Week five of Comedy Sportz 101 was more intellectual that it was performance which made it more interesting than fun. All of the classes are building up to weeks 7 and 8 when we do actual improv.
Status and how changes of status can work in improv were featured last night. They stated that in real life that the only two ways a person can change status is to either lower another person's status or to raise your own status. In improv it is liberating to be low status because low status folks can get away with more in comedy. Being high status limits what you can do on stage. A king wouldn't do certain things that a peasant can get away with. It can also be comical watching a person trying to raise his status.
The main status exercise had to do with a deck of cards. The class stands in a circle with their eyes closed and each one has their palm out. The instructor than places a card face down in everyone's palm. Once each class member has a card you place the card on your forehead in a manner that you can't see the card but everyone else can. Starting with the ace as the lowest status card to the king as the highest status card you walk around the room and treat people in the manner that their card indicates the status that they have. And people treat you in the manner that your card indicates that you are. At the end of the exercise you are to stand in the order that you think your status is, the higher status folks go to one end of the room, the lower status folks go to the other end of the room. Everyone in the class pretty much figured out where they were on the status chain, except one of the tens. One ten put himself with the higher status folks (that was I) and the other ten put himself with the lower status folks. I must be a social climber!
The second status game was exactly the same as the first status exercise except instead the lower status cards represented third world countries and the higher status cards repsrented flourishing countries. Then again at the end of the game you were to line up in the order of the cards. In this game I was king. The third world countries begged me for aid and ruling with heart I gave it to them. I figured out quite early on which card I had.
The character game was interesting. There was an imaginary party on stage. At the party you were to be one of four characters:
1. A movie star.
2. The funniest person in the world.
3. Terminally ill.
4. Just recently released from prison.
The game starts with two people on stage. You are not allowed to define yourself as one of the four above as the other person defines you, you define the other person. Then every ten seconds another class member comes to the party until everyone is at the party. You define the hostess, the hostess defines you. You can be something different to each person at the party. Using Kaye and Pat as examples. I'm host.
Pat starts "Bill, how are you adjusting to life on the outside" (defining me as just out of prison)
Bill responds "Doing really fine, Pat, we really enjoyed the movie that you were in. They showed it at prison during entertainment night" (defining Pat as a movie star)
Kaye enters. Hi Pat, "I saw where the ratings of your HBO special drew higher ratings than Robin Williams. "(defining Pat as the funniest person in the world). The rest of the night Pat will be the funniest person in the world to Kaye and a movie star to me. Pat would respond to Kaye "Do you have any upcoming roles?" Defining Kaye as a movie actress.
Kaye would maybe say to me "How long do you have?"(defining me as terminally ill) Me "Six months, and it really makes me feel better when I watch your comedy act." Defining Kaye as the funniest person in the world. The rest of the party Kaye is an actress to Pat and the funniest person in the world to me. I am terminally ill to Kaye and just out of prison to Pat.
With twenty-six class members you could end up being each one of the four characters. It requires memory and quick changes of roles. What I found interesting is that the women placed me in a character as either a movie star or the funniest person in the world and the men placed me as the terminally ill character. Nobody placed me as just out of prison. What was also interesting is that it became a real party! It really did. I think this would be an amazing party game if you were at a party that needed a boost.
Hope that you all stay in character today!
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6 comments:
These exercises are really interesting. I found them particularly intriguing as I was thinking about the status thing today and, whiel I didn't get to the raise/lower idea, it did occur to me that status is often as much how we see ourselves as how others see us. And how we see ourselves may well define how others see us.
If we've defined ourselves/our status by the work we do, if we lose a job or retire, that has to be reconsidered. If loss/ retirement from job means we lose our sense of importance or stature in our own minds, others will react similarly. Or, if we see ourselves as victims, as a result of some change in status, we act as victims and that's how others see us. Does that make sense?
I think placing yourself (as a ten) in the higher status group is an excellent example of the confidence you've gained and the different way you've begun viewing yourself, not only since the class, but over the last several months, as you've decided YOU are important to yourself and as more than a caregiver or business owner.
