Taught by TUTA Company Member Victor Bayona & Rick Gilbert of R&D Choreography 

WHEN

Tuesdays. 4/29, 5/6, and 5/13 2025
7:00pm - 9:00pm

WHERE

TUTA (4670 N. Manor Ave) just off the Francisco Brown Line stop

WHAT

When we think about stage combat, we often think about fighting with swords, knives, quarterstaves, and other weapons. Athough fighting with weapons onstage can be great fun and exciting to watch, modern plays are much more likely to involve confrontations between characters who are unarmed and often untrained. These characters may be unhinged, swept up in violent passion, trapped in the most desperate circumstances, or forced to face others who are. 

This course will teach participants how to perform effective and visceral stage combat in ways that keep the actors safe, create convincing illusions, and tell the story of the play’s conflicts. We will cover principles that are fundamental to performing exciting staged violence, whether unarmed or armed. A special focus will be the various safeties on which all stage combat is based, so that actors will be able to keep themselves safe no matter what choreography they are asked to perform. We will talk about character intentions, plans, and goals, how they shift over the course of a fight, and how they are essential to both learning choreography and acting the fight to portray the narrative.

The course will culminate with learning a short fight that will allow students to put their new skills into practice much as they might be asked to in rehearsal.

This class is open to performers of any skill level.

PRICE

$350
There is a $5.00 service fee for credit card charges.