Stage Combat and Sausage Tests

The other day at the boutique where I work, my boss came by as I was reading the rehearsal report from the previous evening. She noticed on Tuesday's schedule that there would be a sausage test and a water throwing test and asked me what that meant. I told her that they were planning to do bits with those objects in the show and had to figure out/practice the most effective way of making them happen. The actors, Melia, stage management and possibly even the designers had to take time to figure out what method cleans up the most easily, what is the safest for the actors and the audience, and what looks the most real. To illustrate the point, I told her about a rehearsal where I watched Robert Najarian, the violence designer, teach Sarah (Kate) how to look like she was kicking Ben (Petruchio) without hurting him. Quite bit of time was spent showing Sarah where to safely place her foot, having her practice bending her knee mid-kick which made it look crueler but was actually safer. During my rather animated descriptions (including a demonstration), a co-worker of mine began laughing. "You have the coolest, weirdest job ever," she told me.

Katie Rasor
Dramaturg