I find the character exercise particularly interesting, because it works in almost the opposite way, if I understand it correctly. In this one, you're responding to someone else's expectations of you or what you are, it seems. If someone sees us as successful, happy, content, we tend to try to meet those expectations. If someone sees us as a failure or struggling or a victim, it's easy to buy that and fall into the role.
I'm so glad you share the class excercises with us. Not only is it fun to hear about, but more than one has had me asking questions and this last one has really set to me thinking about how like real life those exercises were and how we make "judgements" about people and they then fulfill our expectations (character) or how we see ourselves as one thing and others see us differently based on some "visible" criteria set (the cards).
Btw, I think you'd make a wonderful king.
Hi DR
Your post got me thinking about a lot of things. When we have a job is it really or status or is it our identity? Or status and identity the same thing? Our does status give us our identity? Does the type of job we have determine our status?
I think status is a combination of four things. 1.) How we see ourselves. 2.) How others see us.
3.) How others see our station in life (if we are elected Senator for instance that would cause others to see us as having status) and 4.) How we see our position in life.
I placed myself in the higher status group because everyone was treating me well. Did they treat me well because a 10 is a high status card or because I acted more like a king? Interesting questions.
You understand the character exercise perfectly.
I share the class with you because all of the readers and posters here were instrumental in me not first signing up for the class and then not chickening out. This class is as much yours as mine!
Really a very, very interesting post and take on the class exercises, DR,
Bill
I'll agree with everything DR said, Your Majesty. The exercises are very interesting, and set me to wondering whether I approach meeting someone with a prejudgement of their "status". I suspect in the exercise, I'd treat everybody about the same except for maybe the King, where I might not be very forthcoming and more or less not speak until spoken to. But hey, I've never met a king, so am not sure about that.
I do like that you place yourself as a ten in status. Do you think you'd have done the same before taking the class?
Hi Pat
Gosh, I love your and DR's reaction to the exercises.
In is interesting in many ways you and I are alike in personality and I thought before the exercise I would treat everyone the same also but I didn't. I kissed the hand of the queen when she held it for me and talked differently to the lower cards. I don't think I would do that in real life but it certainly is worth questioning myself.
I don't know if I would have put myself in the higher status group before the class. Probably not. I might not even have played the game before the class.
I do know since the class has started that 1.) I feel more confident and 2.) I am more willing to stretch my limits.
I'm still shy but maybe not as shy.
Interesting four men, including me, were talking before class. After this class is complete, there is a three week extension if you want to take it. I asked Dan if he was going to take the extension and he said he was going to wait until the actual improv weeks to see how he does at actual improve and if he stinks at it he won't take the extension. One of the other men then asked if I was going to take the extension and I responded I am taking the extension whether I stink in the actual improv weeks or not. Before I would have said no way. Also the fourth man said to me "you won't stink at improv, you are one of the funniest ones in class." Those kind of comments are amazing ego boosts.
Bill
HI!!! Remember me? Sorry I've been neglectful.. I've been reading, but not posting.
I love the exercises and like Pat and DR.. especially the character exercise. I'm also pleased to read that you're planning on continuing with the extension classes. (insert applause here)
The status exercises are interesting. Being the manager of a computer support help desk, even the low paid clerical person has to be treated as we would treat my bosses boss. Well, ok.. not exactly the same, but with the same sense of urgency to resolve their problem with all respect that person deserves. I'm thinking that status can become cloudy in the customer service industry. Now after I've typed that, I realize not everyone thinks that way. Donald Trump would demand more attention, faster and quicker than anyone else, so he just raised his level of any preconceived status I may have had. Geeze.... I'm gonna stop now, this is all too complicated!! Excuse me... I need asprin. lol
Hi Kaye
We could never forget you!
Geez with your jewelry business, you caregiving, your job there really is no reason you shouldn't be posting here every minute.
I love your example of Donald Trump. That tells me this is anything but to complicated for you.
Bill
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