Stage combat

A video to start… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrRFzwPE0d4 Choreographed by a fight director Practiced many times Consider the following while watching: Why were they fighting? Did it look real? What weapons were used? How did it add to the storyline?

The #1 rule! Safety first!! Always be safe and in control of your body and actions Once you lose control & forget what you have been taught, that’s when accidents happen

Horror stories… On opening night of King Lear, an actor playing Edgar “went up”, and improvised a full speed slashing head cut to Edmund, which narrowly missed beheading him. (The audience gasped!)

Horror stories… A full lunge with a spear, supposed to be off target, arrived neatly between another actor’s legs millimeters from a sensitive area!

Horror stories… Anactor received a full blow in the face with a trash- can lid during a television fight, from a star actor full of red-light fever whose apology was, “Sorry, but you guys are used to it!” The result was six stitches.

Horror stories… During an active fight rehearsal one actor overreacted to a shove, crashed against a wall, and loosed his sword, which then flew through a window and landed on the street three stories below in a shower of glass, missing (thankfully) passerby.

Horror stories… On one o the television network’s shows, a strong young actor was supposed to rehearse a fistfight in slow motion, but chose to attain the speed of light. The result of his actions left his leading lady, an innocent bystander, with a blackened eye.

Horror stories… An actor in drama school was tied to a chair in a production and was being threatened with a loaded gun held by another actor. Unfortunately, the actor who was holding the gun had no instruction in this use and pulled the trigger at the wrong moment. The resulting discharge burned the face of the actor tied to the chair, partially blinding him.

Horror stories… An often-told story in the theater is the one about the actor who was to sneak up behind another actor and conk her on the head with a foam rubber pipe. One night the prop was mislaid; and in her rush to complete the scene, she picked up a real pipe and bashed the unfortunate victim on the head, sending her to the hospital in a coma.

Horror stories… The following story is typical, but nonetheless unfortunate: An amateur production of Romeo and Juliet hired two young men who were sport fencers and who put out each other’s eye while bouting without masks during rehearsals!

Basic terms Action – Reaction – Action: The process of giving and taking focus during a physical argument. The first "action" is the aggressor's cue and control point, for the attack. The "reaction" is that of the victim, who, upon reading the cue responds; letting their opponent know they are ready. The final "action" is where the two combatants complete the offensive/defensive action together. This may be attack and parry, attack and avoid, feint and reaction, etc

Basic terms Break fall Distance Cue Any maneuver which dissipates the energy or force from a fall or roll and gives the illusion of impact Distance The proper measure between two or more combatants to safely execute any particular combat technique Cue Something said or done that provides a signal to a partner, eye contact can also be used as a cue

Break falls Get up and find a space….