Imagine if every time you looked at someone, they looked down at their feet. Now imagine if every time someone looked at you, you looked down at your own feet. There is a difference in how you might feel in both scenarios. One is a position of power, one of subordination.
In my last improv class at BATS Theater, we explored how our body language, words, and interactions communicate our status. We played a game where 4 people in a scene each chose a status level (1 through 4, with 1 being the highest status), and the audience had to figure out each person’s status based upon their behavior in the scene. As actors, we had to make purposeful choices about where our power lay.
Sometimes we had to figure out how to change our status mid-way in a scene; this is when it got really interesting. A “boss” might start out as higher status than her “assistant”, and then halfway through, their roles switched. Interestingly, when done right, that transition made sense, and you saw how easily power can be changed with a few gestures and words.
This exercise struck me as incredibly useful in everyday life. First, it made me look at what my “natural” status is in most contexts. Have you ever thought about this? What did your family or community teach you about where you fit in the power hierarchy? What is your default status?
Second, it reminded me that I get to choose my status in every moment. What a powerful thought. There is no reason I can’t choose a status of “1″ in any situation, whether working with a client, speaking in front of a crowd, or walking into a bar alone. I mean, why not? I like this notion of choosing my own status, taking ownership of it, rather than having it chosen for me.
PS: Important to note — a status of “1″ does not = jerk unless you decide it does.
This is the end of this series of blog posts. Read previous posts about my improv class at BATS Theater:
Improv Class #4: Reach Beyond the Obvious
Improv Class #3: Don’t Anticipate
Improv Class #2: An Agile Mind
Improv Class #1: Getting Out Of My Own Way
[...] more posts about my improv class at BATS Theater: Improv Class #5: Choose Your Status Improv Class #3: Don’t Anticipate Improv Class #2: An Agile Mind Improv Class #1: Getting Out [...]
[...] help me a whole lot. Now what I want is to take some improvisational theatre classes (see Teresa Brazen’s chronicle to see what I mean) [...]