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or as long as you’ve been teaching, the students to be safe. They’ll know Moss has training in and you’ve had in your mind that perfect how to make it a part of the show, , and he regularly attends to direct—a Shakespearean trag- rather than a fight that interrupts the workshops to keep his skills sharp. “For edy, say. Maybe . . They can teach the students me,” he says, “the reality of being in a Now you have the who can things the teacher might not know. small school where you’re a one-stop carry it. The administration is behind “We don’t teach you how to fight. shop anyway is when I have money, I you. Your students are thrilled. We teach you how to act with vio- would rather spend it on an expertise I There’s just one problem. Almost lence. You want to learn how to fight, don’t have myself.” before you can bite your thumb, you can go watch ,” says Both Martin and Rodgers hire chore- there’s a brawl with naked blades in New York-based fight director ographers, but they’ve also gained Act I, scene one. The year might be Michael , who recently earned enough experience to teach or choreo- right for Shakespeare, but you have the title of fight master from the Soci- graph some of the basics without out- better things to do than face disas- ety of American Fight Directors. (He’s side help. trous injury and potential lawsuits. one of only eleven fight masters in In deciding whether to stage fights in high school pro- the U.S.) themselves or not, teachers need to be ductions is a challenge, but it’s not Ben Martin at Lee’s Summit West sure they aren’t overestimating their insurmountable. In fact, if you ap- High School in Lee’s Summit, Mis- own abilities. Just like the overeager proach stage properly, it can souri, has brought fight choreographer student who can barely do a be an exciting, safe, and fulfilling ex- Richard Buswell in to work with his summersault but swears she can do a perience for your students and audi- students, and says that it has im- back flip every night in the play, a fight ences. proved his own understanding of how choreographer without the necessary Teaching Theatre talked to a num- to teach simpler elements like slaps. background may be courting disaster. ber of educators and fight choreogra- “I think I do it better now, having “A little knowledge can be a danger- phers in the United States and Canada worked with Richard,” he says. “I ous thing,” says Hurley. “But knowing to see how they work with students have a more complete grasp of it enough to know your limitations is a and stage combat. All of them have now, almost more of a three-dimen- good thing.” tricks, tips, and methods they’ve de- sional approach.” Chin takes a harder line. “I know veloped over the years to make stage Margo Rodgers, the teacher sometimes there are budget handcuffs, violence a positive part of their teach- at Anderson Collegiate Vocational In- but if you can’t get a fight choreogra- ing repertoire. stitute in Whitby, , has worked pher, don’t do the fights,” he says. several times with Peter Hurley, a For teachers who choose to seek out- Bringing in the pros fight director with Fight Directors side help, the SAFD in the U.S. and Some teachers stage fights them- Canada, since 1995. She says that he’s Fight Directors Canada are two organiza- selves; others rely on professional taught her and her students aspects of tions which have established credentials choreographers. Ultimately, the deci- fighting that people don’t usually con- and documentation of training. They sion comes down to the teacher’s sider, like how to drop a so that also have or can provide member con- level of comfort with leading her stu- it doesn’t bounce. “These are all the tacts so teachers and directors can find dents in potentially dangerous activi- tricks of combat. It’s the sound,” she someone near them. Not every qualified ties. says. “It’s the noise the kids make. It’s fight choreographer is a member of There are pros and cons to both a kind of vicious .” these organizations, but the groups are a options. Professional stage choreogra- It’s also true that not every teacher good place to start looking. phers tend to charge by the hour, and needs to hire an expert. Phil Moss, for the budget of a high school drama drama teacher at University Liggett Balancing safety and quality department, it isn’t cheap. Also, School in Grosse Point, Michigan, has All of the fight choreographers inter- schools in smaller or remote areas never brought in an outside choreog- viewed emphasized that safety always may not have easy access to people rapher, and has staged injury-free pro- comes first when teaching actors of any with the necessary experience. ductions of shows including The Com- age how to fight. However, they also On the other hand, qualified pro- pany of Wayward Saints, Cyrano de stress that safety doesn’t need to get in fessional fight choreographers will Bergerac, West Side Story, and I Hate the way of staging a thrilling fight scene know how to stage a fight and teach . that supports the whole production.

