Mixed genres in non-fiction

First things first: The book is now available for pre-order: http://www.focalpress.com/books/details/9780415733984/ It’s a bit cheaper on Amazon and Barnes & Noble than on the publisher website, and the marketing department apparently decided it would move at a higher price than we’d originally talked about (I’ve been trying to keep price down with things like B&W […]

Go West Young(ish… sorta…) Man.

It’s been a busy few months in Fight Designer land; thus the radio silence. Since the last post… the Theatrical Firearms Handbook is in the hands of the copyeditors at Focal Press, having gotten several chapters re-organized and partially re-written thanks to the excellent feedback from Robb Hunter of fellow props company Preferred Arms. We […]

Quacks like a duck. Isn’t a duck.

First, as a possible sidebar to the previous post on shell-ejecting airsoft props, I bring you a new development in airsoft: sound effects: What do you think? Stupid gimmick, or at all useful? Wonder if you could tie that into your lavalier microphone system and actually make it useful for film or stage. Frankly I’d […]

Shell games

The idea of shell ejecting airsoft props is nothing new; models from companies such as Daisy, Tokyo Marui, Marushin, Maruzen, and others go back at least to the 80s. These have run the gamut from novelty spring power models where you still have to cycle every shot (which is fine for something like the M870 […]

Pro[se] & Con[ference]

That’s actually not all that far from describing academic theatre conferences, although the cosplay is far less creative and the panel presentations frequently more obtuse. I greatly enjoyed ATHE 2013 though (no link right now, as their page was recently hacked), milking it for all I could; I presented in five sessions, plus a couple […]

Cross-posting

It’s been quite the week… no time for a proper post myself, but my last several days’ experience are already written up on the VCU blog: http://theatrevcubackstagepass.blogspot.com/2013/07/david-leong-take-theatre-vcu-grad.html   Loving everyone at Arena Stage!  

Updates from a Published Author

…and no, I don’t just mean this blog. Or my articles in The Fight Master. Or my theses. I am happy to announce that Focal Press will be publishing The Theatrical Firearms Handbook in 2014, filling a much-needed  void in the available training resources for fight choreographers, stage managers, amateur gun wranglers, and others who […]

Howdy Strangers

Busy or negligent, take your pick. It’s been a while, regardless. It’s been a crazy Spring. Besides wrapping up my courses at William & Mary, VCU, and CNU (all of which have invited me back) I’ve had on-campus interviews for great positions at great schools (UNC Charlotte and University of Michigan) – unsuccessful, mind you, […]

Theatre that gets you wet

DC’s seeing a flood of aquatic entertainment this month, with two of the big names in the area both exploring water stages right now. First, and perhaps more thematically appropriate to this blog, is Synetic Theatre‘s production of The Tempest. This little behind the scenes video includes some interview footage with the fight choreographer, speaking […]

Danse Les Apaches

Thanks go to the mailing listserve of the Bartitsu Society for reminding me of yet another part of our traditions… Tony Wolf’s early classes in Bartitsu (back before he’d published either compendium, the first time he presented this at a Paddy Crean, and when almost nobody knew what it was – it’s come a long […]