Closing Night . . .

Greeted with not exactly the same fanfare as Opening Night, but still with enthusiasm, we come to the end my friends. What a fantastic run it has been: great performances, wonderful audiences and sold out shows, an utterly ridiculous Midnight Massacre and delightful reviews. Plus a totally awesome feature on BRAVO News. I think it is safe to call this run of DUEL OF AGES with the NEXT STAGE FESTIVAL a success.

And here we are. Closing night. A sense of accomplishment, and a feeling of sadness. I suppose it's good in a way to feel sad to say goodbye. It means that we did something right, something that will be missed.

My first post was about the madness of organising schedules of 25 actors plus directors and fight directors, and I suppose my last ought to comment how it's amazing that you can have such a large group of individuals come together to form an ensemble that works together seamlessly, and can, with their combined efforts, create magic.

No one said it would be easy. And darn it all, it wasn't.

But that doesn't make it any less fun.

And rewarding.

Thank you to everyone who came and supported such a unique show. We truly do appreciate you guys coming out and spending time with us. Here's hoping we shall meet again soon!


And now . . . some pics . . .

Backstage antics . . .

In the girls' change room . . . 

In the greenroom . . .

In the wings . . .

Get To Know Your Fighters/Fearless Leader - Todd Campbell

Yes. We have come to the end. You now know all your fighters. I hope that this experience was an educational one, that you feel ready to face the world armed with the knowledge of what fight movies rock and what drinks are preferable. And today, to round things off, we finish with our fearless leader, Mr. Todd Campbell. DUEL OF AGES was his creation, and the guy's like in tons of the scenes as well and maybe fight directed just a couple too.

So here's our final Get To Know Your Fighters . . . relish it my friends . . . relish it . . .


Todd Campbell
Creator/Producer/Fight Director DUEL OF AGES
Roles in DUEL OF AGES: Queles (Le Duel Des Mignons), Stewart (The Last Duel of Rob Roy), Dooley (The Pistoleers)




How long have you been fighting. Uh . . . the fake kind of fighting?
Since 1992, so almost twenty years.

What got you interested in Stage Combat?
The theatre school I went to in NYC had a very extensive stage combat program and I loved playing with swords.... most likely a result of playing too much D&D as a kid ...and as an adult.

Tell us about a memorable fight moment you've had.
I have choreographed and performed many fights that I am proud of. But putting Maupin together the first time was the most memorable. I had a vision of the piece but had never tried anything like it before. The first time we tried it with music, fight and dance all together I held my breath hoping it would work. It was (and still is) my best work.

Favourite weapon (and why):
Rapier and companion weapon (dagger, cloak, second rapier). The Rapier has been my first love since day one. There are so many rapier manuals from the period with so many different techniques and styles of rapier play, that I have an endless variety of shapes and looks to choose from when I choreograph a fight.

Favourite Fight film/play:
The Duelists (of course), Rob Roy, the Three and Four Musketeers (from the 70s)... really anything choreographed by William Hobbs. Oh and Stardust. There is an awe inspiring fight at the end of the movie by (and I believe doubled by) Richard Ryan.

Favourite famous fighter:
Anthony DeLongis. Amazing with a sword... and a whip!

Role you wish you could have played:
Hamlet. I understudied the part when I was in my early 20's. At the time I was terrified I might have to go on, now however I feel like I could do justice to the role.
And Edmund in Long Days Journey into Night... I love O'Neill.

Favourite drink that audience members should buy you after witnessing your awesome in Duel of Ages:
Blanche de Chamblie with a slice of orange


Anything else you'd like to plug:
I will be fight directing at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival later this year. I will be working on Camelot, Twelfth Night, Merry Wives of Windsor and The Homecoming.

DUEL OF AGES on BRAVO

Check us out featured on BRAVO News!  (we're part two of the clip)

MIDNIGHT MASSACRE tonight!!

Tonight's the night!
Join us for Duel of Ages: MIDNIGHT MASSACRE on January 14, an extra raucous midnight showing of the smash Fringe hit!

All proceeds go to benefit the Toronto Fringe's artist outreach programs.

The $25 ticket includes a pre-show party at 11pm in the heated McAuslan Beer Tent, free munchies (we'll be serving up free Smoke's Poutine), door prizes, a $10 charitable tax receipt, and the midnight performance of Duel of Ages, a play with nine combat scenes depicting various ages in the history of dueling.

"An exciting mix of brains and brawn" NNNN - Jordan Bimm, NOW Magazine

25 Fighters + 9 Duels + 16 Bloody Deaths (and countless wounded) = 1 Killer Show.

Click Here For Midnight Massacre

More reviews for DUEL OF AGES!

The Way I See It calls DUEL OF AGES "sharp and winning"!  