TEACHING THEATRE Teaching stage violence to student actors

BY ELIZABETH COBBE

Ideally, a well-choreographed fight the safety of the actors and add to their “The same way you teach an ac- will blend in with the rest of the plays’ performances. After all, many profes- tor to cross to stage left with motiva- . Everyone can think of at least sional fight choreographers are also tion,” says Buswell, “I talk about one show they’ve seen in which the working actors. motivation and subtext. I talk about actors seemed to halt their perfor- “Stage combat without technique is what is the trying to do? mance so they could whack some dangerous. Acting without technique is How good a fighter is the character? together. Skilled fight choreog- boring,” explains Chin. “You need to Why are you going for the arm in- raphy, on the other hand, will protect combine both.” stead of the leg?” Danforth Comins and James Newcomb battle it out in the Oregon Shakespeare Festival production of Richard III. Fight choreography by John Sipes. DAVID COOPER

DAVID COOPER

TEACHING THEATRE SUSAN DOREMUS Every teacher and fight choreogra- ‘Puppy training’ pher interviewed has their own way of In any group of students, teaching and staging violence to keep there invariably will be a the students safe as they improve their range of abilities when craft. Here are some of the strategies learning about stage vio- they shared. lence. Teachers also en- counter the overeager Fighting in slow-mo students who won’t go at Whether they’re staging a fight for a rehearsal speed or follow production or teaching a few moves in proper safety practices class, the teachers and fight choreogra- with weapons. phers suggest running the moves at a “One of the problems I pace that’s slower than how the fight have is kids see Kill Bill, will run in performance, while main- a movie that has lots of taining the same spacing between fighting, and they think, partners. This helps the combatants ‘Oh, I can do that!’” re- gain precision and technique in their marks Moss. moves, and it removes adrenaline The teachers and cho- from the equation. That, plus repeti- reographers say that they tion, also helps the actors ingrain the make the less responsible choreography in their muscle memory. students sit out and watch Margo Rodgers uses a metronome the other students work. with her students so that their rhythm It’s discipline, but it also stays constant, no matter at what puts the student in a posi- speed they run the fight. Other teach- tion to see how the other ers use music to pace their students. actors are working, and However they enforce the speed, why it’s better to do it the though, they come back to the slow- right way. motion fight rehearsal repeatedly “It’s like puppy train- throughout the rehearsals and perfor- ing,” says Rodgers. If they mance run. don’t figure it out after “If you can do it at speed watching once, then have perfectly,” says Hurley, “I’m not wor- them sit out again until ried. I can walk away.” the lesson sinks in. Similarly, Buswell sometimes has A student tries out his skills during a 2005 Thespian “The kid who is gung- students rehearse a sword fight without Festival workshop. ho is physically out of con- blades, simply using their index fingers, trol,” Martin explains. “We pointing in the direction of the blade. “You don’t have to run through full- preach safety first, and if they’re being The students keep the same spacing speed every day, but you do need to unsafe, they sit out and watch.” Most of they use when they’re holding actual make sure they know what they’re do- the time, he says, once is enough to con- weapons. These types of teaching strat- ing,” suggests Chin. vince them. egies may look or feel less glamorous Some teachers and choreographers What’s more, the teacher needs to take than the actual fight, but they go a long choose to designate a fight captain from safety seriously enough that if the students way toward indoctrinating students in among the students—usually an are not performing the choreography the practice of safe stage combat. with a smaller role who has shown a safely, she must be willing to cut the fight talent for stage combat. The fight cap- altogether. “In the final week of produc- Fight call tain can be responsible for leading the tion,” says Hurley, “you need to [be able Actor’s Equity Association requires fight fight rehearsal, or fight call, and ensure to] say, ‘We’re not doing the sword fight.’” rehearsals before every performance, that the combatants are maintaining the The gung-ho student may also try to and there’s no reason why high school correct spacing and speed. overextend his abilities. An actor might companies shouldn’t hold the same In other cases, the stage manager be able to fall safely to the floor from a standards. That means running through may lead the fight call, or the teacher six-foot platform once, but can he do it the fights at every rehearsal to which may prefer to do it rather than leave the safely every single night? those actors are called and before ev- job to a student. The important thing, “The hardest thing about high school ery performance, even if it’s as simple the fight choreographers stress, is that students is they are full of ego, and they as a single slap on the cheek or trip- fight call happens before each and ev- have to their egos out the win- ping on some stairs. ery rehearsal and performance. dow,” Buswell remarks.

