Warm-Up Game: Tableau Mixer

This warm-up game is a variation of the game “Numbered Tableaux”. It’s similar to the camp game “Chicken in the Hen House,” but adjusted to be safer for the drama classroom, and focused on creating various tableau scenes. It’s a simple introduction to tableau for students of any grade or skill level, with the added benefits of practicing memorization, collaboration, and stillness. It’s a great game for large classes, as students will need at least five different partners throughout the game. You can use this game as a “getting to know you” game, an elimination game if you have competitive students, or a week-long challenge — details below!

Instructions

1. Choose a Caller (could be the teacher or one of the students) and have the rest of the students spread out around the room.

2. The Caller will announce a way of moving around the room (creeping, tiptoeing, dancing, leaping, shuffling, crawling, sliding, etc.). Have the students move around the room in the manner that the Caller specifies.

3. At some point, the Caller will announce “Partners, side to side!” Students will go to the nearest student and stand next to them, shoulder to shoulder, without moving. (Blinking and breathing is always allowed, even when frozen.) This is the students’ first partner, of at least five different partners for this game. The Caller will let students know that this partner is their “side to side” partner, and anytime the Caller calls “side to side,” the students must find this particular partner and stand in this side-to-side position, without moving. Have them hold this pose for at least five seconds.

4. When the Caller announces “unfreeze,” students will move around the room again as the Caller determines. The Caller will announce “Second partners, back to back!” Students will go to the nearest, different student to them (it can’t be the same partner they had for side to side) and stand next to them, back to back, without moving. Going forward, anytime the Caller calls “back to back,” the students must find this particular partner and stand in the back-to-back position, without moving. Have them hold this pose for at least five seconds.

5. Continue with the game, adding at least three more tableau scenes with different partners each time. Here are some ideas to choose from (you’ll need to describe the poses to your students):

• Chicken in the Hen House – A nod to the original game! The shorter partner kneels with their arms bent like wings (the chicken), while the taller partner stands behind them with their arms making a triangular roof over their own head (the hen house).
• Statue of Liberty – The taller partner stands straight with their right arm above their head like they are holding a torch and their left hand to their side as if they’re holding a tablet (take a look at a photo of the actual Statue of Liberty for details), while the shorter partner holds up an imaginary camera as if they’re taking a photo of the statue.
• Rodeo – The taller partner goes down on all fours (like a horse), while the shorter partner stands above or beside them, holding their arm above their head as if they were swinging a lasso (the horse rider).
• Supermodel – Both partners strike dramatic poses as if they are modeling for a photoshoot.
• Gone Fishin’ – One partner squats and holds an imaginary fishing pole while the other partner lies on the floor as the fish.
• Forgive Me – One partner kneels and holds their hands up as if they were begging the other partner to forgive them, while the other partner turns their body away dramatically and crosses their arms.

Remember to have students hold the frozen pose for at least five seconds each time.

6. Continue on with the game, calling out different ways of moving around the room, followed by a different tableau cue: “Back to back!” “Tiptoe around the room.” “Chicken in the Hen House!” “Disco dance around the room.” “Gone Fishin’!” “Back to back!” and so on. Students must remember which partner they have for each tableau cue and go back to that partner for that particular cue.

Important Notes

• Remember: tableau poses are meant to be frozen, which means no talking!
• Take the path of least resistance when finding your partner; avoid slamming into or pushing over other classmates, even inadvertently.
• Take care of your body: avoid clunking heads (especially in back-to-back position) or slamming knees and hands into the ground (for Chicken in the Hen House or Rodeo).
• Students don’t need to touch each other to do the various tableau poses.
• Be sure to leave space between pairs, so it is clear who is partnered with who.

Variations

• Make it a “getting to know you” game. When students pair up, have them share their name with each other. When they go back to that partner during a repeated cue, have them greet each other by name.
• Play elimination style. The last pair to partner up, or a pair that moves when they’re supposed to be frozen, gets eliminated. This will cause some issues when you call out other poses, as certain partners will be eliminated. The non-eliminated partners will then have to partner up — think of it as an additional improvisation challenge!
• Have students suggest their own tableau poses to add to the classroom repertoire.
• Make it a week-long challenge. At various points throughout the week, without prior knowledge, randomly call out different tableau cues, even in the middle of a lesson, a rehearsal time, or another game. See if students remember what to do and what partner they’re supposed to be with.