Use as much unnecessary bladework and footwork as possible. Also, make sure your parries are really sloppy. Throw in some interpretive dance moves, and you'll be all set.
If you need additional help, I'd suggest hiring a fencing coach. Do the exact opposite of whatever the coach says to do. The angrier the coach gets, the more theatrical you're fencing.
Break a leg!
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Friends don't let friends row lightweight.
Ignore Chinbeard on this one...I've been watching the SwordPlay crew for years. Good stage combat is VERY technical if you want it to look even halfway good.
If so here is a few places to look at: the VCA in Melbourne runs stage combat classes. In Brisbane the Australian Academy of Fencing has classes in artistic fencing. And there is the Sydney Stage Combat School.
Really quickly:
The big difference between sport fencing and stage is this:
In sport fencing, you don't want your opponent to know or anticipate your moves
In stage fencing, you want your PARTNER to know your next move and your audience to understand it.
PLUS
In sport fencing, you want to hit and not be hit, and you don't necessarily care how it looks.
In stage fencing, you don't want to hit or be it, but you want it to look good.
So in stage fencing, you want to make all cuts with moulinet/molinello, and you want to bounce them off the opponent's parries. You want to aim all thrusts upstage or downstage from the target. You want to have a lot of blade contact exchanges (derisively called "bish-bash.") You want to have the guards meet ("lock-ups") and then push off and resume fighting. There are some good books on this, and there's a Society of Fight Directors.
If you want to say what play or scene you're trying to direct, I'm sure a lot of people on this list can help.
My brother (a technical director) has suggested many times that my daughter (a sabre fencer and aspiring actor) attend one of the summer workshops offered by the University of North Carolina School of Arts and Summer Stage Combat Program and Society of American Fight Directors. He believes fencing is a skill that, coupled with training in stage combat, will help her stand out from the thousands of other young actors, especially female actors, that may be vying for parts. She has not had the time to take any of the workshops, but they seem quite complete for anyone interested in acting and learning the art of stage combat.
From the Web site:
The University of North Carolina School of the Arts Summer Stage Combat Program (SSC), working in conjunction with the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) and its’ National Stage Combat Workshop, have created one of the foremost stage combat training programs in the United States. Taught by select members of the SAFD, all Summer Stage Combat classes place emphasis on a non-violent approach to stage violence as well as the actor’s rights and responsibilities when required to perform fight scenes.
Students in the SSC program will be in class at least six hours a day, five days a week. Typically, each day will begin with a physical warm-up, followed by classes in two disciplines in the morning, two further disciplines each afternoon, and some evening classes. Related films and additional workshops by guest artists are a unique feature of this program.
<b>Introduction to Stage Combat<b> students will learn to perform fundamental techniques in the eight basic “fight” disciplines recognized by the SAFD. Although basic skills are covered, these introductory classes do not offer SAFD skills testing. The emphasis is on the development of technique and the process of the work rather than the performance, with a focus on accuracy, safety, and the fundamental techniques needed to protect the actor and their instrument when engaged in dramatic physical encounters. Each class will emphasize development of the student’s personal command and understanding of their body in relation to theatrical physical conflict while encouraging each student’s personal development and artistic exploration. Styles of stage combat to be covered will include Unarmed/Hand to Hand, Rapier and Dagger, Knife, Single Sword/Swashbuckling, Broadsword, Sword and Shield, Smallsword, and Quarterstaff.
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