Fight Club or “Death is an Awfully Big Adventure” (on Stage)

*Please keep in mind that we are talking about staged violence. It gets a bit graphic, but please do not try any of these elements out without a fight choreographer present to assure that everything is being done safely.*

First rule of Fight Club? Talk about Fight Club! Matthew T. Smith, fight choreographer, actor, director, and professor of choreography, talks with us about accuracy in theater. How does time period impact fight choreography? What about costumes? Class? 

How have the audience’s sensibilities altered over time? How do fight choreographers and directors walk the line between making something realistic and making someone in the audience vomit? 

How does posture impact character and conflict? Do you lead with your head, your chest,  your stomach? What does it say about you? Smith will answer all these questions and more as we romp through history and productions to see what has been done and what can be done in the exploration of movement. 

We’ll also discuss what happens when actors get too immersed in a character and some of Matthew’s tips for how to leave the difficulty and trauma of a character in the rehearsal space and not take that character, and their many issues, home. These tips are good for LIFE. So, take a listen, and if you try any of them, let us know how it goes! Now, of course, we cannot talk about fighting without discussing dying - so we’ll end the podcast with a discussion of how to die on the stage. 

Listen to the end for some invaluable acting advice and best fight scenes.

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Thank you for listening!

Host/Shakespearean Shrew: Dr. Karen Feiner

Co-Creator/Brew Shrew: Michelle Coffman

Cover Art Creator/Artistic Shrew: Katie Kimberling ⁠⁠www.halfmaverick.com⁠⁠

Thank you to our guest: Matthew T. Smith 

Matthew T. Smith is an Actor, Director and Fight Choreographer originally from Minnesota. He holds the position of Visiting professor of Acting at Oklahoma State University. He is also the Fight Director for Viking Encampment and is a Certified Teacher with Dueling Arts International.