of the group is to maintain his or her own status number and to determine the status number of the others, without asking or divulging. In playing their status the numbers work as following:

1. Always in charge.

2. Participates in leadership, but defers to number one. May offer mediation.

3. Offers suggestions, but not leadership, and defers to numbers one and two.

4. May offer suggestions, but always defers to the rest of group.

After the scene is played, ask each player to identify what the status numbers of the others were before divulging their own. Ask audience members if they concur or differ in their perceptions of the status chain of command that they observed.

Variation/Progression: Four students are each told to secretly choose their own status number. Then they are given a situation in which the group must make a consensus decision, as suggested above. In pursuing the objective, each member of the group is to maintain his or her own status number and to determine the status number of the others, without asking or divulging. After the scene is played, ask the audience to identify what they perceived as the status chain of command. Then ask each player to identify how they perceived the status of their scene partners before divulging their own.

Analysis: The initial format tends to provide a clear status chain and, once status of each member has been established, a fairly smooth achievement of the group objective. The variation format may also provide a clear status chain if there is a one, two, three, and four in the group. However, interesting conflicts and impasses may arise if there is more than one number one or there may be a comic "spinning of wheels" if no one has chosen to take on the number one status.