This document discusses using tableaux and freeze frames as drama techniques for teaching young learners. Tableaux involve having students freeze in silent, motionless poses to depict scenes or ideas. They allow students to explore characters' feelings and interpretations. Benefits include being easy, non-threatening, and helping develop teamwork and picture interpretation skills. Students can gradually build scenes using poses and expressions or have one group freeze while others interpret the image. Examples are given of using freeze frames to depict characters' tired and hungry feelings from a story excerpt. References for further information on these drama techniques are also provided.

1. LGA3104
PLAYS AND DRAMA FOR
YOUNG LEARNERS
(THE STONE SOUP)
EUDORA PRISCILLA
SIAW JUN NING

2. TABLEAU
DRAMA TECHNIQUE

3. What?
• (S):Tableau, (P):Tableaux
• Silent, motionless depiction of a scene
• Explore the feelings of characters, a
particular moment
• Interpretation
• Forms of tableaux
a. Still images
• invent body-shapes or postures
b. Freeze-frame
• the action in a play or scene is frozen

4. Benefits?
• Easy, non-threatening exercise
• For groups with little or no previous drama
experience
• Team-working skills
• Creates pictures that can be interpreted by
the class
• a very good way to represent potentially
difficult concepts
• E.g. fights, and abstract ideas like freedom or
sadness etc.

5. How?
• Freeze at a certain moment of performing
• Story-telling using three images to create a
beginning, middle & ending
• Gradually build a scene using
bodies, expressions
• Illustrate a word or phrase in a story using a
still image
• One group performs while the rest comment
on what the still-image means

6. Group’s Decision
Gradually build a scene using bodies &
expressions
+
One group performs while the rest interpret
the still image

7. HOW DO YOU FEEL?
DRAMA ACTIVITY

8. How do you feel?
1. Teacher will give each group an excerpt from scene
one.
2. Pupils in group will have to demonstrate and reflect
on the characters from the excerpt to show what the
characters’ thoughts and feelings.
3. Pupils will use freeze-frame to show and reflect on
characters’ thoughts and feelings.
4. Other pupils will identify what the character’s are
feeling.
5. Pupils then will reflect on the activities and look for
evidence that will helped them to understand the
different feelings of the characters through exploring
characters in situations and stories.

9. Example
“Narrator: Once upon a time, there were
three soldiers travelling back to their
country. One day, they were walking down a
road. They were tired and very hungry”
Pupils might want to show the expression
of tired and hungry

10. References
Váchová, M. (2012). The use of drama
techniques in teaching adult EFL learners.
Czech Republic: Masaryk University Brno.
Farmer, D. (2013). Still images/freeze frames.
Drama Resource. Retrieved February 2,
2013, from
http://dramaresource.com/strategies/still-
images-a-freeze-frames