Re:An actor who was really stabbed on stage
by bradknowles on Tuesday March 17, 2020 @03:00AM
(#22602453)
I did SCA heavy weapons fighting many years ago. The rule I was taught was that real weapons plus real techniques equals real injuries and deaths.
The SCA dealt with this issue by using real techniques with fake weapons — rattan swords, not metal. Some techniques were banned, too. Even with fake weapons, they were just too dangerous. The result was that a newbie could go out in armor and weapons and they might get bruised, but unlikely to get much worse than that.
The Marklanders dealt with this issue by using fake techniques with real weapons — blunted metal, but still metal. But you needed many years of practice before you could go out there and do what amounted to an impromptu “dance” with swords and survive without choreographing everything within an inch of its life.
Stage acting with metal weapons needs much choreography by people who know what they’re doing. And constant vigilance. I grew up in a theater family, and I refused to continue to participate in one amateur production where the director and the actors weren’t taking safety seriously. The director never forgave me for leaving, but I am confident that I was right.
The SCA dealt with this issue by using real techniques with fake weapons — rattan swords, not metal. Some techniques were banned, too. Even with fake weapons, they were just too dangerous. The result was that a newbie could go out in armor and weapons and they might get bruised, but unlikely to get much worse than that.
The Marklanders dealt with this issue by using fake techniques with real weapons — blunted metal, but still metal. But you needed many years of practice before you could go out there and do what amounted to an impromptu “dance” with swords and survive without choreographing everything within an inch of its life.
Stage acting with metal weapons needs much choreography by people who know what they’re doing. And constant vigilance. I grew up in a theater family, and I refused to continue to participate in one amateur production where the director and the actors weren’t taking safety seriously. The director never forgave me for leaving, but I am confident that I was right.