Exercise: The Fourth
Inspired by 250 unrelated to 250
I was visiting family on the 4th and looking for a new game that people from three generations could play together. I wanted something on theme but completely apolitical and nonhistorical, so I came up with this.
Exercise: The Fourth
This one is good standing in a circle or riding in a car. One person poses a question. The group thinks of their first three answers in their head, then takes turns sharing their fourth.
If you’re playing this as a road trip game, it can be more conversational. You might pose questions like “What’s your fourth favorite ice cream flavor?” or “On a list of places you’d like to visit, what’s your fourth?” The game can be a kind of conversation starter.
As an improv warm up, it’s more about getting out some top of mind answers and digging a little deeper. Sometimes first answers are boring or crazy town. Getting through a couple of drafts before you name a specific will likely lead to some surprising and interesting answers.
The group stands in a circle. One person turns to the improvisor to their left and poses a question. Then the rest of the team chants “The first. The second. The third. The fourth!” Right after the team yells “The fourth!” the player says their answer. I also envision everyone patting a slow triplet on their legs while chanting. In that version the first “the” is a pick up note. If that makes no sense- check out the audio version I post on Monday. Also- do whatever you want. After that person says their answer, they pose a question to the person to their left.
For a lower pressure version, remove the chanting. One person poses a question. The next person thinks, then answers.
Sample questions:
What ice cream are you eating?
Where did you buy that sweater?
How many cousins do you have?
What’d you do on Saturday?
What’s attacking that dog?
What kind of sandwich is that?
What happened to your arm?
As I write this, I realize it’s essentially the short form game, New Choice. The difference is that with New Choice, someone outside of the scene rings a bell and makes the improvisor come up with a new choice. They keep dinging the bell until the performer says an answer that they like or after the audience has laughed a couple of times. There’s overlap in that this game forces an improvisor to come up with multiple specifics for the same moment, but this version encourages an improvisor to do that in the quiet of their head.
There are certainly times when I’m trying to come up with a name or profession or a meal in a scene and I go through a couple drafts in my mind. I think this game will be great for working that muscle.
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