We’ve talked before about stage combat, and the safety of the actors. So I feel a bit obliged to mention stories such as these when they cross my radar. Sometimes Geek readers actually know the people involved and can vouch for their credentials (either pro or con):
McHale, who plays Caesar’s friend Proculeius (as well as Ledipis, a friend of Antony, and the Schoolmaster) was sliced in the left calf in a Tuesday night pre-show swordfight rehearsal by John Douglas Thompson (who plays Antony). McHale, who is making his Hartford Stage debut, was taken to the hospital for stitches and the show was cancelled.
The rented stage swords are metal lances and, though dulled, can still inflict harm. Rick Sordelet is the fight director who staged the duels before opening night. A fight captain oversees the rehearsals after that. Director Tina Landau was notified of the accident, said a theater spokesman.
I don’t really know how to just the circumstances. “Sliced in the left calf” clearly sounds like a sharp object was involved, but who really knows how the injury occurred?
http://www.courant.com/entertainment/arts/hc-rizzo-ticker-1021-20101021,0,1963723.column
Stage combat injuries are not uncommon. Especially with swords. Yes, the weapons are not sharp, but they are metal and have an edge (even if its not a sharpened edge). During rehearsals for a production of MacBeth, our lead turned wrong, and his arm was sliced by a stage sword. It happens, and its easier than anyone thinks. Fortunately, he was fine in the end, and it brought home for the rest of us actors how serious stage combat needs to be taken.