Marshall University Marshall Digital Scholar Fight Master Magazine The Society of American Fight Directors 5-1987 The Fight Master, May 1987, Vol. 10 Issue 2 The Society of American Fight Directors Follow this and additional works at: https://mds.marshall.edu/fight Part of the Acting Commons, Other Theatre and Performance Studies Commons, Performance Studies Commons, and the Theatre History Commons American Fencers Supply Co 1180 Folsom Street San Francisco CA 94103 415/863-7911 UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA, LAS VEGAS JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY OF AMERICAN FIGHT DIRECTORS May 1987 Volume X number 2 CHARACTERIZATION BY COMBAT by Dennis R. Henneman 15 RALPH FAULKNER by Richard J. Gradkowski 19 STUNT ARRANGING FOR "KAY O'BRIEN" by Craig Turner 24 "Kill Men I' Th' Dark?" by Julie Tjaden 26 SLAPSTICK IN THE COMMEDIA DELL'ARTE by Lloyd Caldwell 34 MAKE SCABBARDS THE EASIEST WAY by Rod Casteel 37 Shogun Macbeth 37 The War Ofor The Roses 38 As You Like It 3 Editor's Comments 4 President's Report 6 Vice President's Report 7 Treasurer's Report 40 Letters 43 Points of Interest 47 Society News THE FIGHT MASTEll Society of American Fight Directors Journal of the Society of American Ficht Directors PresIdentPresident JosephJosepb Martinez Vice President PresideDt Drew Fracber Fracher Editor LindaLiDda Carlyle McCollum Treasurer Da'f'idD.'f'id Boushey AsaociateAssociate Editor Olga Lyl,.Lyl•• Secretary Linda McConum McCollum Contributing EdilOn EditoR David BoolheyBou1hcy JosephJoaepb Martjncz. Martinez. TbeThe Society of American PighlFight Duectors.waa Directora.waI founded in May, 1977. It iais aI non­non- Layout Editor GmggGregg HillmarHillmu profit organization whose aim iaill to promote the art of fight choreography as u Graphic Design AtiloAkito On&l:.a Ooat.a UJID internal part of the entertainment induatry.indu3try. MembenMeml>en of the Society of American Fight Dimc:ton. Directon. aene- serve.the entenainment entertainment indultryindustry by promoting the. the Published January,JaDuuy, May, September acltheticaa.cathetic, and safetyl&fety of well-conceived fight choreography. at the UnivellityUnivenity of Nevada. Lu Ve.au.Vea"" All inquirielinquiries concerning the. the Jou.ma! Journal 1hould ahould be oenl to: 10: The Fight Figb! Muter, Mllller, c/o Lind• LiDda McCoUum, McCollum, Editor, Department of Theatre ArtI,Artl, Uoivenity of Nevada, LasLu Vegas,Vegu, 4S0S4S05 Maryland Parkway.Put.way. LasLu Vegu, Nevada 89154 © 1987, The Fight Master somesome ofof thethe techniquestechniques thatthat areare stillstill usedused today,today, andand RodRod CasteelCasteel beginsbegins aa seriesseries ofof articlesarticles onon techniquestechniques usedused forfor buildingbuilding swords,swords, scabbardsscabbards andand swordsword belts.belts. JulieJulie Tjaden,Tjaden, anan actreessactreess inin Montana,Montana, revealsreveals howhow workingworking withwith oneone ofof ourour membersmembers onon thethe violenceviolence inin OthelloOthello helpedhelped herher overcomeovercome On May 16, 1977 the Society of many ofof herher fearsfears aboutabout stagestage violence,violence, andand American Fight Directors was incorporated in Craig TurnerTurner sharesshares hishis experienceexperience stagingstaging aa thethe State of Washington by the founder, David stuntstunt onon aa televisiontelevision seriesseries inin Canada.Canada. T.J.T.J. Boushey. Ten years later, in conjunction with Glenn, TonyTony SoperSoper andand myselfmyself reviewreview somesome our tenth anniversary, the Society, with the fightfight choreography aroundaround thethe countrycountry andand help of Dr. Leonid Tarassuk of the David Boushey givesgives usus somesome thoughtsthoughts onon thethe Metropolitan Museum in New York and Fight Society as wewe enterenter ourour secondsecond decade.decade. MasterMaster Richard Gradkowski, has published its II wantwant toto thankthank thethe officersofficers andand thethe firstfirst monograph, Parrying Daggers and members for theirtheir continuedcontinued supportsupport andand Poinards,Poinards, which investigates the evolution trusttrust inin me as editor andand secretary.secretary. II trulytruly ofof the parrying dagger in double fencing. enjoy working with them andand withwith editingediting thethe At the same time, David Boushey, who journal.journal. It has been so rewardingrewarding toto graduallygradually hashas served the Society as President and meet so many of the members ofof thethe SocietySociety Secretary/TreasurerSecretary/Treasurer during the ten years and to get to know you as individualsindividuals andand notnot sincesince its founding, steps down from his justjust as names on a roster. II hopehope toto meetmeet currentcurrent position position as treasurer and passes the more of you this summer. DuringDuring