Beginning Reading in 'Stage Combat...'

I honestly wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I opened the book for Stage Combat – it seems like something that would be rather hands-on. Almost every subject has a book, but something like stage combat isn’t the same as most other subjects that you find textbooks for. Granted, other hands-on things require books sometimes – there’s even a “Plumbing for Dummies” book out there somewhere, and that seems like something you’d need some hands-on experience with to really get the hang of. It made more sense when the book stated that all of the practices outlined require training with someone who actually knows the techniques, and the book is simply a base, and not enough to start practicing on.

I think the key points in the first two chapters are that even though this is ‘fake’ fighting, it is very active, deals a lot with your body, and deserves the respect that carries with it. You can seriously injure yourself if you aren’t approaching things in the right way, or aren’t being careful and knowing your limits. You also have to know the limits of your partner, and what their boundaries are, and be aware of their personal space as much as your own, etc. You have to be really aware of the space around you and who and what you’re working with.

Along other lines, I also really couldn’t even believe the story about the student in Texas. What was that director thinking? It’s never a good idea to have a real knife on stage – not just for the person being ‘fake stabbed’, but for everyone on and around the stage, actors and tech people, and even the audience! You never know when something could go very wrong. That just blows my mind.

Along these lines, the picture I have chosen is pretty self-explanatory, and I think a pretty good rule of stage combat. I look forward to learning more!

- Chesney O

[ Source: http://performingarts.latech.edu/theatre/scwweb/scw.html ]

(PS - I hope the format of this is okay, I'm still getting the hang of it!)