June 30, 2019
We have all done it. You watch an exciting movie with a sword wielding hero and think, “I could do that”. When you are alone, in front of a mirror you practice your best looks. Bruce Springsteen revealed in his recent autobiography that long before he ever learned to play guitar, he would practice poses. He wanted to know how to look good in front of a crowd. I was no different.
So, it was with some trepidation that I agreed to play a role in Shakespeare’s Macbeth which I knew would involve a substantial sword fight. After all, after years of practice in front of the mirror, I felt ready.
“You know nothing, Jon Snow”
I should go back a little in the story. For 30 years or more I have enjoyed the hobby of community theatre. The last 15 years I have almost exclusively focused on Shakespeare. Although I have acted in various roles, the vast majority of my efforts have been focused on directing and producing. Around 5 years ago I founded a Shakespeare Festival here in Indianapolis and it has grown exponentially in success. When we are not traveling, much of my spare time is consumed by the festival.
Due to this work, I was exposed years ago to the theatre specialist known as a fight choreographer. These artists are trained experts that teach actors how to do stage combat safely and with dramatic effect. There is a lot more to a sword fight than two people simply running up and “clinking” metal blades against each other.
As one choreographer taught me, “It is not actual violence, it is the illusion of the act”. That takes art, skill, and a lot of training.
I was blessed over the years with several very talented choreographers who made my shows epic. Since my field was Shakespeare, there were always opportunities for fighting. My job was easy. I would just say, “It would be cool if he did __________________ (Insert dramatic move) “, and the choreographer would make that happen. Only what they came up with was usually much better.
However, I never had to do it myself. Until now.
We had to postpone Episode VIII of ‘The Road to Bali’ this summer so I had more time on my hands. An opportunity arose for me to be an actor in a Shakespeare in the Park production of MacBeth. I always wanted to try the role of MacDuff, the tragic hero of the story who dispatches the evil MacBeth at the climax of the tale. It was not a huge role but you have great lines.
“Hail King! For so thou art: behold, where stands
the usurper’s cursed head:
The time is free!…..” (And you throw his severed head across the stage)
Good stuff. I auditioned and despite my age, I got the part. The director asked me, “The fight at the end is very physical, you up for that?”
“Sure”, I said. I thought about telling him about all the practice I did in front of the mirror but felt it wasn’t the right time.
So last night I went to my first fight choreography lesson. It was at a park. It was very warm and humid. We were outdoors because long swords are, well…long. And swinging those things around can cause a lot of damage. The class was taught by a friend of mine who has a Masters Degree in stage combat. He is the real deal. He would pick up the sword, spin it in his hand, and make the whole maneuver look effortless. He was Jon Snow.
The fights you see in plays are not continuous long sequences. They are broken down into small beats or “Phrases”. Then, you link them all together at the end to look like effortless combat. You have to take care to remember you can seriously hurt each other, you must complete the steps in the correct order, and above all else “Act natural”.
The first thing I noticed is a long sword is really heavy and to fight the urge to swing it around like a baseball bat takes considerable effort. You start off moving in super slow motion just trying to develop the muscle memory and memorize the steps. It is amazing how quickly you get fatigued. I would have died in the first charge of the battle.
We worked in the humid park until dusk, swatting away mosquitos with sweat pouring out of us. Our faces were screwed up with intensity not because we were fierce warriors, but rather, in a sense of desperation to get the steps correct. It felt like we were two old men with Parkinson’s disease trying to play badminton.
Our teacher was patient. He was very encouraging telling us eventually we will get the steps down and will move faster. I was convinced there is not enough Motrin in the world to help me move faster. As long as you didn’t have to move the sword, you felt powerful and ready for your foe. However, that is not idea. I missed the mirror in my bathroom.
After three hours of learning how to move, hold the sword, and learn the importance of safety, we came up with part of the first phrase of the fight below.
Impressive huh? Instead of a scene from Braveheart, we look like two old ladies fighting over a shopping cart.
(Swallows more Motrin)
We are back to practice tomorrow night. In time we will get better. The show opens in a month. Despite the fact it is a tragedy, if we keep going like this it should be pretty funny.
Update - here are current rehearsal training videos. I still look like I suffer from a degenerative bone disease but it is a little better. Here you will see phrases I-III of the fight. Then, you will see the entire sequence at slow speed in a rehearsal setting. All of the moves were conceived and designed by Mr Scott Russell. As you can see, Scott makes them look a whole lot better than I do - Our debt to his patient teaching is enormous.
Phrase I & II
Phrase III
Tips for the end of Phrase III
The entire sequence at slow speed
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