 Swords of Shakespeare
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| Along the north bank of the Thames River in London, historical sites abound: beautiful Tower Bridge, the infamous Tower of London, Wren's Monument to the Great Fire, and stately St. Paul's Cathedral. The south bank too, has its attractions, albeit of a somewhat earthier nature: smaller Southwark Cathedral, the waxworks museum of torture on the site of The Clink ("the prison that gave its name to all others"), the ruins of the Bishop of Winchester's pantry. For some 350 years, however, something has been missing.
Now, due to the incredible perseverance of American actor Sam Wanamaker, who died in 1993, and the efforts of those who were inspired by his vision, Shakespeare's Globe Theatre has at last risen anew. The SAFD at the Globe When the newly rebuilt Globe Theatre opened its doors for a three week workshop season this summer - the first performances on the Globe stage since it burned down in 1642 - the SAFD was well represented. At the invitation of the International Globe Theatre Center, Fight Master Emeritus Joseph Martinez assembled "The Swords of Shakespeare," a 90 minute exploration of how Shakespearean fight scenes might originally have been staged. The program featured a combination of lecture, demonstration and performance. While Martinez bore the brunt of the lecturing, he shared choreographic duties with SAFD Certified Teachers Lewis Shaw, Brad Waller and Ricki G. Ravitts. Rounding out the cast was actor/combatant Tim Klotz, who had lingered in London after his studies at RADA. Long Distance Rehearsals Due to the schedules and scattered geography of the cast, much of the rehearsal and choreography preceding the London rendezvous was conducted by FAX, eventually followed by four days of rehearsal in London. While the electronic rehearsal left much to be desired, the unsettled nature of the work actually proved fortunate, as it left us free to shape the scenes according to the demands and inspirations of the actual space. (Of course those faxes and the four rehearsals would never have been sufficient, had the cast not had the common ground of their SAFD training and background as a basis from which to work.) As we neared the Globe for our first visit, Martinez, who had arrived the previous week, warned us that the space was far from finished. Indeed, from the direction of our approach it looked more like an active construction site (which it is) than a theater. Making our way past new concrete, plastic sheeting and temporary plywood structures, however, we emerged into the theater proper, an immediately recognizable "wooden O", three galleries around the groundlings' pit, with thatching, the sky and a construction crane above. Deduction and Reconstruction Although Maestro Martinez, as well as teachers Waller and Shaw, had done thorough research of the period, its weapons and fight styles, even combing through records of expenditures by various theatres of the time seeking clues such as any payments to fight masters; still, no one can say with certainty exactly how the fights in Shakespeare's plays looked or how they were rehearsed and performed. No first hand accounts or fight notation - if such ever existed - have survived. We were admittedly in the realm of speculation, informed speculation, but speculation nonetheless, working deductively from period documents and inductively from the space itself. Research was not limited to libraries and period documents, however. In classic SAFD tradition, we also availed ourselves of every opportunity to draw from the locals - pubs, that is - where we could soak up the very spirit of Southwark. Walking home along the Thames after rehearsal, stopping at The Anchor or The Dean Swift, it was very easy to imagine Shakespeare and his company doing much the same. Putting the Pieces Together While research failed to locate any records of fight masters being paid by a London theater for staging fights, Martinez did locate evidence that the London Masters of Defense frequently rented London theaters for their prize fights; that an actor's seven-year apprenticeship included swordplay; that at least one London actor (Richard Tarlton) became a London Master of Defense; and that a large proportion of the audience were experienced swordsmen. Given both knowledgeable audiences and actors, the fights must have been sufficiently realistic to excite the house while still not injuring the actors. The choreography which we used, therefore, was (in certain critical areas) quite different from current SAFD-approved stage combat. Beyond the use of many historically accurate weapons (thank you, Mr. Shaw), our targets and defenses were historically accurate as well: countercuts instead of parries; thrusts to the groin, to joints and armpits, and especially to the face. I hope it was as exciting to watch as it was terrifying to perform. Do not try this at home. The Physical Stage On first walking the stage, several physical elements leap out. First, the stage is very large (approx. 44' x 21') and surprisingly high, about 5' above the floor of the pit. Although the pit floor will eventually be a few inches higher when covered with hazelnut shells, even then it will still allow audience members to stand at the very edge of the stage, almost inside the action, but safely below swords being swung on stage. Probably only fighters would notice that point, but no one could miss the next one: the pillars. The pillars are huge, as is the controversy surrounding their placement on the stage and the debate about how to deal with them. "Move them further upstage." "Place them farther apart." "Put them on wheels; get them out of the way!" Rather than ignoring (or cursing) the pillars, we sought to use them - chasing around them, slamming against them, ducking behind them and sliding down them - making them an asset and a reason to use the whole stage. The space in relation to the audience was also very influential on our work. Although the Globe is a large space, demanding high energy from the performers, it is somehow also an intimate space, with actors surprisingly close to the audience no matter where they sit or stand. To complete the "in-the-round" setting, we made sure that the inner-above "Lords' Chamber" was always filled with every visiting VIP we could find or invent in each audience With the addition of the "Lords" and the rowdy response from the "groundlings" in the pit (Everyone was urged to take sides in the fights and to express themselves freely.), the theater took on a lively, arena-like atmosphere - even without any orange sellers. Adjusting the Staging The physical space - audience and actors all equally visible, the division of the social classes, both invite active involvement: all the world a stage indeed. As we worked in the space our staging sometimes had to be adjusted to accommodate lines which made the most sense when directed to the people sitting in a certain part of the house. Maintaining stage focus and the delivery of the text were affected as well. Although the space is large, the acoustics are surprisingly good. Nonetheless, it is truly theater in the round, with inherent vocal challenges. We also had to deal with passing helicopters and boat traffic on the nearby Thames. Shakespeare's company didn't have to battle helicopters, but they may have had as many as 3,000 boisterous playgoers to keep enthralled. The helicopters might be the easier challenge, even with audiences limited to 1,500 by modern fire regulations. The Audience as Part of the Act Of course, future performers may not have quite the rowdy crowds we did, as Joseph repeatedly exhorted our audiences to vocalize their pleasure or displeasure, to move about if they were bored or couldn't see, even to throw things if so moved. In scenes featuring French characters, e.g. the Dauphin and Joan of Arc, Joseph reminded the audience that Elizabethans hated the French in general and looked on Joan as a witch and a whore who should be roundly booed and jeered - which they did with enthusiasm. (Turnabout being fair play, as Joan I returned their shouts with epithets gathered from French tourists I met in London. "Fils de chacal! Bande de laches. Engence de viperes.") Scholarly and artistic debates regarding all aspects of Shakespeare's Globe and its future productions will no doubt continue for years. Whatever the outcome of those debates, for us it was an exciting privilege to participate in the process - history in the remaking, as it were. The enthusiastic audiences were always a pleasure, as was demonstrating to various Shakespearean scholars that stage combat can have a scholarly as well as a theatrical legitimacy. Perhaps even more gratifying was the support and welcome extended to us by the Globe staff, especially Michael Hallifax, Patrick Spottiswode, and Marina Blodget, and by Franklin Hildy of the Shakespeare Globe Center USA. The British fight community (including Jonathan Howell, Derek Ware, Richard Ryan and Philip Stafford), were also most gracious in welcoming us to the debate - whether they agreed with our approach or not. Of course, if they have any questions regarding our work, we'd be more than happy to pick up the gauntlet on the Globe Theatre stage again. The scenes presented included:
Ricki G. Ravitts is a certified teacher based in New York City. She serves as the membership rep. and mans (or womans) the SAFD Hotline. Reprinted with permission from the Fight Master.
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