TEACHING THEATRE Keeping the excited students in line Shrinking violets with it [but I think it’s safe], then I may doesn’t mean that they can’t contribute Teachers may also have students who ask you to try it.” ideas, though. Let the students “audi- are reluctant to perform any stage vio- tion” their idea to see if it’s safe and if lence at all. These actors also need at- A safe environment it fits the play. tention, not only for their own sake, Another aspect of safe stage combat, “I let the kids have tons of input,” but because a hesitant combatant can and one that many people don’t think says Rodgers. “Very often, they’re tons prove to be just as dangerous as some- about, is making sure the playing area braver and more creative than I would one is too aggressive. is safe. It’s one thing if Cyrano and ever be. They’re more willing to put “There’s a lot of kids who you can Valvert have rehearsed their re- themselves in the line of a fist.” see are afraid of it,” acknowledges sponsibly and are excellent fighters. For example, Rodgers recently di- Moss. “It’s okay. You never push them.” It’s another if they discover that an- rected the play As Fate Would Have It, With the reluctant students, Rodgers other actor’s has suddenly with fight choreography from Hurley says, “I treat it more like ballet and talk changed, putting him in the way of the using dowels. One of the combatants about it as movement.” fight. broke a finger in an incident not related With these students, she compares a “The worst thing to do is choreo- to the play and couldn’t perform all of move like dragging one’s partner to graph a sword fight and the director the choreography, so he offered some other types of acting skills like pup- has cued a strobe or a smoke effect,” replacement ideas for a few moves. petry. She also breaks down the tech- says Chin. “Rob [the student] had to show me nique to show who does what. Rodgers Consider where the actors will fight. how it would work by doing it safely says she introduces stage fighting with Are there levels? Is the stage raked? and slowly so that I could see the ‘mis- the scene from Star Wars IV: A New What will the lighting be like? Are direction’ and that he wasn’t taking a Hope in which Darth Vader “strangles” there other actors nearby who could high-speed whack to the arm,” says an imperial officer with the Force, be- get in the way? What kind of shoes Rodgers. “It worked and we went with cause it clearly shows that the victim is will the combatants wear? Will their it. Even when his finger healed and the one who does all the work. costumes interfere? our show advanced to the next level of Martin encourages his cautious stu- Experienced fight choreographers competition, we kept his new version dents to try the stage violence, but he will know to ask these questions. Di- since it was the one most firmly em- sets up tests so they don’t feel forced rectors should also give them enough bedded in his muscle memory.” out of their comfort zone. In a unit on time to work, and refrain from intro- movement, he allows ducing production elements after the them to choose three fight has been staged, unless they Fight master Michael Chin explains an aspect of fight chore- ography during a workshop. movements to perform work it out with the choreographer. for a grade; stage vio- lence can be one of Weapons safety and maintenance those elements but isn’t Safe handling and maintenance of required. weapons is an important subject that SUSAN DOREMUS Hurley once had a stu- deserves significant attention. If readers dent who balked at prac- have any questions, they should consult ticing falls. So he devised a qualified fight director, bearing in a way of teaching falls mind that not every person who picks by starting out lying on up a sword at a festival the ground and perform- will be an authority on weaponry or ing the moves in reverse other aspects of combat in performance. order. “It made everyone laugh,” he says, “but it Blades worked for that actress.” Fencing and other blade work is some- In performance, cho- thing you can only learn by doing; reographers must remain reading an article just won’t cut it. sensitive to the student’s However, there are specific tips to comfort levels, always keep in mind so that those with less leaving them the option experience can avoid injury to them- to say no. “This is not an selves or others. excuse to say no just for Many of the tips mentioned through- the hell of it,” explains out this article apply especially to fight- Buswell. “It’s if your ing with swords and . Maintain- safety is at risk. If you ing the appropriate distance and speed don’t feel comfortable in a fight is crucial. When backstage,

