This black-and-white photograph shows three Springfield College students performing Tableaux. Two of them are bracing a large wooden wheel, on top of which a third student is doing a handstand.
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The Tableaux as used in gymnastics performances was created by Springfield College alumnus Leslie J. Judd (class of 1920), who went on to become a famous gymnastics coach at his alma mater (1921-1956). Tableaux, essentially, means living picture, and it is performed by costumed actors who remain silent and motionless. Tableaux have been used throughout theatrical history, but Judd transformed the idea. Coach Judd and Coach Frank Wolcott, his successor, created Tableaux that expressed ideals and commemorated moments in history. Tableaux are still performed by Springfield College gymnasts.
