Drama Strategy: Tableau
Definition: According to the Merriam-Webster's online dictionary, the drama strategy known as "tableau" can be defined as "a depiction of a scene usually presented on a stage by silent and motionless costumed participants."
Application: The drama strategy known as "tableau" is a highly versatile and engaging activity. As the definition above describes, during a tableau participants are required to reenact a selected scene by means of a motionless or 'frozen' portrayal. The scene selected for a tableau might be inspired from an important moment in a book or it could be a reflection of a randomly selected moment, such as, a soccer game or even waiting in line at the bank. The ability of tableau to recapture moments that range from the significant to the banal demonstrates its versatility and wide ranging applications as an instructional strategy. Furthermore, due to the lucidity of its application participants at various learning and experience levels can take part in the activity with minimal accommodations or modifications necessary for success.
Curriculum: According to the glossary in the Ontario curriculum The Arts, tableau is defined as "A group of silent, motionless figures used to represent a scene, theme, or abstract idea (e.g., peace, joy), or an important moment in a narrative. Tableaux may be presented as stand-alone images to communicate one specific message or may be used to achieve particular effects in a longer drama work. Important features of a tableau include character, space, gesture, facial expressions, and levels." This definition further reinforces the notion that tableau is versatile in its application, opening it up to the opportunity to be used for cross-curriculum purposes. While tableau is easily suited to many curriculum expectations located in The Arts curriculum, for instance, Grade 6 "B1. Creating and Presenting: apply the creative process to process drama and the development of drama works, using the elements and conventions of drama to communicate feelings, ideas, and multiple perspectives," it can easily be incorporated into other curriculum disciplines. To take just one example, an instructor might use tableau to help instruct a Grade 6 class on specific expectation 2.6 in the Oral Communication strand in the Language curriculum, which states, "Non-Verbal Cues: identify a variety of non-verbal cues, including facial expression, gestures, and eye contact, and use them in oral communication, appropriately and with sensitivity towards cultural differences, to help convey their meaning." While a tableau requires participants to be silent, its emphasis on facial expressions and body gestures make it quite suitable for this and many other cross-curriculum expectations.
Reflection: Personally, I think the drama strategy tableau is both engaging and informative for students in the classroom. It offers students a variety of levels of engagement, both in terms of their participation and creativity. While shy students may not want to speak in front of the class, my experience has been that since a tableau does require them to adopt a speaking role they are more likely to participate in this activity. This helps to build some confidence in students who normally might not feel as comfortable presenting in front of a class or a larger audience. It also provides students with creative freedom as they organize and demonstrate their expressions and poses through their own interpretations. This makes this activity both fun for students and informative, as each student's interpreted pose and expression speaks to their understanding of the particular scene that they are demonstrating.
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