The Nature of Violent Props
There have been several times when I’ve received a call from a prop master or technical director asking what it means to be a “certified weapons expert”. Usually, someone in the theatre has claimed that title and now insists they are the most qualified person to handle all the swords and guns for the production.
How very nice for them. I’m sure that it cost more than a few dollars, and actually I have no doubt they learned something of value in the process
The problem is that there is no recognized certification process for weaponry, either firearms or swords. Most likely this person took a course that was offered by someone, and they gave them a nice little scroll or plaque, meaning that they completed the instruction period. But outside of that organization, the certificate has no validity.
Stage combat is much the same, with certification being given to actors who have completed some level of training from some instructor. If the certifying organization is well known, such as the Society of American Fight Directors, that certification has some meaning. The SAFD has so many members and a unified instruction program nationwide that being certified as an Actor/Combatant has some recognizable attributes. Everyone across the country pretty much knows what the person has been taught and what kind of training they went through. Which is the only benefit of certification, considering how many excellent instructors are out there that have no affiliation with the SAFD
For weapons, there is no such group: no nationwide, statewide, countywide or even “six-of-my-friends-got-together” wide set of standards by which one can judge what that particular person may or may not know. The instructors are usually self-appointed, and their knowledge may be vast or minimal. And the information may be good, but not related to weapons for theatre, which are very different from “real” or military weapons.
In short, such certification is meaningless. Without a larger adjudicating body setting and maintaining standards, it is overshooting to say that the person is qualified to deal with your props. A more modest student (or instructor of same) should merely say that they have some training in the field, not call themselves an expert. I am sorry to say that the many people I have met that purport to be experts have not only limited information, but much of it is wrong and harmful to actors.
Before we get into a discussion of the props themselves, let’s lay out the two most important rules, nay, commandments concerning stage weaponry:
First and foremost: NEVER allow any prop nor real weapon to be used or even seen outside of a controlled rehearsal or performance space. Why? Because actors have been shot by neighborhood “heroes” for rehearsing outdoors with rubber knives; they have been arrested for making violent gestures in public with rubber guns; they have been killed while holding very phony looking prop weapons. If there is even a sliver of a chance that someone from the general public will see an actor holding a weapon outside of a controlled space, you must
a] notify the appropriate law enforcement officials,
b] post notices explaining to passersby what you are doing, and
c] seal off the entire area so that no one can enter without getting past one of your assistants.
It should go without saying that “street theatre” or “guerilla theatre” simply doesn’t mix with prop weaponry. This includes doing a promotion of an upcoming show by staging a scene of violence to an unsuspecting audience. The following story is true, although no one ever believes me:
A university theatre in the Midwest was in rehearsal for a production of the musical Assassins. Ticket sales were low, so a few of the cast members decided to do a little impromptu publicity on campus. What better way to advertise than to do a number from the show? And where can you find a lot of students hanging around? Why, of course, at noon in the Student Union, where there are hundreds of students having lunch. The actors got hold of the prop guns used for the show, loaded them up with blanks and hit the Student Union in the middle of the lunch rush. In order to get everyone’s attention, they decided to enter the cafeteria area with guns blazing. Then they were going to launch into one of the show tunes.
As you can guess, they never actually got to the show tune part of their plan. After the barrage of gunfire, the screaming exit of dozens of students, and the in-rush of campus police, no one seemed in the mood for a peppy Sondheim number. Needless to say, all of the student performers were arrested (one night in jail), and the weapons were confiscated. Luckily the faculty was able to convince the university that it was not in any way part of the students’ actions, but even then there was thought given to the immediate dismissal of the department head. Keep in mind that this was all pre-Columbine. You can imagine what might have happened in today’s climate.
If this story seems outlandish, please take a moment to consider all of the foolish things you’ve seen students do, and especially student actors, over the many years that you have been in theatre. The inconceivably moronic is always just one “brilliant idea” away from being committed. You think that your props cabinet is secure? I’ll bet there are a couple of extra keys floating around that you don’t know about. I can also almost guarantee that several students have learned how to get into the theatre after-hours, even though you think that it is safely locked up.
Second: NEVER improvise with prop weapons. Improvisation works only when the participants can work in complete trust and safety. That trust cannot exist when weapons—real or fake—are introduced. And safety cannot be assured when waving a weapon around. Whether the scene is dramatic or comedic doesn’t matter. If you’re going to improvise, you must pantomime sans props.
In some of the more traditional forms of Japanese martial arts, the students are expected to bow not only to their opponents but even to the punching bags they use in training. It seems silly at first, but it is meant to remind the students that they can only improve so long as they have good materials in good working order with which to practice. Taking care of the equipment shows how much respect you have for your craft. Would that actors had the same attitude.
Unfortunately, we know that actors tend to treat prop as though they are toys, there for their own enjoyment. So for their safety and your budget, let them in on the secret that someone had to design, construct, pay for and maintain every prop that they touch, and that a successful show is the accumulation of everyone’s efforts, including the lowly props assistant.
Weapon props demand even greater care. The danger rises not only because the items themselves can injure, but because actors wield them in the heat of violent emotion. And here is where we have to teach them the distinction between practical (fight-worthy) and costume props, for not all props are created equal. We also have to remind them that the sturdy stuff can break if not handled correctly.