Tableau

ADA1O

Tableau

• A tableau (plural: tableaux) can be described as a frozen moment in time

• It is like a photograph or a statue, a snapshot of an event or a feeling

• Tableau can be ABSTRACT (actors as non-human objects/things/ideas) or CONCRETE (actors as people)

History

• Tableau was used often in Ancient Greek Theatre

• In this period, violent episodes (war, murder, etc.) were not allowed to be shown on stage– Instead, a platform on wheels was brought on

stage, and the results of these events were depicted through tableau

– Actors would show the horrors that the war and murder caused through frozen images

Elements of Tableau

• Stillness

• Focal Point

• Balance

• Levels

• Physical Expression

• Facial Expression

• Transitions

Stillness

• It is important to hold a pose completely motionless when doing tableau

• Any movement distracts the audience and draws inappropriate attention to yourself

Focal Point

• Each tableau should have a main focus, much like a photograph

• This focus should be appealing to the audience, and make them want to look there

• You can achieve this by playing with levels, balance, and expression

Balance

• Visual balance is very important in tableau– Think about symmetry and asymmetry– If there is the same number of people on both

sides of the picture, it is considered balanced

• There are times when you would want a balanced picture, and there are times when you would not want a balanced picture

Levels

• A variety of levels in a tableau makes it interesting to look at, and also can help create focus and power

• If you utilize the high, medium, and low, the tableau becomes far more dynamic

Physical Expression

• Your body should be actively engaged in whatever scene is occurring

• Exaggerate your position since you don’t have the luxury of voice and movement

• Use your arms, legs, and the rest of your body to tell the story

Facial Expression

• This should also be exaggerated

• Make the emotions you are trying to convey very clear on your face

• Once again, without movement and sound, all you have to rely on is your body, so go big or go home!

Transitions

• When telling some sort of story with more than one tableau, move between tableaux using slow-motion, neutral movements

• The character and emotion should not be evident during transitions.

Examples

• Using Tableaux to tell stories

Now let’s try some tableaux

• First, let’s get into groups

Try to make…

• A square where everyone’s face can be seen from the front (encourage different heights)

Try to make a…

• Wedding

• Funeral

• Campfire

• Fishing