Author Topic: live weapons on stage!  (Read 4668 times)

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loebtmc

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live weapons on stage!
« on: Jun 05, 2015, 12:46 pm »
Holy cow! Where was their stage manager in this? Another director who wants to use a real knife without safety measures.....

http://news.yahoo.com/arizona-actor-accidentally-stabbed-during-performance-180848155.html
« Last Edit: Jun 06, 2015, 11:07 pm by loebtmc »

mkristinect

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Re: live weapons on stage!
« Reply #1 on: Jun 05, 2015, 03:02 pm »
Ugh.  Makes me sick.  I can't even imagine how horrible that would be for everyone.

bex

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Re: live weapons on stage!
« Reply #2 on: Jun 05, 2015, 03:09 pm »
How many times does this have to happen? It's totally preventable and just makes my heart hurt.
Where was the fight choreographer? Where was the SM? Where was the props master? Why didn't the actor(s) object?

ETA: We're dealing with this in my show right now- no combat, but a lot of "cooking" onstage, in full view of the audience, with dialog about the specific food items being chopped. The knives have to be sharp enough to cut a carrot and some scallions, but dull enough that we're not as concerned with actor injury. Our props master tested various levels of sharpness before we found the right balance.
« Last Edit: Jun 05, 2015, 03:13 pm by bex »
You will have to sing for your supper & your mortgage, your dental coverage & your children's shoes, over & over again while people in desk jobs roll their eyes the minute you start to complain. So it's a good thing you like to sing.

mkristinect

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Re: live weapons on stage!
« Reply #3 on: Jun 05, 2015, 04:44 pm »
ETA: We're dealing with this in my show right now- no combat, but a lot of "cooking" onstage, in full view of the audience, with dialog about the specific food items being chopped. The knives have to be sharp enough to cut a carrot and some scallions, but dull enough that we're not as concerned with actor injury. Our props master tested various levels of sharpness before we found the right balance.

Really?  (Tangent, sorry.)  It seems like if the knife is being used as a functioning tool instead of a weapon it would be safer to have it sharper.  Slicing a carrot with a dull knife can be pretty deadly.  How did you find that balance?
« Last Edit: Jun 05, 2015, 04:45 pm by mkristinect »

bex

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Re: live weapons on stage!
« Reply #4 on: Jun 05, 2015, 06:35 pm »
Really?  (Tangent, sorry.)  It seems like if the knife is being used as a functioning tool instead of a weapon it would be safer to have it sharper.  Slicing a carrot with a dull knife can be pretty deadly.  How did you find that balance?

Dulling the tip and first inch of so of the blade to prevent accidental stabbing, actually. Leaving the sharper part of the blade closer to the handle for actual cutting.
You will have to sing for your supper & your mortgage, your dental coverage & your children's shoes, over & over again while people in desk jobs roll their eyes the minute you start to complain. So it's a good thing you like to sing.

mkristinect

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Re: live weapons on stage!
« Reply #5 on: Jun 05, 2015, 06:39 pm »
Dulling the tip and first inch of so of the blade to prevent accidental stabbing, actually. Leaving the sharper part of the blade closer to the handle for actual cutting.
Ahh!  Good idea.  I'll have to keep that in mind.

maximillionx

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Re: live weapons on stage!
« Reply #6 on: Jun 06, 2015, 10:51 pm »
Really?  (Tangent, sorry.)  It seems like if the knife is being used as a functioning tool instead of a weapon it would be safer to have it sharper.  Slicing a carrot with a dull knife can be pretty deadly.  How did you find that balance?

Dulling the tip and first inch of so of the blade to prevent accidental stabbing, actually. Leaving the sharper part of the blade closer to the handle for actual cutting.

Just had to do that in a show ourselves! it's a delicate balance....
Once had a show that required blanks to be fired offstage.  It was handled by our Company Manager's husband, a local police officer.  DEFINITELY preferred a guy with that kind of weapons training handling our guns.

MatthewShiner

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Re: live weapons on stage!
« Reply #7 on: Jun 07, 2015, 03:58 pm »
remember, a chair can be dangerous . . . a food prop can choke an actor.  theater is a dangerous sport, and no short cuts should ever be taken.  sad.
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