Stage Combat Research Articles

Fighting Like a Girl: A Letter to My Younger Self

Abstract: In this letter to her younger self, Danielle Rosvally explicates the complications of gender inherent in the world of stage combat and professional fight direction. She relates her experience of fighting (and teaching) while female and offers some hopeful direction for the future.

FEATURES OF BATTLE SCENE STAGING IN THE UKRAINIAN OPERA

The author examines the concept of staging battle scenes in Ukrainian opera with heroicpatriotic themes. Attention is paid to the need to rethink the given topic in the conditions of the dominance of foreign repertoire over national works, the inclination of the young generation to cosmopolitanism against the background of digitalization of society and the wide spread of information technologies. Emphasis is placed on conducting active searches and experiments in the optimization of the spectacular and dramaturgical components with the integration of artistic means of expression and modern art technologies in the battle scenes of domestic opera performances. Historiographical sources from the everyday life of the Ukrainian Cossacks, their military training and military operations are analyzed and differentiated; art studies on the resolution of battle scenes in M. Lysenko's "Taras Bulba" and K. Dankevich's "Bohdan Khmelnytskyi" offer interesting approaches to the topic of the article. It was possible to find out the phenomenon of the appearance and formation of the Zaporizhya Cossacks, its conditioning by socio-economic factors. The essence of the term "Sich" has been established in its historical progress with the acquisition of the status of the center of the Zaporizhya Army and the assignment to it of the functions of a special state entity for the protection of the Orthodox world from Muslim and Catholic oppressors. The division of the Ukrainian Cossacks into two categories is outlined: sichoviks — direct participants in military operations, and zimivchakiv that provided the livelihood and fighting capacity of the former. The peculiarities of the combat training of the Cossacks in Sich, the advantages of their universal military training in the possession of various types of weapons in comparison with the armies of Eastern and Western Europe were studied. The principles of building certain military camp according to the Cossack custom have been revealed. The nature of combat techniques and tactical adjustments in the conditions of a permanent change in the situation on the battlefield is described. The scenes of the trials of the sons of Taras on Sich, the siege and storming of Dubno in the opera "Taras Bulba" by Mykola Lysenko, the battle at Yellow Waters in the opera "Bohdan Khmelnytskyi" by Kostiantyn Dankevich were modeled. Their historically reliable stylization in the context of synthesizing combat techniques, dance and choral performance with video broadcast of individual episodes of the battle is noted. The algorithm for staging battle episodes in Ukrainian opera is formulated with the need for performers to master the techniques of stage combat, coordination of interactions between them, and compliance with safety techniques in order to avoid industrial injuries. The author outlines the prospects of further investigations for the reliable display of battle scenes in opera performances in accordance with the peculiarities of the historical era, military traditions and armaments of a certain country, optimizing their solution with the use of modern art technologies.

Fall impacts from standing show equivalence between experts in stage combat landing strategy and naïve participants after training.

Slips, trips, and falls are the second leading cause of non-fatal injuries in workplace in the United States. A stage combat landing strategy is used in the theatre arts to reduce the risk of fall-induced injury, and may be a viable approach among some working populations. The goal of this study was to compare fall impact characteristics between experts in stage combat landing strategy and naïve participants after four training sessions of stage combat landing strategy training. Forward and backward falls from standing were induced by releasing participants from static leans. Participants fell onto a foam mat, and impact force was measured using force platforms under the mat. A statistical equivalence test was used to determine if impact characteristics between groups were similar. Results indicated equivalence between groups in peak impact force during backward but not forward falls. Equivalence between groups in impact time suggested a mechanism by which equivalence in peak impact force as achieve. Four training sessions was sufficient for naïve participants to exhibit fall impact characteristics similar to experts in an anecdotally-effective landing strategy, and support further study. To our knowledge, this was the first study to investigate training for a landing strategy involving stepping after losses of balance from standing.

