ABSTRACT
T he process of taking the techniques of stage combat and arranging them into a fight is a procedure more difficult than it might first appear. It is not a random series of offensive and defensive actions strung together like the numbers exercise. A choreographed fight is the artful blending of character and technique designed to tell a specific story. Random movement patterns work well for training exercises, but they say nothing about the character or the play. No matter the size or relative importance of the conflict, the actions must come from the play and fit the structure of the character. The process of setting a fight is not to dazzle the audience with a display of your best "tricks" and "feats," but to say what needs to be said about the characters and their situation as clearly and effectively as possible.
