STAGE COMBAT CHICAGO, CHARACTER MASK, MOVEMENT FOR ACTORS, NEUTRAL MASK, TECHNIQUES & CLASSES
S.A.F.D. SKILLS PROFICIENCY TESTS
Developed and Taught by
ROB RADKOFF EK
DIRECTOR, FIGHT DIRECTOR, PERFORMANCE TRAINER
Certified Teacher, Society of American Fight Directors
MFA in Directing, University of Alabama
BFA in Acting, University of Illinois
Howdy, folks. I’m trying to be more dimensional these days. Let’s see how well this short video plays out. This is a clip from a post-production rehearsal of a smallsword fight, which I fight directed for a recent production of Hamlet. The actors and I transformed the production staging into an SAFD Skills Proficiency Test format. It was an interesting process for all of us to return to the choreography and the acting moments with a new perspective.
Theatre, film and television acting often call upon the performer to portray various acts of armed and unarmed violence. A good actor, who wants to take care of their body, and continue working, must develop an awareness of a safe, physical vocabulary of stage combat. The actor wants the focus to be on the craft of acting – not on “Am I going to hurt my wrist while falling?”, or “Is this the night my partner stabs me (accidentally, we hope) with the sword?” Stage combat training can develop necessary skills for the professional actor, with exploration and development of body alignment, kinesthetic sense, partnering, articulation and projection of content in safe, staged physical conflicts.
Stage Combat could be considered as the development of specific physical dialogue in the actor training process. This physical dialogue addresses the representation of a “real” conflict and “bold” action, both externally and internally. Focus first on safety, next on technique and good partnering, and finally on creating the illusion of violence with the acting process, and clear storytelling.
Oh yeah, plus working with weapons and pretending to fight with your friends is really fun.