One Summer, Three Hamlets: A Practical Guide to Flow Fight Direction

One Summer, Three Hamlets: A Practical Guide to Flow Fight Direction Danielle Rosvally (bio) The concluding sword fight in Hamlet . . . after 400 years, has been staged in almost every conceivable way—from Lord Olivier’s florid and athletic fencing exhibition (including that extraordinary leap) to Mel Gibson’s gritty minimalism. . . . Since Hamlet is one of the Western World’s most frequently produced plays, it is likely that someone using this book will be called upon to direct or perform its final, fatal fight. What would you do to bring new life and luster to this best-known of all stage combats? —Richard Lane1 As a Shakespearean scholar and a fight director, it was simply a matter of time before someone hired me to stage the iconic duel in Hamlet. It just so happened that the first of many such opportunities came not in single spies, but in battalions. Over the course of summer 2016, I was hired by two different companies to choreograph this scene for three different productions of Hamlet. The first production was a site-specific theatre-in-the-park production by Apollinaire Theatre Company in PORT Park, Chelsea, Massachusetts. The production was strolling, taking advantage of the park’s many places to create different backgrounds and facades for the play’s varying locales. “To be, or not to be” (for instance) was delivered while Hamlet stood high atop a salt pile the city stored next to the park, introducing the very real possibility that Hamlet might jump from the pile at any moment to his inevitable death on the concrete below. The second production was performed by Apollinaire’s children’s summer program. Middle-school actors (with no prior stage combat training) presented a bilingual performance of Hamlet in English and Spanish, often transitioning from one to the other in the same line of text. It was performed outdoors on a thin strip of park land. The third Hamlet was a concept piece titled Bad Hamlet (written by John Geoffrion), highlighting the differences/similarities between the Q4 text of Hamlet and the F1 text of Hamlet. This production presented at the Providence Fringe Festival featured six actors performing the various characters from Hamlet—three actors speaking from the 1623 First Folio, and the other three from the 1604 “bad Quarto.” For the big fight, I worked with four actors playing two Hamlets and two Laerteses conducting separate, but intertwined duels on a traverse stage. The challenge of creating the same fight three ways was a true test of my approach to fight direction, and gave birth in my mind to a vocabulary for this approach. With so few treatises on fight direction available in print (the notable exceptions are almost all older texts at this point: J. D. Martinez’s Combat Mime [1982]; William Hobbs’s Fight Direction for Stage and Screen [1995]; J. Allen Suddeth’s Fight Directing for the Theatre [1996]; and Richard Lane’s Swashbuckling [1999] are the major industry texts on the matter), it seems worthwhile to explicate these methodologies. Martinez, Hobbs, Suddeth, and Lane all recommend a prescriptive process for fight direction, in which the fight director choreographs the entirety of a fight outside of the rehearsal space before teaching it to their actors (and perhaps even before meeting their actors). My method, by contrast, involves the actors and director in the process of fight creation, allowing the shape of the fight to be guided by collaborative theatrical forces in the room. [End Page 53] One of the reasons the Hamlet fight is such an intriguing challenge to choreograph is because of several textually demanded specifics that Shakespeare wrote into the surrounding scenes. This duel features two characters whose prowess with a blade has been revealed, in one way or another, by the text of the work before act 5. Let us talk about Laertes: the text of Hamlet very strongly suggests that he is a classically trained Italian/Spanish fencer. Laertes is being schooled in France. In Shakespeare’s time the French fencing schools looked heavily to the Italians for influence: the first French fencing manual was written by Henri de Saint Didier in 1573, and it declared the Italian...

Stage Combat Arts: An Integrated Approach to Acting, Voice and Text Work + Video by Christopher DuVal

Stage Combat Arts: An Integrated Approach to Acting, Voice and Text Work + Video by Christopher DuVal

La forma “storta”. Conversazione con Francesco Manetti

Francesco Manetti, actor, trainer and director, graduated from the Accademia d’Arte Drammatica “Silvio d’Amico”. Since 1998 he has been teaching movement and stage combat. From the beginning he has shown a strong interest in the international theatrical context. He has often worked abroad in such places as Britain, Germany, the United States, Russia and South America. In 2008 he began collaborating with the director Antonio Latella and has been working with his theatre group “stabile/mobile” since 2013 and has performed in several Latella productions. He and Latella first met thanks to his work as a choreographer, movement and physical trainer. In this guise he has worked with Latella on many productions, such as Hamlet’s portraits (2008), Francamente me ne infischio from Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell (2011 e 2013), Santa Estasi (2016). The conversation, which took place on 19th January 2017 in Turin, explored two themes. The first was about the creative relationship between Manetti and Latella, discussing both Manetti’s role as an actor as well as his work on movement in Latella productions. The second discussed several moments of Manetti’s professional history.

