The history of stage combat is connected intimately to personal combat throughout history until the early twentieth century. This book follows the changes in stage combat as the duel of honor evolved. This evolution of dueling is traced- the weapons and styles used. The impact of these changes in how people fought from the heyday of the duel of honor to its disappearance is seen in the combat performed on stage. A more realistic style of combat on stage was performed in the past, but was lost as the social importance of the duel waned.

All the principal duels in Shakespeare's plays are outlined and explained. The logic underlying each of the violent conflicts is discussed, together with textual references, to place them within the contxt of the play. Sample choreography is offered.

This book chronicles the evolution of stage swordplay from the time of Shakespeare to the birth of film in America. Through period documents personal accounts and extant works on the subject, the author has pieced together the system of how swordfights on stage were executed since the late sixteenth century. The book details the relationship between the style of fencing used in personal combat and the swordplay exhibited onstage in dramatic works between the late sixteenth and early twentieth centuries, documenting how similar stage fencing was in appearance to actual personal combat from the late sixteenth century until the early nineteenth century. The reasoning for the evolution of stage combat which took place in the early twentieth century is delineated, and an outlook toward the future of the art is proposed.

Paying close attention to the performance conditions in the Elizabethan theatre, Edelman (English, Edith Cowan U., Western Australia) explores how Shakespeare's many battle scenes, duels, and single combats would have been presented by his own company. He draws on the whole range of plays to argue that such scenes reinforce poetic and dramatic themes, rather than merely provide a popular spectacle for the crowd. Distributed in the US by St. Martin's Press. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

The Art of Broadsword Fighting for Stage and Screen provides historical and contemporary techniques and styles for the safe training and use of the European broadsword in a theatrical setting. This book starts with a brief breakdown of the history of broadswords, the time periods associated with their use, and the influences of historical masters and their manuscripts. After the brief history section, this book presents the basic techniques of broadsword fighting, starting with grip and body postures. Readers will then move fluidly into the basic actions of cuts, parries, blocks, and disarms. During this process, actors explore the connection between body and weapon and start learning the elements of storytelling through choreography. Special attention is given throughout the text on techniques which need to be approached in a physically and/or mentally safe way by directors, choreographers, performers, teachers, and students. The final chapter focuses on choreographing a fight and utilizing all the material previously covered in this book, with special notes for actors, directors, and teachers about what makes a good fight, how to keep it safe, and how to create the "wow factor" in choreography. The Art of Broadsword Fighting for Stage and Screen is intended for directors, choreographers, actors, students of acting, martial artists, and enthusiasts of stage combat and historical martial arts.