Excerpt:

"Fight choreographers and those who are masters of stage combat are often called upon for particular scenes in the theatre, especially historical works or ones dealing with explicit violence, but these are still usually isolated bits of a larger picture. It is really wonderful to have the opportunity to see a huge cast filled with exorbitantly talented individuals having the chance to make these skills the very heart of the art of the piece."

Full review here.



Paula Citron with Classical 96.3FM said some lovely things about the show as well here, stating that "the history lesson [in dueling] has both interest and humour". 

AND the Brown Okinawa Assault Incident blog noted that the show is "full of comic relief, tension and crisp, well choreographed fights".

AND Panic Manual adds that the members of the cast "are the best at what they do, they love it, and it shows."  

AND Mooney on Theatre says that "this is stage combat at its best."

Get To Know Your Fighters - Siobhan Richardson

For your edification we present to you "Get To Know Your Fighters" where you . . . get to know the fighters . . . from DUEL OF AGES. Because, as we all know, knowledge is power. As is the ability to kick ass.

Siobhan Richardson
Roles in DUEL OF AGES: The Poor (Le Duel Des Mignons), Innkeeper (The Last Duel of Rob Roy), The One (One)



How long have you been fighting. Uh . . . the fake kind of fighting?
10 years

What got you interested in Stage Combat?:
Maître D'Armes J.P. Fournier came to my college and taught a week of stage combat. I was hooked from the first moment.

Tell us about a memorable fight moment you've had:
In 30˚C with no breeze, performing 15 fights in an hour and fifteen minutes (part of the Humber River Shakespeare Company's Sonnet Show). That's a 2-minute fight, every 5 minutes. I really saw how valuable foundations are: when you're sweaty and exhausted, the strength of your core principles and technique shine through.

Favourite weapon (and why):
I honestly love them all, but Longsword comes out ahead. It feels right. I can really dance with that weapon, using my whole body, more than any other. It's so elegant, fluid, subtle and has extraordinary variety in its use.

Favourite Fight film/play:
I honestly don't think it's happened yet, but the blade work and shooting in Prince Caspian is really good. And really like Jovanni Sy's play, The Five Vengeances. Secret: I'm part of a play workshop right now that might turn out to be my favourite script...

Favourite famous fighter:
SUCH A HARD QUESTION! There's a lot of good people, and I like different people for different reasons. I think Michelle Yeoh is someone to aspire to, as an actor and a fighter. I must also mention Brandon Lee, because I think we lost something wonderful when he died.

Role you wish you could have played:
When they make a live-action Moribito, it had better be me! But for one that's already happened, "Xena". Seriously, a new fight every week (and musical episodes)? That's pretty cool.

Favourite drink that audience members should buy you after witnessing your awesome in Duel of Ages:
Wind and Sail Ale from Barley Days Brewery of Prince Edward County. A real treat, though, would be Black Amber Ale from Big Rock in Alberta.

Anything else you'd like to plug:.
I've received a grant from the Ontario Arts Council's Chalmers Fellowship Award which is allowing me to further study acting and stage combat in Sweden, England, and Washington D.C. Keep an eye on my blog to see where I am and what I'm doing. www.Fellowship.SiobhanRichardson.com

Get To Know Your Fighters - Dean Rideout

For your edification we present to you "Get To Know Your Fighters" where you . . . get to know the fighters . . . from DUEL OF AGES. Because, as we all know, knowledge is power. As is the ability to kick ass.


Dean Rideout
Roles in DUEL OF AGES: King's Guard (Le Duel Des Mignons), Dancer (La Maupin)



How long have you been fighting. Uh . . . the fake kind of fighting?
It all started when I was back at Sheridan College for Music Theatre Performance and Dan Levinson came in to teach our basic unarmed class. He taught me how to beat the crap out of someone while holding a phone! ...Safely, of course.

What got you interested in Stage Combat?
After having a taste of it at Sheridan, an upcoming project of mine required a little bit of piratey sword play. Just at this time there was a basic intensive coming up, and I figured it was meant to be!

Tell us about a memorable fight moment you've had.
It may not be an actual moment in a fight, but I've had a very memorable fight partner. While I was taking my basic intensive at Rapier Wit, I was strangely the only Canadian taking the class. Though most were American, one girl in my class was from New Zealand, and she was the coolest! Marvelling over the cheap produce and the niceness of Toronto was very groovy, then I got to match blades with her in a great pirate scene!

Favourite weapon (and why):
The scimitar! Can you tell I have a thing for pirates?

Favourite Fight film/play:
The Protector. Or the sheer ridiculousness of something like Shoot 'Em Up.

Favourite famous fighter:
Johnny Depp swashbuckling away in Pirates!

Role you wish you could have played:
I still hope to play Mercutio one day.