Analysis of competitive activities of top kickboxers within European competitions

Analysis of competitive activities is a basic way to determine the efficiency of competitive athletes. In relation to kickboxing, there is no continuity given to research, both in the world and in our country. The main objective of this paper is to analyze the competitive activities of top kick boxers, which was implemented in 10 matches (5 matches of the European Championship (Bilbao - Spain 2014) and 5 matches of the European Cup (Belgrade 2014 and 2015)) in the women's and men's competition. The aim of the study was to compare the characteristics of competitive activity in the function of various competitions. The task was to provide the basic necessary information, which the coach can use to prepare athletes for a specific competition, in relation to the number of strokes poentirajucih (foot techniques and hand techniques) and temporal structure details (active and pasifna stage combat). The sample consisted of 20 elite-level athletes in the women's competition - two categories (60 and 65 kg) And in the men's competition - the three categories (63.5, 71 and 91 kg). The results showed that compared to men, no significant disparities in the number of cumulative poentirajucih strokes hand techniques, while the poentirajucih strokes leg techniques, the sum of all stripes, active and passive phases of the struggle was no statistically significant difference between the analyzed event. In relation to women, a statistically significant difference was found between all analyzed variables. Based on these results we can conclude that a higher quality level of competition causes the kick-boxers are prepared for higher activity during a match and for more intensive use of techniques that earn more points, and for kicks.

The Theatrical Firearms Handbook by Kevin Inouye (review)

Reviewed by: The Theatrical Firearms Handbook by Kevin Inouye Chelsea Pace The Theatrical Firearms Handbook. By Kevin Inouye . Burlington, MA : Focal Press , 2014 ; pp. 352 . The Theatrical Firearms Handbook by Kevin Inouye addresses the gap between the theatrical and cinematic demands for firearm violence and the skills and training of performers, directors, and fight choreographers. Inouye is a fight director, a Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) Certified Teacher and Theatrical Firearms Instructor, as well as an instructor of acting, movement, and stage combat. He is also the owner of Fight Designer, LLC, a theatrical weapons rental business. This practical handbook is divided into chapters that guide the reader sequentially, from developing an understanding of theatrical firearms to their proper usage. There are reviews at the end of each chapter to reinforce key points. The images and graphics are informative throughout, and the still photographs of the author’s film work help to illustrate how artistic applications of these skills might be relevant in production. With the exception of providing hands-on training, this handbook covers nearly every practical detail of preparing to stage theatrical firearm violence. In the introduction, Inouye identifies several factors that contribute to the limited availability of best-practices information for these weapons, including the pedagogical differences in training an actor with a sword versus a firearm, and the legal issues one confronts in procuring or transporting such weaponry for theatrical use. Even for the SAFD, which has set the standard for theatrical weapons training in the United States, the inclusion of firearms to the curriculum is new and still undergoing pedagogical adjustments. As Chuck Coyl, fight master and current vice president of the SAFD, notes in the foreword, training in theatrical firearms is less integrated into the organization’s trainings than other forms of theatrical combat. The specific information in this handbook is a curated cross-section of Inouye’s research from a number of sources, including instructional DVDs, online discussion forums, use of practical (or real) firearms, and years of industry experience as a fight coordinator and gun wrangler. This need for training in theatrical firearms—or, as Inouye identifies them for most of the book, props—is increasingly in demand due to a dramatic uptick in new plays and films calling for firearms, as well as the number of modern adaptations of classics. Where once Hotspur held a sword, he now might hold a submachine gun. While Inouye believes and acknowledges that many theatre practitioners in academia tend to be opposed to firearms ideologically, he strongly advocates for theatrical firearms education in theatre-training programs to better prepare actors for the industry and for their own safety. The Theatrical Firearms Handbook provides a more than basic introduction to firearms and includes a guide on how to select the best weapons for your production. This guide includes a thorough explanation of the pros and cons of various options, ranging from nonfiring, solid rubber casts to practical weapons firing blanks, always asking the ever-important question: Does the weapon need to fire? As one chapter-end review reminds the reader: “When in doubt, always go with the safest option that will get the job done!” (108). Inouye’s professional experience in theatrical firearms rentals is a valuable and specific perspective that advocates for not just actor, audience, and crew safety, but also for the safety of the weapons, as they may be expensive or difficult to replace. He reminds the reader, “if you can’t afford to be safe, you can’t afford to do it” (73). His emphasis on using replicas or cheaper plastic or rubber options may be surprising to people unaccustomed to working with theatrical firearms, but it is a perspective that clearly values safety and practicality above all else. Much to its benefit, the handbook relies extensively upon the inclusion of cautionary tales to enforce the importance of safety protocols. While they are largely examples from film sets, and some are familiar horror stories to those of us who work in staging violence, such as the series of safety failures that led to the death of Brandon Lee on the set of The Crow, these anecdotes are worth conveying in print...

