Required Props: Music
How It Works:
First, it helps if the students have talked about the 'rules' of effective tableaux. Have the students stand in a circle and choose one student to stand in the middle. Ask this student (Student A) to pose in any frozen position. Once frozen, pick a second student. This student (Student B) must look at the way Student A is frozen and add to this tableau. The combined tableaux of Student A and B should create some kind of story or relationship.
Have the students hold their tableau for 5-7 seconds (usually the first few tableaux are silly, which is okay). After 7 seconds, Student A leaves the middle and rejoins the circle. Have the students observe Student B (who has maintained his tableau), then pick a third student to join Student B's pose to create an entirely new tableau/relationship. Again, let them hold the tableau for 7 seconds, Student B exits, then Student D would add to Student C's tableau, and so on.
Once the students have created a few frozen images, inform them that you are going to provide a topic for the next few tableaux. Round 1's topic might be homelessness. The game continues as before, but the tableaux now become explorations of homelessness. Guide the students to consider not just what homelessness looks like physically, but challenge them to use the expressions in their body and face to explore the emotions involved in the topic. Give the students six or seven rounds to explore homelessness, then you can move on to another topic. Once the students seem engaged and focused on exploring the topics, add some music to the activity to further enhance the experience (instrumental music seems to work best)
The activity can work in both the secondary and elementary level, although the explored topics might be different. If exploring social issues, it's always interesting to contrast something negative with something positive. For example, if Round one is war, round 2 might be peace. Or bullying versus tolerance. This contrast can lead to great discussions as to the students' role in solving the issues.
Some topic ideas: Secondary - war; depression; bullying; loss (they can interpret what this means); peer pressure; poverty; illness; discrimination
Elementary - Peer pressure; bullying; exclusion/inclusion; friendship
As always, if there is a tableau that is particularly effective, point out to the students what makes it so powerful.
Other hints: