A tableau is a drama technique where participants make still images with their bodies to represent a scene. It can be used to quickly establish a scene that involves a large number of characters, explore a particular moment in a story or drama, or replicate a photograph or artwork for deeper analysis. In a tableau, participants establish freeze frames in relation to one another until the tableau is complete, and the scene can be brought to life through improvisation. Tableaux can be used to support comprehension in core subjects including reading, writing, and social studies.
It is important to note that the term "tableau" can also refer to a painting in which characters are arranged for picturesque or dramatic effect and appear absorbed and completely still. The term was first used in the eighteenth century by French philosopher Denis Diderot to describe paintings with this type of composition.
