Brawling, Chicago Style

Monday nights from Feb 22 to Mar 29, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. 

Brawling, Chicago-Style Inspired by Chicago playwrights like David Mamet and Tracy Letts, R&D Choreography's winter session class will focus on ultra-realistic fighting, using mostly unarmed techniques but also incorporating some work with modern/found weapons (and likely some furniture). Letts and Mamet rose to fame writing plays that shocked the theatre community with gritty, in-your-face characters and ultra-realistic violence happening two yards from your seat. These kinds of plays demand a level of brutality and ferocity that can't be expressed with the traditional you-punch-me-then-I-punch-you unarmed style popular in John Wayne's era. To compound the problem, the modern theatre-goer sees through many of our old illusions and shrugs at hackneyed stage combat tropes. We need to give them more.

An important focus of this class will be safety techniques for the performer. Richard and David will demonstrate how their principles of Selective Control, Shared Balance, and Fighting in the Moment allow the actor to maximize caution for personal safety while minimizing the appearance of being careful. Students will re-examine preconceived notions of what makes an illusion safe, and learn to separate true safety from extraneous habits we develop to make the move feel comfortable or less raw.

The final component of the class will include discussions and reading that will help student portray violence, or to "act the fight." Drawing from military researchers, other fight choreographers, and R&D's philosophies, we will explore the psychology of violence, the effects of fear, how to portray physical trauma, how performance adrenaline can affect a fight, and other topics.

So, come on out this winter and take your fighting to a whole new level. Remember, even Shakespeare's stage directions said "They fight" not "They do stage combat."

Details: In the gymnasium of First Evangelical Free Church 5255 N. Ashland Avenue, First Floor Cost: $90.00** Class size limited to 14. *Referral Reward: $20 off your tuition for every first-time R&D student who signs up and says you referred them.

Class will be held in the 1st floor gymnasium of First Evangelical Free Church at 5255 N. Ashland Ave (corner of Berwyn and Ashland). 

The course fee is $90.00. However, for each first-time R&D student who signs up and says YOU recommended them, we will refund $20 of your tuition.

Payment Method: You can pay via check or pay your course fee online via Paypal. To hold your spot, please pay for the class by Feb 15, 2010. If you need to set up payment installments, please contact us and we'll happily set up a plan for you. 

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Brawling, Chicago Style $90.00 Class w/Parable Drama team discount $45.00

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