TEACHING THEATRE always carry the weapon with the point Preferred Arms, a theatrical weapons ing to stock their prop closets with the down. “Getting poked in the foot is bet- rental business in Washington, D.C. right kind of weapons should look to ter than getting poked in the face,” ob- Preferred Arms is one of several these suppliers; contact one of the na- serves Robb Hunter, who is a certified North American retailers that provide tional fight societies if you’re unsure teacher with SAFD and the owner of weapons for stage use. Teachers look- about a particular vendor.

University Liggett School Players Weapon and Pyrotechnical Effects Protocol This the handout that Phil Moss distributes to his theatre students.

• Weapons are not toys. The foreign object or dummy bullet has • SFX manager controls the director, stage manager, or actors become lodged inside. equipment until its time of use. who use them in the show for offi- • Blanks are extremely dangerous. • SFX manager takes back the cial purposes handle firearms. No Even though a gun loaded with equipment after its use and checks unauthorized personnel should blanks does not fire bullets out of the and cleans the equipment as neces- ever touch a weapon. barrel, it still has a powerful blast that sary. • Use non-firing simulated dum- can maim or kill. • SFX manager completes the my weapons when possible. • If you are asked to put the gun “SFX Safety Post-Show Check • Treat all guns as if they are down, place the piece gently on the Sheet” loaded and deadly. ground with the barrel pointing in a • SFX manager returns the • Unless performing or rehears- safe direction, and step back quickly. equipment to director, and locks ing all weapons must be secured • Never attempt to adjust, modify, and secures the equipment. by the director of theatre. or repair a firearm yourself. If a • The weapon or effect should • Careful training is required for weapon jams or malfunctions, only a be checked four times during each all use of weapons; do not over- qualified person shall make correc- performance. state your knowledge about the tions. • First check: on first call the weapons to be used; do not hesi- • When a scene is completed, the SFX manager checks, cleans, and tate to communicate your level of director of theatre shall unload the tests as directed by the director any comfort with the weapons to be firearms. All weapons must be effect to be used. Effects are to be used. cleaned, checked and inventoried af- secured until “prop check call.” • Never engage in any horse- ter each performance. • Second check: at the forty-five play with weapons. Do not let oth- • Live ammunition or real firearms minute to show mark the director ers handle weapons for any rea- are never permitted on school or stage manager will call “prop son. property. check.” At this time the SFX manag- • The director of theatre must • State and federal laws must be er, under supervision of the direc- do all loading of firearms. obeyed at all times. tor, will check out the equipment • Never point a firearm or to the actor. The actor will review weapon at anyone, including your- Procedures the equipment, check it, then re- self. Always cheat the shot by aim- • All weapons and pyrotechnical turn it to the SFX Manager. ing to the right or left of the target effects are to be locked up at all • Third check: SFX manager will character. times when not in direct use for an hand the equipment to the actor • If you are the intended target official function. backstage just before the actor of a gunshot, make sure that the • Weapons and pyrotechnical ef- makes the entrance. person firing at you has followed fects are to be touched by the director • Fourth check: Immediately af- all safety procedures. of theatre, SFX manager, and actor for ter use, the SFX manager will com- • Use protective shields for all official use only. plete the post-show form and re- off-stage cast within close proximi- • SFX manager checks effects or turn the weapon to its lock-up ty to any shots fired. weapons out from the director. position. • Check the firearm every time • SFX manager safety-checks the Failure to follow these rules and you take possession of it. Before equipment under direct supervision of warnings will result in immedi- each use, make sure the gun has the director. ate disciplinary action. All in- been test-fired off stage. Check the • SFX manager signs off on the fractions will be treated with the cylinders and barrel to be sure no “SFX Safety Pre-Show Check Sheet” utmost seriousness.

TEACHING THEATRE Swords intended for stage use will Most paste wax intended for use on Know who is handling the weapon at have steel blades designed to with- cars will work on steel blades. all times, and like any other prop, only stand repeated blows if handled cor- Firearms those who work with that prop in the rectly. The hilt ought to be secure and Even a single gunshot in a play means show should handle it offstage. Teach- in good condition. that students and teachers are assum- ers must keep all prop firearms locked Professional sword cutlers craft these ing risk and responsibility. Many in a secure location to remove the pos- blades by hand. Don’t confuse people believe that simply borrowing sibility of or accident. stageworthy swords with so-called a starter pistol from the track coach is If the gun fires in performance, con- “battle-ready” swords, which are made enough to do the job, but in fact, a lot sider the volume of the discharge. If the of softer steel and may have edges that more goes into staging even a single audience is to believe in the gunshot, have not been rounded down. Re- gunshot. then it needs to be louder than a peated blows with battle-ready swords One of the foremost rules is that simple clap of the hands, but the sound will create nicks in the blade that can students and teachers should treat any can also be too loud. Consider the also cause injury. firearm as if it were loaded at all space; a prop gun that was suitable for Hunter advises teachers to start their times. Actors at any level must respect the auditorium may be too loud for the weapons closet with pieces that will firearms and their potential for injury. basement black box. work for a broad range of plays. Jerry Vest, owner of Have Guns Quieter half-loads are available for Broadswords, which have a long, Will Rent Costume and Prop Rental in some prop revolvers; automatics, how- straight, double-edged blade, are gen- Kansas City, Kansas, emphasizes that ever, require a certain amount of pow- erally suitable for plays set from 800 to directors should never fire blanks der to prevent jamming. So consider around 1500. After that, tend to from a real gun. He says that once he what type of gun to use, and work with be a better fit. Rapiers have a more was working with a theatre company an expert if the sound is too loud. The slender blade and a more elaborate who wanted to use a blank in a real actors can wear earplugs, which will for the hand than broadswords; gun, so he demonstrated the gun by help those closest to the discharge. they’re used more often for stabbing firing a blank at an empty soda can. “You could probably do better by than cutting. The blank blasted the can into two just shutting down the volume [on the Additionally, short swords are weap- pieces. actors’ mics] before the ons best suited for Restoration drama Use a non-firing prop gun when- blanks,” Vest says. Also, remember that or a Three Musketeers adaptation. How- ever possible, but if the play calls for a shot fired in an empty house is louder ever, if teachers have a limited budget, a gunshot, then make sure the barrel than one fired in a theatre with a few Hunter suggests simply ordering the is completely and securely plugged. hundred audience members. proper hilt (the handle) and screwing Guns with a plugged barrel will have For other questions on general fire- in the blade from a . a vent to allow the pressure to escape, arm safety, many (but not all) profes- Knives, on the other hand, are sim- a slit that’s usually an eighth of an sional fight choreographers will have pler. Although there are more options inch. the necessary expertise. “If nothing available than with swords, fights The placement of the slit is very else, everybody knows a police of- rarely call for knives to each important. The slit on a revolver is on ficer,” suggests Vest, who teaches gun other, so durability is less of a concern. the side; on an automatic pistol, it’s safety himself. Teachers can purchase regular steel typically on top. Even a prop gun that hunting knives, as long as they work fires will have an explosion when it Accidents happen with an expert to dull the edges and fires blanks, so if the slit is on top, for Of course, no one can predict when a point. Also, training knives with alu- example, do not hold the gun against glass will be accidentally dropped be- minum blades are widely available. another actor’s chest. fore a fight, or if an actor will slip and The teachers interviewed here gener- Vest shares the story that once, in twist an ankle on the steps backstage. ally agreed that if the vendor cannot his store, he was distracted, and he Stage choreographers don’t usually answer immediately whether a knife is had his hand on top of an automatic broadcast the accidents that happen in appropriate for stage use, do not buy it. gun when it fired a blank. The hot shows they work on, but they do admit Maintaining steel blades is important gases that escaped from the gun’s vent that even the best choreographer can’t to getting the most out of your invest- burned a hole in Vest’s hand. He had eliminate all risk from live theatre. ment. Theatrical blades, especially to have surgery to repair the injury. Chin says that fortunately, his actors swords, should be locked in a dry Just as with swords and blades, have never suffered worse than bruises. place to avoid rust, which can weaken teachers should create a detailed and He knows a colleague who was called the steel even when removed. Oil from specific procedure with which stu- in to testify for the prosecution after a skin is also corrosive, so wipe the dents “check out” their firearms and poorly designed resulted in blades with an oiled rag after each use. return them later. (The weaponry pro- puncturing an actor’s lung in a produc- Hunter recommends polishing steel tocol list that Moss distributes to each tion of Dracula. In that case, the com- blades with wax before storing them. of his theatre students is on page xx.) pany used a real knife, and despite

