Directing Stage Fights

Staging the Fight: Q&A with Macbeth Fight Director, Brian Peters

Brian Peters

How would you describe being a fight director to someone who has no idea what the job entails? A fight director is a specialist in creating staged combat. He or she works closely with the director to create the violence that is appropriate for the production. As its name implies, staged combat is not real violence, but the carefully choreographed illusion of violence. Great care is taken to supply each actor with the proper technique and safety protocols to help keep everyone safe.

From the beginning of the rehearsal process, the fight director consults with the director about his or her vision of the play. What is the tone? What kind of violence is desired? Is it the flashy swashbuckling style of The Three Musketeers? Is it the ultra-real gore-driven violence of The Lieutenant of Inishmore? Is it a more stylized violence, which utilizes lighting effects, and slow motion fighting to emphasize important story points in the violence that would otherwise flash by our eyes at full speed? What kind of weapons will the actors be expected to use? How much time will they have to learn to use these weapons? What kind of surface will they be fighting on? What kind of costumes are they wearing that might hinder their movement? Will there be blood?

The fight director also checks in with all the other designers of the production. I check in with the prop department frequently about the weapons that we are using. I visit the costume department about gloves, shoes, swordbelts, etc. I consult with the technical director about the details of the set. The actor’s environment, costumes and props are all variables in terms of their safety, and its my job to make sure I have all of that information ahead of time, so that I can keep them prepared from the very first rehearsal.

How/when did you start directing fights? Coincidentally, the first show I ever provided the violence for was also Macbeth. I had graduated from Lindenwood University the year before, and returned the following year to be fight director for Macbeth. I had been performing in live action stunt shows for Six Flags (where my love of swordplay was discovered), and my professor asked me to help with the production. It was a daunting task, and a whole lot of responsibility. Sure, the weapons we use are blunted, and dull, but it doesn’t make them any less dangerous. Each actor brings a different energy to the fight, which is born of their character, and their own physical abilities, and the fight director must be able to recognize that energy and adjust for it. I’m always keeping an eye out for the growth of a fight…how it expands in terms of space and energy as the actors begin to develop a “muscle memory”. Out of that development, new dangers can arise, and must be dealt with.

A fight director can never just “set the fights” and leave the production early in the rehearsal process. He or she must be present while the fight is in its growth stage. A member of the cast is assigned to be the “fight captain”. Once the show is open, and the fight director leaves, the fight captain is responsible for maintaining the fights. That first production of Macbeth wasn’t one I could walk away from easily. Young actors who get the opportunity to engage in swordplay can often become suddenly self conscious and overly cocky. Adrenaline is a powerful drug, and one of the worst enemies of the fight director. That production opened my eyes to the reality that it isn’t enough to just create “safe” fights. The fight director has to be tapped into the energy of the combatants, and has to have an eye for their progression. Otherwise, the best laid plans can quickly deteriorate. From that first production of Macbeth, I went on to choreograph for other local companies and stunt shows, before I made my transition into film.

How did you get the opportunity to get involved with Macbeth? I’ve been working with The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis for many years. My first shows were Three Tall Women and The Life of Galileo. The following year, I was in their production of The Three Musketeers. I spent a decade with the Imaginary Theatre Company as an actor, stage manager and fight director. Steve Woolf has pulled me in to help with violence on various productions over the years, including The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Blackbird and The Pillowman. With all of the stunt work that I do in Chicago, I wouldn’t have been able to work on Macbeth without the assistance of Mr. Shaun Sheley (assistant fight director). Shaun teaches stage combat at the Webster Conservatory, and has been assisting me throughout the process, and I am very grateful to have him with me. We’ve collaborated on several projects, including a couple of Muny shows.

Macbeth: Michael Keyloun, Shanara Gabrielle and David Graham Jones as the Witches.

How do you decide how actors “fight” and the props they use? During my early conversations with the director about the tone and style of the piece, I will suggest appropriate forms of combat. If the fighting style doesn’t match the world of the play, it can stop the forward motion of the story. Imagine watching a traditional production of Romeo and Juliet: Romeo watches his friend Mercutio die from a sword wound. Furious with Tybalt for slaying his friend, Romeo charges after him, and attacks Tybalt with a series of elaborate Judo kicks. Sounds ridiculous, but it has been done…and with that action, the world of the play comes crashing down.

