Table work is a theatrical term describing the rehearsal time, usually in the first week of a production's preliminary work. Table work is spent around a table discussing the play, its themes, social relevance and other topics. Table work is carried out before actually getting up and acting the play out and is a very imagination-centered activity.
The entire ensemble (actors and directors, assistant directors, stage managers, dramaturges and others) will go through the script exploring inspirations and revelations. The words of the playwright and various possibilities of meaning are discussed. Decisions about the characters and their relationships move to define the world of the play that will be produced. How the play's themes relate to the present world and discussions the minutia of stress and punctuation within the lines are also covered.