thethe batonbaton on to others while still remaining an National Stage Combat Workshop inin MemphisMemphis integralintegral and and active part of the the organization he the officers are planning onon settingsetting thethe helpedhelped to establish. establish. It It seems only appropriate compulsory moves for oriental swordsword workwork thatthat we we publish publish Dennis Dennis Henneman's Henneman's article on and on meeting with the Fight Masters whowho DavidDavid and and his his work on Romeo Romeo and Juliet, a will be in Memphis for the workshop. Many ofof showshow he he has has choreographed choreographed so many times our associate members will be there takingtaking overover the the years. years. The The article reveals not only the Advanced Workshop and testingtesting forfor somesome of of David's David's choreography choreography but how his classification as Certified Teachers. Please workwork with with the the actors actors on on the fights helped contact any of the officers, Fight Masters or theirtheir character character development development in in other parts of others you know who will be in Memphis this thethe play, play, showing showing how how a a fight fight choreographer's summer if you have input or issues you want workwork is is not not just just stage stage combat. combat. discussed at the annual meeting. RichardRichard Gradkowski Gradkowski who was so I would like to take this timetime toto thankthank instrumentalinstrumental in in helping helping us us publish publish the the Joe Aldridge and Steve Coulter on our faculty monographmonograph also also secured secured some some pictures pictures on here at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas RalphRalph Faulkner Faulkner from from Polly Polly August of the for introducing me to the Macintosh and forfor FalconFalcon Studios Studios in in Los Los Angeles Angeles for this enabling the Society to have access to the anniversaryanniversary issue issue of of The The Fight Fight Master. Master. computer through a joint grant here at the HisHis article article on on Faulkner Faulkner gives gives us us but but a a brief brief University. And very special thanks goes to glimpseglimpse of of this this man man who who was was both both a Gregg Hillmar for taking on the task of laying competitivecompetitive fencer fencer and and a a choreographer choreographer whose whose out this issue of The Fight Master and careercareer spanned spanned the the "golden "golden age" age" of of Hollywood. Hollywood. setting up a usable format for the future ThereThere must must be be literally literally hundreds hundreds of of which promises to make my life so much noteworthynoteworthy anecdotes anecdotes connected connected with with Mr. Mr. simpler. FaulknerFaulkner and and hopefully hopefully those those who who knew knew him him As we begin our next ten years the mightmight share share those those with with the the rest rest of of us. us. potential is truly there and the best is yet to InIn this this issue issue Charles Charles Conwell Conwell talks talks of of come. thethe advantages advantages of of competitive competitive fencing fencing as as part part Linda Carlyle Mccollum ofof the the training training of of the the fight fight choreographer choreographer in in thethe Letters Letters section. section. Lloyd Lloyd Caldwell Caldwell begins begins hishis two two part part article article on on slapstick slapstick in in Commedia Com media dell'dell' Arte Arte which which reveals reveals many many of of the the origins origins of of 3 members whose dues are in arrears, must pay a fee and be re-classified by the Fight Masters. Actor/Combatants (Affiliates) may automatically re-classify as Certified Actor/Combatants by submitting to the secretary a current resume listing the The Officers have instituted a number weapons used in his certification test, the date of changes in Policies and Procedures for the of the test, the instructor and the adjudicator. Society of American Fight Directors. Certified Actor/ Combatants must renew their status every three years. If a Certified Member Classifications Actor/Combatant wishes to be certified It seems apparent to us that the Proficient in a weapon(s), other than those in Society is split between those members who which he originally tested, then he must take are professionally active and those who are the certification test again, incorporating the academically interested in the Society of desired additional weapon(s) and pay the American Fight Directors; or who are less certification fee to the Society. If a Certified active professionally, but wish to continue to Actor/Combatant does not renew his be affiliated with the Society. certification within three years, the In order to serve both types of membership is re-classified re-c1assified