By contrast, some productions are “timeless”. Their themes are so universal, that a unique world can be created, where normally anachronistic props and environments can be merged for effect. A great example of this is the film “Titus”, directed by Julie Taymor. Taymor has woven a world together where it is perfectly acceptable for Roman chariots to be flanked by Harley Davidsons. Printed newspapers and automobiles are set against ancient Roman architecture. Weapons range from swords and arrows, to butcher knives and pistols. Such a world is one where any violence is possible, so long as it serves the story.

Any object that is used in a fight is thoroughly examined by the fight director, and deemed “fight worthy”. Calling a prop or weapon “fight worthy” doesn’t mean that it is 100% safe. Every object that is used in violence is potentially lethal…whether its a sword, a torch, a gun, or an ashtray. Even the fake blood that we use can be potentially lethal. Many fake blood recipes call for peanut butter (for consistency) or special detergents (so that wardrobe can be cleaned easily). Both are very dangerous to actors with those specific allergies. A blunt sword is no more “safe” than an aluminum baseball bat. A blank firing prop gun might have a blocked barrel for safety, but the blank still releases gases and debris…and if the wrong ammunition is loaded by mistake, worse things can happen.

It’s the responsibility of the fight director and the property master to know what is expected of the weapon. Will this sword be used for blade on blade contact? Or is it simply a costume piece? There are a lot of swords out there, and most of them are not intended for actual combat. They are simply “wall hangers”, and in fact, very dangerous. Sometimes, common household objects might become part of a fight: A vase is broken over someone’s back, an actor is struck on the head with an ashtray, someone’s hand goes through a pane of glass… There are many options for presenting this violence in a safe manner, all of which would be determined by the specifics of the story and direction.

Tell us about your involvement with stunts and film – what’s next for you? For the last decade or so, I’ve been part of the Midwest Stunts Association. We’re based out of Chicago, and supply the stunt work for film and television in the region. Our stunt ensemble won the Screen Actor’s Guild Award for Best Stunt Ensemble for “The Dark Knight”. Myself, and four others from that team, were awarded the Taurus World Stunt Award for Best Highwork in a Feature Film, for our work in “The Dark Knight”. The five of us stunt doubled as a swat team that was kicked out of a high rise building, tied together to a common rope, 420 feet above the ground.

We were also nominated that same year for the film “Wanted.” Our work can also be seen in “Public Enemies”, and “Conviction.” Keep an eye out over the next year for several films, including “Stone” (Ed Norton/Robert DeNiro), “Contagion” (Matt Damon), and “30 Minutes or Less” (Jesse Eisenberg). At this moment, I am doing stunts for “The Chicago Code” (which premieres on Fox in February), and I am the stunt double for William H. Macy on the series “Shameless” on Showtime.

With the little spare time that I have, I’ve been trying to become an independent film maker, and get involved in the local film scene. Our industry here in Missouri is very fragile, and in danger of losing its tax incentive, which is important for keeping our state a consideration in the film market. For the second year in a row, Missouri has produced an Oscar nominated film for Best Picture. Last year was George Clooney and “Up In the Air”. This year, “Winter’s Bone”, filmed in the Ozarks, has received four nominations, including Best Picture. We could really use some support for our incentives in Jefferson City. Anyone interested in helping can find information on the St. Louis Media and Communications Association page on Facebook.

What is the most exciting part about fight choreography? The evolution of the fight: watching the process develop from concept to final product. Per my discussions with our director, Paul Mason Barnes, Shaun and I selected a single hand sword that would reflect the brutality of the world that is being created. It’s quicker and smaller than the typical two handed broadsword. The result for me, was a new understanding of the style of swordplay…and what’s at stake in the fights. Anytime you choreograph a fight, you develop it in your own body. But what feels natural to me, might not be comfortable or normal for the actor.

As a result, in my experience, once we put the fight into rehearsal, and we’re watching the actors demonstrate what we created, we might end up changing 25% of it because it just doesn’t work. We work with the actors to find discoveries in their own movement and abilities, and cater to their “muscle memory”. It does me no good to force an actor to learn some complicated move that “looks cool” but doesn’t flow from their natural sense of abilities. In the same way that an actor must “make the character their own”, the same can be said for the fights. The fights must appear to generate themselves naturally from within, or the audience will disconnect from the character. I must say that this cast has surprised me with their commitment and attention to the violence (most notably, the younger actors). We have a very talented cast, and I’ve been delighted to develop these fights with them.

Comments: