Here's how to play...
YOU NEED: Cards numbered 1-10 (you can also take those cards from an ordinary deck in whatever suit catches your eye. I like hearts), and a watch to time the scenes.
FIRST
Divide your group in half. Hand out a card to each person. If you are playing with more than 10 people, use two sets of cards numbered 1-10 (Use 2 different suits, like hearts and clubs. It's okay if two people have the same number). If you have LESS than 10 people, that's okay too, just hand out the cards randomly and set the leftovers aside. Tell players, "DON'T SHOW ANYONE YOUR CARD!" This group gets to perform for the other half first, then switch. Directions for people with cards:
The number on your card is your status. That means a low number is someone people look down on, and a high number is someone people think of as powerful, so act like a character of that status would act.
Pick a place for your characters to interact. A good idea is to use a bus stop. Pretend you are all waiting for the bus. You may not talk during the scene but you may interact in other ways. Another good place is a party. If you choose this place, pick someone to be the host.
When your timekeeper says "stop" after two minutes, the audience is going to try and guess what your number is and line you all up in order. Don't try to trick people. Really act like your number! Guessing is hard enough.
PLAYING/WATCHING
Watch the people with cards move and interact. How do their bodies show how important they are, according to their card? After you have watched for two minutes, the timekeeper (the lucky guy or girl with the watch) needs to yell "Stop!"
THEN
Everyone guess people's numbers together. You can do this easily by taking turns going up to the players and lining them up in order, starting with low status on the left and moving to high status on the right. The group should talk about the order and come up with an agreement on the final line. Have the actors reveal their true numbers and describe their characters. DID YOU GUESS THEIR NUMBERS RIGHT?
SWITCH GROUPS!
This time the actors are the audience and the audience is the actors!
THINK ABOUT
How did people's bodies show their status? What are some things that make people have high or low status? Some answers might be age (sometimes older people have more status), wealth (rich people have high status and poor people have low status), gender (if you're a boy or a girl), race (sometimes people of a certain race have more status over another race). How did people with low numbers feel in this exercise? How about those with high numbers?
Make sure to talk together after this game.
Kitty Wants a Corner No Worries VCR Nightmare
Conductor (Mr. Holland from Mars) Status Poker
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