Favourite drink that audience members should buy you after witnessing your awesome in Duel of Ages:
If it's free, anything in the beer tent sounds fantastic!

Anything else you'd like to plug:
Come see me and some very talented young people in A Chorus Line with Toronto Youth Theatre! Opens February 10th.

DUEL in The Globe and Mail!

Very nice mention for DUEL OF AGES in The Globe in Mail:

"[The show] give[s] a thrilling crash course in different forms of personal combat including sword-fighting, pistols at dawn and samurai battles . . . Duel of Ages was pure, dorky fun."

For the full review along with reviews of several of the other awesome shows at the festival, click here.

Get To Know Your Fighters - Stuart Constable

For your edification we present to you "Get To Know Your Fighters" where you . . . get to know the fighters . . . from DUEL OF AGES. Because, as we all know, knowledge is power. As is the ability to kick ass.



Stuart Constable
Roles in DUEL OF AGES: King François I (Le Coup), King Henri III (Le Duel Des Mignons), Dancer (La Maupin), Bat Masterson (The Pen and the Gun), Crazy Ninja Death Squad (One)




How long have you been fighting. Uh . . . the fake kind of fighting?
10 years

What got you interested in Stage Combat?
I received my black belt in Tae Kwon Do at 17, but when I went off to college I couldn't find the time or money to take martial arts anymore. Stage combat was the perfect way for my to merge the two things I love: martial arts and theatre.

Tell us about a memorable fight moment you've had.
I was one of the Jets during a production of West Side Story and during the big knife fight Riff was to be disarmed and I was the lucky person who got to catch the blade (so it wouldn't shatter on the stage). Well, one day Riff got a little too excited and happened to, instead of lobbing it, launch it directly at my face. To the amazement of the other jets on stage I managed to catch the blade "buffy style", which would be, by the handle with the blade pointed at my face. Let's just say, I'll never forget that...I might have pooped a little

Favourite weapon (and why):
My hands and feet, because I'm always armed

Favourite Fight film/play:
My favorite action film is also my favorite Xmas movie. That's right boys and girls: Diehard!

Favourite famous fighter:
Bruce Lee. Also my favorite quote, "be like water"

Role you wish you could have played:
John McClane (Bruce Willis' character in Diehard)

Favourite drink that audience members should buy you after witnessing your awesome in Duel of Ages:
Anything alcoholic.

Get To Know Your Fighters - M. John Kennedy

For your edification we present to you "Get To Know Your Fighters" where you . . . get to know the fighters . . . from DUEL OF AGES. Because, as we all know, knowledge is power. As is the ability to kick ass.

M. John Kennedy
Writer "The Last Duel of Rob Roy"
Role in DUEL OF AGES: Matthews (The Pistoleers)



How long have you been fighting. Uh . . . the fake kind of fighting?
My Dad starting training me as a boxer when I was little kid and I started doing Karate when I started school. Since then I have studied Aikido, Jodo and a little Tai Kwon Do.

I started doing stage combat in earnest just before high school. I was going to an acting summer camp in Peterborough called InterAct (this was before debit machines). We had a week of play-acting which, for me, culminated in a "great battle" between myself and a friend. I cannot recall if it was choreographed but I remember it feeling safe (I have no idea if it looked good). So, I guess I have been doing it for about 20 years. However, I didn't start taking it seriously until university. Since then, I have been more actively pursuing training instead of just goofing around.

What got you interested in Stage Combat?
I was always into wrestling and play fighting and I always thought weapons were cool. I grew up in the country where it was natural to know how to safely handle a rifle or a sharp blade. At my cottage, we had this antique pneumatic player piano and on top of it (next to the shark jaw) was an old cavalry sabre. I used to love playing with that old sword pretending I was taking on invaders. As an adult and an artist I have new reasons for passion: the control I have to learn of my body and any extension of it (in the form of a weapon) is a glorious challenge. I find the creation of choreography a beautiful expression. Fighting a choreographed fight well is like learning to dance: once you know all the steps, and you have a good partner, it is a pure joy.

Tell us about a memorable fight moment you've had.
The best experiences for me are just like rehearsing any other scene. I can't really play until I know the text so well that the words are second nature; then I can just be present, breath, listen and fight. When I know the choreography so well that I am not thinking but in conversation in action, it is the same kind of transcendent experience; being both present and transformed.

Favourite weapon (and why):
I am a big fan of wooden weapons. I adore the Jo (Japanese fighting stick). It was designed and used as defense against the Shogunate in Japan. People who were not able to own swords defended themselves with these thick sticks. Any system that uses a piece of wood against a Katana (the most beautiful of blades) is bad ass. I like a weapon that is fast, can be used as a non-lethal deterrent and can be functional (ie damaging) with either end.

