A stage combat event will reveal the story behind the swordplay in William Shakespeare’s works at Williamsburg Library on Saturday. The free event includes a demonstration performance by stage combat instructors followed by a stage combat class for teenagers.
The 90-minute exhibition explores Elizabethan era swordplay as well as the combat styles of other eras the Bard set his plays, such as the Greco-Roman world and Renaissance Italy, according to a news release. The event is intended to bring a behind-the-scenes look with an interactive finish to this exciting aspect of theater.
“A lot of people wonder ‘How did they manage that fall? That fight scene?’ ” said Special Projects Director Barry Trott of the event’s appeal.
During the performance, stage combat instructors Sara Hodges and Craig Lawrence will demonstrate techniques and offer insight into historical contexts of Shakespeare’s plays as well as how violence moves plot forward in his works.
After the demonstration, budding actors will take the stage to try stage combat for themselves. Participants will learn basic rapier techniques and work with a partner under the direction of Hodges and Lawrence, Trott said.
The class requires preregistration and is currently full, Trott said. However, there is a waiting list for individuals interested in the class, which is open to children 13 years old and older. The demonstration portion of the event does not require registration.
Call 757-259-4050 or email teens@wrl.org for more information.
Want to go?
When: Exhibition at 1 p.m., class at 3 p.m. Aug. 27.
Where: Williamsburg Library Theatre, 515 Scotland St.