TEACHING THEATRE Stage weaponry retailers but does have some pieces that will Jersey, (800) 528-2767, The following is by no means a work for stage use. www.legendaryarms.com. complete list of every legitimate re- Atlanta Stage Combat Studio, (601) Preferred Arms, Fairfax, Virginia, tailer in North America, but it can 466-2352, ww.stagecombat.com. This (917) 604-3008, offer a good starting place to teach- organization rents only to groups who www.preferredarms.com. ers who want to begin building a work “under the direction of an expe- Rogue Steel, Brookfield, , stash. Some of the companies listed rienced fight director.” (708) 485-2089, http://roguesteel.com below are run by cutlers, or crafts- Knife & Sword Company, Starfire Swords, Ltd., Spencer, New men who make swords; others rent [email protected], York, (607) 589-7244, or sell pieces from their stock. If www.baltimoreknife.com. www.starfireswords.com. teachers have any concerns about a Fiocchi Sword, Athens, Ohio, (740) Valentine Armouries, Calgary, Al- particular vendor, contact a member 593-4263, www.fiocchisword.com. berta, (403) 243-8662 or (800) 268- of Society of American Fight Direc- Forte Stage Combat, Glen Ellyn, Illi- 0064, www.varmouries.comindex.html. tors or Fight Directors Canada.. nois, (630) 942-9102, Weapons of Choice/Swordcrafters, www.fortecombat.com. Napa, California, (707) 226-2845, American Fencers Supply Com- Have Guns Will Rent Costume and www.weaponsofchoicetheatrical.com. pany, San Francisco, (415) 863- Prop Rental, Kansas City, (913) 321- Stage Props, Las Vegas, Ne- 7911, www.amfence.com. AFS does 4867, www.havegunswillrent.com. vada, (702) 873-1100 or (800) 858- not specialize in stage weaponry Legendary Arms, Inc., Califon, New 5568, www.westernstageprops.com. —E.C.

