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He’s friendly and personable, so it’s hard to imagine Ian Rose is the combative type. But he can skillfully wield a sword and point a gun. In the basement of his Pennsport home a giant rack holds daggers, rapiers, samurai swords and much more.
All are blunt weapons used theatrically for stage combat and all are essential to Rose’s unusual career – stage combat specialist. When a scene calls for a fight, whether with modern guns or medieval weapons, Rose often comes in as the fight director. Directing such scenes requires a specialized knowledge and Rose is certified for the job by the Society of American Fight Directors and Fight Directors Canada. He also teaches courses in stage combat and is a certified fight instructor. As an actor, he can handle any fight scene from dueling sword action to holding a gun in a menacing way.
"The challenge is to make it look dangerous while keeping it absolutely safe," Rose said.
One recent challenge was a play involving pistols.
"Gun work is always problematic because you can’t make a mistake," said Rose, who served as fight director. "Even though they’re blanks, you can be severely injured if a gun is not held and used safely."
The script of that play, "Perfection Unspeakable" by Caliban Productions, included several gunfights and the actors needed careful coaching. Rose began by reviewing the basic safety rules. For instance, he emphasized the actors should not point the pistol at anyone, but instead point it upstage or downstage – just make it look otherwise. This is because, even though these are stage weapons, no live rounds can be fired as they can still cause harm if aimed directly.
"When a blank goes off, a powder residue is released that can do serious harm," Rose said.
Another challenge with gun scenes is teaching actors how to fall safely if their character is injured or killed. In "Perfection Unspeakable," a character is killed, then drops to the ground. Rose did the coaching.
"The key is not to go straight down but to squat and go down sideways," he said. "In that way, the actor is moving along the ground."
In contrast to pistol work, the fight scenes in Shakespeare’s plays involve high drama with swords. Rose is often fight director for these productions. For instance, he worked with actors in the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival’s current production of "Romeo and Romeo," which is being performed in area schools. The play has four major fight scenes and the actors use a variety of l6th- and l7th-century weapons, including the rapier, a long, thin-bladed sword. Moreover, the scenes are intensely dramatic. In the opening fight, seven actors clash at once with rapiers and daggers. Then there are two dueling scenes and, in each, a character is killed.
To master these moments, the actors needed three weeks of intensive training. Adding more drama to Rose’s role, actor David Hardie broke his hand just before rehearsals. Being right handed, Hardie had to learn how to hold and wield a sword with his left.
"And he did a great job," Rose said.
But no matter how carefully actors are coached, once performances begin, there’s always the chance for the unexpected.
"Until a play closes, I always keep my fingers crossed," Rose said.
Rose knows firsthand things can go wrong during a fight scene, even for the most skilled actors. Several years ago Rose was performing in Shakespeare’s "Richard III," which was presented by the Riverside Shakespeare Company in New York. His character, Richmond, engaged in a fight with Richard, who was played by seasoned film and stage actor Austin Pendelton.
"He did one move wrong and I quickly got out of the way," Rose said, "but the dagger still hit me on the eyelid. I was very lucky and came off the stage with just a scratch."
That episode was just a reminder – not that he needed one – that even blunt weapons can cause damage. Almost always, though, whatever looks dangerous on stage is anything but.
"Our scenes are the result of many hours of work with the actors to ensure the moves are safe," Rose said.
ROSE’S KEEN INTEREST in stage combat began when he was a student at Western Illinois University and, just for fun, he signed up for a course in fencing. Even before college, he’d been intrigued by acting; the fencing course just gave him a new focus. His interest >was further sparked when he attended the first workshop of the Society of American Fight Directors, which was held at his college.
"I fell in love with stage combat and never looked back," he said.
At 46, he’s had more than 20 years experience in his chosen career. After college, he lived in New York, working as an actor and studying stage combat. Soon he was staging fight scenes for off-Broadway plays and other theaters, as well as for films and commercials. When his work expanded to Philadelphia theaters, he decided to move. He’s been busy ever since. The area’s Shakespeare festivals keep him especially active. He also passes on his craft to aspiring actors. As an adjunct professor, he teaches stage combat at the State University of New York at Purchase, driving there once a week for two courses. He also teaches stage combat at Arcadia University, where he created the Stage Combat Boot Camp.
"It’s a small, intensive workshop that centers on three weapons and helps prepare actors for their roles and for certification," he said.
Whether he’s demonstrating a sword fight for his students or acting on stage himself, his specialty requires impressive agility. Trim and fit, Rose keeps in shape by taking karate classes at the Martial Arts Lifestyle Center, 11th and Washington, and also trains at home four times a week.
He’s not the only theater professional in the family. His wife, Cynthia Janzen Rose, is an actress. One of her gigs for is Historic Philadelphia playing Betsy Ross.
She, too, can handle weapons. May through October the couple performs a comic skit called "Joke and Dagger" outside the Betsy Ross House that involves several scenes of swordplay.
At home, their basement is virtually an arsenal. Rose estimates he owns more than 200 stage weapons, which he uses for coaching, his own performances or to rent to theater companies. He also has a small workshop for building and repairing weapons.
Stage combat is a specialty that keeps him continually challenged.
"I love the excitement and challenge of mastering a difficult skill," he said. "And I love it when an actor does a move well and the audience just gasps. Good fights are very dramatic and exciting and they add a lot to any production."
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For more information on Rose, visit www.ianrosefights.com.
