Do you mostly work on Shakespeare and classical shows or do
you also get to work on more
modern productions? It covers
the gambit. I love Shakespeare so
I am always excited to dig into the
Bard. This year I got to work two
of my personal favorites to watch/
read: King John and The Winter’s
Tale. If you had thrown in a Titus
Andronicus I would have had a
trifecta!
I also love working on modern
stage works and films. There is
always an opportunity to use violence in a way that enhances the
production and tells the character’s story in a way you can’t explain in words. Oftentimes with
modern works I can collaborate
with the director and/or writer to
show how to convey emotions
through a moment of violence. It
takes a lot for the common person
to escalate to violence so when a
character finally does in a production, it’s a raw moment of expression which can give the audience
a glimpse into the nature of that
character. In fact, some of my favorite actors/directors to work
with will show me a scene and get
to this moment where they just
say “I want to... grrrrr…” and from
the way they wave their hands I
can start to give them possibilities
to express that emotion. That creative time of exploring the possibilities is my nirvana.
If you are interested in learning
more about how to become
certified to teach stage combat
or interested in learning more
about the classes taught by
Jared Kirby, CLICK HERE.
New Jersey Stage
December 2014
pg 120