COMBAT DANCE:A CREATIVELY HOLISTIC APPROACH TO MOVEMENT PERFORMANCE ART

COMBAT DANCE: A CREATIVELY HOLISTIC APPROACH TO MOVEMENT PERFORMANCE ART By Raymont Lee Anderson, M.F.A. A thesis in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Fine Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University Virginia Commonwealth University, 2003 Major Director. Dr. Noreen Barnes-McLain, Director of Graduate Studies Department of Theatre “Combat Dance” is an eclectic blend of combat and dance art forms combined and taught from the Fall 2001 to Spring 2003. As defined here, combat dance is a blend of techniques and principles gleaned from both unarmed and armed aspects of stage combat, martial arts (such as aikido and kung fu), modern dance and other expressive movements used to tell a story of conflict. Its primary purpose is to provide both actors and non-actors greater awareness and control of their bodies and to provide a range of creative avenues of expression. Combat dance gives the performers a unique and v holistic set of exercises and skills that leave no part of the body, mind, or even deeper the spirit uninfluenced. The thesis begins with the vision and birth of the class, a description of the preparatory research, an analysis of the reasons for the class, and reflection, revelations, and realizations gained through teaching the class. The ultimate focus of this thesis is to aid anyone interested in any type of combat or dance-related movements: dancers, non-dancers, actors, non-actors, movement coaches, and even those in the fields of dance or drama therapy. Thesis was saved using Microsoft® Works Suite 2002 Requirements To use Microsoft® Works Suite version 2002, you need: Computer/Processor Multimedia PC with a Pentium 200MHz or higher processor Memory 64 MB of RAM Hard Disk 1045 MB of available hard-disk space for typical installation of all applications. Custom installation may require more or less hard-disk space. Drive Quad speed CD ROM drive or higher Display Super VGA monitor, 1 MB of VRAM Operating System Microsoft Windows 98, Me, 2000 or XP operating system Peripherals Microsoft mouse or compatible pointing device Miscellaneous Microsoft® Internet Explorer 5.5 software required and included. Up to an additional 80 MB of hard disk space may be required for Internet Explorer upgrade. This installation will not replace your primary browser. Modem (28.8 baud or faster recommended), access to the Internet, Audio card with headphones or speakers, Microphone required for voice recording.

Toward a Neo-Cubist Alamkara Movement in a Reality-Programmed Theatre Near You

When I first started writing electric and hysteric operettas1 with punk bands down in Austin, Texas, I tried to draw what I thought language could sound like onstage. I came up with the illustration “Back of the Dollar Latin” because I was worried about how the new dollars were getting simplified and clearer and harder to fake. I liked the strange secrets lurking all over the old dollars and the packing in of symbols and overwrought curlicues. And I thought it was possible to banish that horrible sound of actors projecting their voices into abject space and to have other things coursing through the voice, like emotional vibrato and cry pitches3 and raging vampyre fugues,4 and so forth. I thought words could erupt in a kinetic stage combat of dialogue and I proceeded to write madcap barroom brawls5 and martial arts operas6 and black box recordings of classic disasters.7