padding on the actor’s torso, the tend with a bloody and cracked pro- He also says that having Buswell as adrenaline of performance was enough boscis. a consultant helped convince his prin- to cause a serious injury. “My lesson: instruct the stage manag- cipal that the students could handle the Hurley once choreographed a fight ers to check the stage, check the stage, sword fighting in Rashomon. in Romeo and Juliet in which someone check the stage,” Rodgers reflects. Moss’s school includes students from threw confetti on the stage as a last All of these instances make for great the primary grades through high minute addition from the director. An war stories, but they also serve as a re- school. Sometimes the younger stu- actor slipped during a sword fight; minder that accidents do happen. Given dents will watch rehearsal. “There’s lots luckily, he was only nicked. the nature of stage combat, one can of content issues,” he says, “and that’s In one of Buswell’s own fights at a only eliminate as many risks as possible where education comes in.” Renaissance festival, his partner’s nine- and plan what to do in case of injury. Some teachers may find it helpful to year-old son got onstage behind his provide audience talkbacks and explore father just when he had just completed Getting the school on your side other ways of addressing the issues of a belly swipe and was swinging his In an age of real violence in schools the play with their community. “The sword behind him. Buswell couldn’t and in society, some communities and way we handle it, as opposed to run- do anything but yell; his partner froze, schools may be less open to the idea ning from it, is to confront it with the missing his own son’s face by mere of swordplay or gunshots on their audience,” explains Moss. inches. stage. Some schools prohibit guns of Stage violence can even offer stu- He now uses the story in work- any kind, including prop weapons, on dents a way to address specific issues shops to communicate to students the school property, or they may have li- more effectively, such as bullying. need to take safety seriously. “That’s a ability concerns. “Give them the tools to show the audi- point I make to students: you never Rodgers has built up her program ence the horror of that violence, in- know,” he says. over the past ten years, and she’s also stead of the audience giggling,” sug- Recently, Rodgers and her students gained the trust of her school and the gests Hurley. took an original show to the Regional parents. If they want, though, parents Some people may argue that it’s in- Sears Drama Festival. The crew can observe rehearsals, provided they appropriate to have high school stu- whose show ran immediately before let her know first. dents performing violence, but chore- theirs failed to clean some straw off When directing Grapes of Wrath, ographers point out that a thorough the stage. During a stick fight, one of Martin says that he brought up the is- study can actually deepen an actor’s the students slipped and had a fist sue of the gunshot far in advance and understanding of how violence works connect with her nose. The combat- avoided trouble: “The key to doing in performance and in life. Instead of ants continued, but they had to con- that show was being very proactive repeated Hollywood-style blows to the with the administration ahead of time.” face with a naked fist, students can

TEACHING THEATRE consider the reaction to a and understand the real consequences. Hurley also points out that if you break down the specific moves that make up any given fight, the can actually seem quite harmless. “Once you learn the trick, then every scene of violence you’ll see on TV is ruined.” The ways that stage combat can benefit acting skills should also be mentioned. Moss says that he was originally attracted to stage fighting because it offered him a way to be athletic and artistic. He sees the same thing in some of his students, who ap- preciate the opportunity to be physi- cal. What students derive from stage fighting can be valuable. “Absolutely discipline and control,” says Rodgers. “And a tremendous sense of pride.” In her school, some grade eleven and twelve boys learned a fight so well that she allowed them to teach the choreography to the grade nine students. Some of the younger students began meeting at lunch and after school to practice, and the older stu- dents took a real leadership role in teaching them not just the technique, but also the safety. Students who learn stage fighting from a qualified and responsible teacher will also have another way to improve as actors. “Fight choreography is a mixture of and illusion,” explains Buswell. “To create a successful fight requires cooperation between people… Under- standing that mistakes will happen and being willing to forgive each other when they do happen. Maintaining physical and mental control.”

Elizabeth Cobbe is a former associate editor of this magazine. She is a writer, actor, and dramaturg living in Austin, Texas.

TEACHING THEATRE Originally published in the quarterly journal Teaching Theatre. More info: Schooltheatre.org