Four Square
Four players perform four different scenes simultaneously in the four corners of the stage. The director edits between them, building each one independently before finding the connections.
About
Four Square is a high-energy short-form format in which the director controls four simultaneous scenes by pointing or calling each one alive. The ensemble must hold their character and emotional state through periods of stillness, then instantly resume full energy the moment their scene is activated. The director's job is to find the moment when all four scenes connect.
How to Play
- 1
Four players pair up and take positions in the four corners of the stage. Each pair receives a different audience suggestion.
- 2
The director activates one scene at a time by pointing to it or calling its number. The other three pairs freeze completely.
- 3
The director edits between scenes, building each one while gradually finding thematic or narrative connections.
- 4
Scenes can begin to merge: characters can cross into other scenes, or the same event can be seen from four perspectives.
- 5
The director ends the game when all four scenes converge on a single unified moment.
Variations
- -Five scenes: a fifth pair added for more complexity. One world: all four scenes are told as different perspectives on a single shared event.