Shakespeare Popular and Populist

Shakespeare Popular and Populist Douglas E. Green A Midsummer Night’s Dream Presented by the Guthrie Theater on the Wurtele Thrust Stage, Guthrie Theater, Minneapolis, Minnesota. April 12–June 22, 2008. Directed by Joe Dowling. Set by Frank Hallinan Flood. Costumes by Paul Tazewell. Lighting by Jane Cox. Music composed and directed by Keith Thomas. Sound by Scott W. Edwards. Dramaturgy by Michael Lupu. Voice and language consulting by Andrew Wade. Fight and aerial effects directed by John Stead. Movement coaching by Marcela Lorca. Stage management by Russell W. Johnson. With Nic Few (Theseus, Oberon), Emily Swallow (Hippolyta, Titania), Kathryn Lawrey (Hermia), Valeri Mudek (Helena), William Sturdivant (Lysander), Jonas Goslow (Demetrius), Namir Smallwood [Sherwin F. Resurreccion, understudy] (Puck, Philostrate), Stephen Pelinski (Bottom), Randy Reyes (Francis Flute), Jim Lichtscheidl (Peter Quince), Richard S. Iglewski (Snout), Sally Wingert (Starveling), Stephen Yoakam (Snug), Nathaniel Fuller (Egeus), Erin Cherry (First Fairy), and others. Richard III Presented by Ten Thousand Things Theater Company at Open Book and the Minnesota Opera Company (pay performances), as well as at Dorothy Day Center, Ramsey County and Hennepin County Men’s and Women’s Corrections, and other venues (free), Twin Cities area, Minnesota. October 18–November 18, 2007. Directed by Michelle Hensley. Percussion by Heather Barringer and Erik Barsness. Sets by Stephen Mohring. Costumes by Kathy Kohl. Assistant direction by Nancy Waldoch. Puppets by Julian McFaul. Stage combat by Don Preston. With Bob Davis (Richard), Shawn Hamilton (Buckingham, Richmond, Second Murderer), Craig Johnson (Hastings, Duchess of York, Oxford), Jim Lichtscheidl (Lady Anne, Tyrrel, Edward IV, Prince Edward), Luverne Seifert (Queen Elizabeth, Brakenbury, Ely, Lord Mayor), Richard Ooms (Margaret, Clarence, Lord Stanley), and Darien Johnson (Rivers, Young York, Catesby). A distinction between popular and populist theatre was evident this season in two Minneapolis Shakespeare productions: the Guthrie Theater’s [End Page 68] remounting of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, originally produced in 1997, and Ten Thousand Things’ all-male Richard III. Both were directed by their respective companies’ artistic directors. Joe Dowling’s recent productions of Hamlet, As You Like It, and, in their new venue designed by Jean Nouvel, The Merchant of Venice, have evinced his guiding principle as artistic director of the Guthrie: accessibility. As head of arguably the most prominent regional theatre in the upper Midwest, Dowling has an understandable penchant for producing popular Shakespeare: most people here admit that his ability to draw audiences has helped to secure the Guthrie’s new digs overlooking the Mississippi, with three stages under the same roof as opposed to one. But lots of Shakespeare aficionados, amateur and professional, myself among them, have been carping at or at least privately lamenting Dowling’s tendency to oversimplify Shakespeare, to avoid risks in developing Shakespeare productions. We keep asking, What about nuance? What about “art”? The latest production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream offered Dowling’s retort: popular Shakespeare makes good Shakespeare; the two are not at odds. The Guthrie Dream engaged the audience through spectacle, music, and movement; lively young actors; and lightness of touch. As in its original mounting, Oberon and other fairies made various entrances on wires; movement, often to music, was lively yet graceful. Keith Thomas’s music was eclectic, ranging from Goth and industrial to R & B and even Disney-style showstoppers, all based on verses from the text. At one point Stephen Pelinski’s Bottom mimicked Elvis. Puck and the Fairies alternated between punk and R & B; First Fairy Erin Cherry did a knockout job with some Shakespearean verses in the latter style, which Puck found very appealing (2.1). Except for Bottom and the mechanicals, as well as Egeus, the cast appeared exceptionally youthful—even, at least comparatively, in the cases of Oberon and Titania, who doubled as the more strait-laced Theseus and Hippolyta. The “rude mechanicals” were most reminiscent of the original 1997 production—homespun “Minnesotan” community wannabes determined to play before the Duke. There were some very witty touches here, most notably the awkward, middle-aged flirtation between Sally Wingert’s Starveling and Jim Lichtscheidl’s Quince, and the latter’s frustration and futile attempts to control Bottom. But the truly novel and crowd-pleasing business was provided by Randy Reyes...