Favourite Fight film/play:
I love me some sweet Star Wars Lightsaber action. The fight at the end of The Phantom Menace is fun and flashy, but my favourite fight is still the original, Obi Wan versus Darth Vader.

The legendary sword fight in The Princess Bride was also wonderful to grow up watching. The classics never go out of style.

Favourite famous fighter:
I enjoy all of Tony Jaa's films but my favorite famous fighter is probably Sonny Chiba [especially in The Street Fighter (1974)].

Role you wish you could have played:
Obi Wan Kenobi. I also want to be a superhero (again).

Favourite drink that audience members should buy you after witnessing your awesome in Duel of Ages:
Anything Gluten & Dairy Free.

Anything else you'd like to plug:
Training. If you want to fight, get some training. It is fun, physical, intellectual, cool, nerdy and the people you meet are the best in the world.

Get To Know Your Fighters . . . er Directors . . . - Rosanna Saracino

For your edification we present to you "Get To Know Your Fighters" where you . . . get to know the fighters . . . and in this case directors . . .  from DUEL OF AGES. Because, as we all know, knowledge is power. As is the ability to kick ass.

Rosanna Saracino
Director "Two Swords"
Costume Design for DUEL OF AGES



How long have you been working with fighters?
As a director, I have often worked with Fight Directors, including Todd Campbell, Scott Moyle, and Simon Fon, in both my theatre and film projects. Simon's work can be seen in my short film "The Ring" (www.redhanded.ca).

What got you interested in Stage Combat? 

I am Italian, combat came with the territory - as did opera, homemade pasta, and an obsession with using red apples in every theatre/film piece I have ever directed. Two Swords marks my debut in apple-less directing.

Tell us about a memorable fight moment you've had. 

I trained with Simon Fon in stage combat when I was attending my Masters in Directing at York University. He was teaching the class Aikido rolls, and there was no way I thought flinging my head toward the ground was a good idea. Simon handed me a dagger, having noticed my interest in the weaponry and said, "now, do the roll". Given the weapon, I performed one of the finest Aikido rolls ever - to Simon's utter delight, or perhaps dismay...A love for combat was born!

Favourite weapon (and why): 

Well, perhaps daggers as a result of the previous story - but I do love a good broadsword!

Favourite Fight film/play: 

Duel of Ages!!!

Favourite famous fighter: 

I gotta support my boys so: Simon Fon, Mike Dufays, Olaf Sham, Scott Leaver. Special mention to Todd Campbell and Scott Moyle, because I love their work.

Role you wish you could have played: 

Am not an actor by nature, but have had a secret penchant to play Macbeth for decades. Not "Lady" Macbeth, Macbeth proper.

Favourite drink that audience members should buy you after witnessing your awesome in Duel of Ages: 

hot water, honey, touch of lemon

Other mentionables:

check out my website: www.redhanded.ca, and stay tuned for my upcoming production of The Penelopiad by Atwood.

And the reviews are just pouring in . . . 4 N's from NOW Magazine!

After giving DUEL OF AGES 4 N's in 2007 and letting everyone know that it "kicks major ass in the thrills department", I'm happy to report that NOW Magazine is still very much on the DUEL bandwagon. We got those 4 N's for a second time in a row and they add: "this show [is] an exciting mix of brains and brawn". So yeah. Just saying.... We rock:

DUEL OF AGES review, NOW Magazine

FOUR STARS - "True Edge Productions throws down the gauntlet… and wins!"

Excerpt from TheatroMania.ca's 4 star review of DUEL OF AGES:

"From European gentlemen, to Samurai warriors, gunslingers in the Wild West, actors on the Silver Screen and more, this production debunks some of the myths about dueling and demonstrates the difference between swordsmanship and swashbuckling. With impeccable skill and timing, the actors perform awe-inspiring fight scenes that kept us on the edge of our seats."

With a particular shoutout to Casey Hudecki as La Maupin:

"La Maupin is particularly memorable. . . All eyes were on her as she performed the role of Julie d’Aubigny, a 17th century swordswoman and opera singer with a wild reputation for her romantic dalliances with both men and women. . . The combination of stage combat, dance choreography and modern, edgy music is electrifying."

Click here to read the full review.

Rehearsal Pics - THE PISTOLEERS

THE PISTOLEERS
(Based on a true story)

Written by Mike McPhaden
Directed by Dean Gabourie

Dooley . . . . . . . . . . . .Todd Campbell
Matthews . . . . . . . . . .M. John Kennedy
Healey . . . . . . . . . . . . Matt Richardson
Roberts . . . . . . . . . . . Andrew MacMaster


This scene depicts the often farcical nature of 19th century pistol duelling through one of the last pistol duels in Canada which took place in Newfoundland in 1873.