Unexpected Stage Combat

Here's a recent find that you may have seen on Google+:

Installations

The idea of an installation is that theatre does not need a building called a "theatre" in order to be a legitimate live performance.

When you enter a theatre, you know this:

• You are a spectator and will not be expected to participate (usually, you are expected to stay quiet during the performance)
• The performance will start at a designated time, and you will have a designated seat or place
• The performers may seem to be in distress or hurt, but it is an illusion and you are not morally obligated to help them
• Countless other customs that change over time and cultures

However, not having a building where the audience knows what is expected of them is no excuse for not controlling audience understanding and behaviour. Oops, too many negatives... let's say: Regardless of venue, control your audience - for safety and drama.

Is This a Theatre?

Many installations have the structure of traditional theatre, but make use of unique venues to enhance the experience.

At Fringe Festivals around the world, you can see many acts that make use of the local architecture or culture to put theatre in a new context. In Vancouver, performances happen at the beach, in houses, and all over the place.

One example that I'd love to see is the spooky Macbeth that happens at in New York City called "Sleep No More". This one does involve audience interaction, but you're aware of that from the start. I'll let their mission statement say the rest: http://www.sleepnomorenyc.com/punchdrunk.htm

Improv and Flash Mobs

A group called Improv Everywhere recently "crashed" a TED talk. If you've never heard of TED, it stands for Technology Entertainment and Design, and is essentially a venue for inspring lectures.

Most events that Improv Everywhere organizes are called "Flash Mobs" in which hundreds of participants find out about the project and the plan and converge at a certain location and wait for certain cues to perform specific actions.

For example, here's the newest from their website: "For our latest mission we filled a New York park with eight sets of identical quadruplets, creating a surreal experience for anyone who happened to be walking through the park."

What About Fighting?

Fun is fun, but you're reading this for the combat angle. How does one perform a violent scene in an installation?

Here's the ground rules:

• No spectators or untrained people can be allowed to interfere with stage combat.
• Sufficient space must be allocated for the fight, and the audience cannot be expected to get out of the way.
• Don't get fake blood (or any other fluids) on spectators
• Notify the police, especially if there is going to be weapons and really especially if there will be blank-firing firearms, and uber-especially if you will be dressed as police or EMS in public.

That's the reason why I don't believe the set-up for our original "Push to Add Drama" clip. There are no barricades to keep bystanders out or safe from being hit by those vehicles. I think the one person who wasn't in on it was the button-pusher, and we know where they are because they pushed the button.

Performance-wise, it is very important to get your audience's attention. It is too optimistic to think that they will stop and look just because you walk in costume, or start smashing swords together. The sirens in the video work well for this, and watch the video again to see how your attention is drawn through sound and motion to the "key action" of the moment.

Suspension of Disbelief

The concept of "temporarily suspending one's disbelief" is a function of the theatre. When you're sitting facing a stage, you know your role as audience, and although you know the performers are actors, you voluntarily allow yourself to believe their story. If you're surprised by a story unfolding in your everyday life, you have no context to disbelieve it. If you see a fight about to start, you may try to intervene. If you see someone hurt, you may call 911.

On the other hand, we forgive a lot of acting and stage combat as part of the suspension of disbelief. Once you know it's a show, you stop expecting the real. This brings a lot of complications to Installation Theatre, so put yourself in an audience member's shoes while planning your next Stage Combat Everywhere experiment.