Student Shakespeare at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, 2007–8

Titus Andronicus Presented by the New Revels Players at the Lincoln Hall Theater, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois. October 13-14, 2006. Directed by Beth Kempton and Pedram Naseri. Set and F/X Designer by Joe Humann. Sets, Lighting, and Sound by Matt Strong. Assistant, Marcus Lundgren. With Riley Roberts (Titus), Volen Ilive (Marcus), Mike Braun (Saturninus), Vanessa Prokuski (Tamora), Angel Patterson (Aaron), Jason Markoff (Lucius), Dave Ruthenberg (Demetrius),John Bezdek (Chiton), Ellie Kiefer (Lavinia), Jonathan Dellinger (Bassianus), Jeanne Knuth (Young Lucius), Mike Hutches (Martius), Nick Coy (Quintus), Anais Parada (Aemilius), Erik Johnson (Goth), and others. Romeo and Juliet Presented by the New Revels Players at the Gregory Hall Theater, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Illinois. December 2-3, 2006. Directed by Sandra Mazuera. Set Design by Matt Strong. Lighting by JD Sandifer and Ped Naseri. Sound by Erik Johnson. Choreography by John Chiang, Jessica Strode, and Anna Yee. Costumes and Props by Beth Kempton. Stage Combat by Jason Markoff and Mike Braun. Production Assistance Riley Roberts. With DoMonique Arnold (Prince), Volen Iliev (Romeo), Anais Parada (Juliet), Christy Scriba (Nurse), Dave Ruthenberg (Friar Lawrence), Jennifer Higgins (Mercutio), Erik Johnson (Benvolio), Lady Montague (Bethany Defries), Mike Hutches (Tybalt), Alexis Rogers (Lady Capulet), Micheal Mangialardi (Lord Capulet), Jonathan Dellinger (Paris), Amy Perillo (Balthasar), Marty Lynch (Abraham), Glynnis Lyons (Sampson, Page), and others. Measure for Measure Presented by What You Will Shakespeare Company at the McKinley Church Chapel, Champaign, Illinois. October 19-21, 2006. Directed by Elizabeth Dampf. Music Coordinator, Jackie DiOrio. With Laura Robertson (Duke), Allie Paone (Escalus), Annelise Morris (Angelo), Maggie Gottlieb (Lucio), Eryka Waggoner (Gentleman, Friar, Mariana), Jessica Fleming (Mistress Overdone, Nun), Maura Cotter (Pompey), Dana Olson (Claudio), Tyga McHenry (Provost), Elena Levenson (Isabella), Olivia Snarski (Elbow, Barnardine), and Caitlin Megginson (Juliet, Abhorson). Twelfth Night Presented by What You Will Shakespeare Company at the YMCA, Latzer Hall, Champaign Illinois. November 30-December 2, 2006. Directed by Alan Walworth. Assistant Director, Olivia Snarski. Costumes by Annelise Morris. Original Music by Elena Levenson and Mark Savignac. With Liz Dampf (Viola), Brandon Gilbert (Orsino), Maggie Gottlieb (Olivia), Annelise Morris (Sebastian), Kenneth Nazarian (Malvolio), Elena Levenson (Feste), Olivia Snarski (Maria), Lucas Gabel (Sir Toby), Jay Collins (Sir Andrew Aguecheeck), Marc Savignac (Valentine, Fabian), Mitchell Farag (Curio, Antonio), Michael Ladror (Sea Captain, 1st Officer), Laura Robertson (Lady in Waiting, Officer, Sailor), and Eryka Waggoner (Lady in Waiting, Officer, Sailor). Much Ado About Nothing Presented by What You Will Shakespeare Company at the McKinley Church Chapel, Champaign Illinois. February 22-24, 2007. Directed by Elizabeth Dampf, Jessica Fleming, and Jackie DiOrio. With Brett Emanuel (Benedict), Annelise Morris (Beatrice), Norm Phillips (Leonato), Kathy Khazanova (Hero), Carolyn Roloff (Antonia, Pastor, Sexton), Ken Nazarian (Don Pedro), Sandy Radford (Don John), Eric Savage (Count Claudio), Eryka Waggoner (Ursula, Verges), Laura Robertson (Margaret, Seacol),Jackie DiOrio (Balthasar, First Watchman), Brian Falbo (Conrade), William O'Brien (Borachio), and Tyga McHenry (Dogberry). The Taming of the Shrew Presented by What You Will Shakespeare Company at the McKinley Church Chapel, Champaign Illinois. March 1-3, 2007. Directed by Annelise Morris and Jackie DiOrio. Lights/Set/Tech by Sandy Radford and Olivia Snarski. Costumes by Liz Dampf. With John Bezdek (Petruchio, Lord), Liz Dampf (Kate, Hostess), Caitlin Megginson (Bianca),Jason Markoff (Baptista, Player), Cameron Gilbert (Lucentio, Player), Eric Roth (Tranio, Huntsman), Brian Falbo (Biondello, Curtis, Player), Mark Savignac (Hortensio), Anne Sivers (Gremio), Sam Fahlberg (Grumio, Huntsman), Jackie DiOrio (Widow, Messenger), Adrian Mustain (Tailor, Servant, Pedant), Masako (Haberdasher, Servant), Anna Dabrowski (Sly, Vincentio), Olivia Snarski (Page, Joseph), and Rachel Keung (Servant, Nathaniel). …

