In May
of 2002, Babes With Blades, and R&D Choreography's Fightshop
staged a live chess match entitled "COMBAT CHESS."
We created a set up for the Match that went like this:Prior
to the match, tension had been brewing in the Chicago stage
combat community for several months. The two largest stage
combat troupes in the city, Babes With Blades and R&D
Choreography's Fightshop, slid rapidly from friendly rivalry
to thinly veiled insults, and rumors of backstage trash-talk
abounded. No explanation was readily available for this
change in tone – no one could pinpoint any direct action
by any member of either troupe that was the root cause of
the bad blood. Like many feuds, its origins may be lost
completely, but the heat was definitely on as accusations
of unprofessionalism and slurs against the prowess and abilities
of each organization multiplied daily. The
conflict came to a head during a round-table discussion
on stage combat hosted by the Women's Theatre Alliance,
attended by Babes' founder Dawn 'Sam' Alden and R&D
founders David Gregory and Richard Gilbert. With increasingly
ugly mutterings and whisperings thickening in the room,
Alden decided to clear the air and the gauntlet was thrown
down – the Babes challenged the Fightshop to a public
demonstration of stage combat expertise to prove once and
for all who is the most proficient stage combat troupe in
town. Thus
the stage was set for Combat Chess - a live-action chess
match with each troupe providing actors to play the pieces
and a demonstration of stage combat acumen to mark each
capture on the board. Chicago critic Mary Shen Barnidge
jumped at the chance to oversee the proceedings as judge,
and she recruited prestigious local actor Kelly Van Kirk
to serve as a referee. Finally
the night arrived, and with the moral high ground on the
line and tempers barely held in check, the Babes With Blades
and R&D's Fightshop gathered to fight for honor and
reputation. (All
of the above is, of course, a set up and COMPLETELY UNTRUE.
We love the Fightshop crew and had a ball working with them!)