Stage combat: fisticuffs, stunts, and swordplay for theater and film

Stage combat: fisticuffs, stunts, and swordplay for theater and film

Stage Combat Resource Materials: A Selected and Annoted Bibliography (review)

Stage Combat Resource Materials: A Selected and Annoted Bibliography (review)

The 2007 Paddy Crean Art of the Sword Stage Combat Workshop and Symposium—December 31, 2006–January 06, 2007, Banff Centre for the Arts

The symposium focused on exploring historical martial arts, on contemporary movement disciplines that inform the practice of stage combat, and the technologies currently in use in the entertainment industry. This well-attended symposium drew a global body of presenters and participants (a total of about 200 people) and offered a platform for stage combat practitioners, historians and scholars to share and exchange research, methodological approaches and skills. The symposium embraced pluralistic views on stage combat styles and / or techniques, on teaching methodologies, on interpretations of and perspectives on stage combat.

Peer-reviewed Article Some Personal Discoveries Regarding Vocal Use in Stage Combat

Peer-reviewed Article Some Personal Discoveries Regarding Vocal Use in Stage Combat

The Alexander Technique, T'ai Chi Ch'uan, and Stage Combat: The Integration of Use, Somatics, and Skills in the Teaching of Stage Movement

The Alexander Technique, T'ai Chi Ch'uan, and Stage Combat: The Integration of Use, Somatics, and Skills in the Teaching of Stage Movement

The Sounds of Violence: Vocal Training in Stage Combat

The most compelling stage fights are exciting to audiences not only visually, but aurally and kinesthetically as well. The illusion of real thing is best achieved when not only the look of the staged fight, but the music of that fight (the held and released breaths, the running steps, the clang of metal, the voluntary and involuntary vocal sounds, the lines of dialogue, the responses to injury) combine to produce a vivid and visceral impression.

Principles of Stage Combat

Principles of Stage Combat

As You Like It at Santa Clara

AS YOU LIKE IT. Presented at the Louis B. Mayer Theatre, University of Santa Clara (California), by the Department of Theatre Arts, 5-13 March, 1982 (8 performances). Director, Frederick Tollini, S. J.; Set Design and Lighting, Gary Daines; Costumes, Barbara Murray; Music, Stephen Rosolak, who adapted original settings for songs by Kevin Garvin; Choreography, Kristy Scott; Stage Combat, David L. Boushey. Running time 2 hours, 35 minutes, with one interval.