Arizona Actor Accidentally Stabbed

[josh88]

For any real fighting I'd use steel but I've got blunted daggers designed for that purpose. When there's no blade to blade contact (like the scenario in this instance) I agree on rubber. I've got an array of rubber and plastic knives that are completely safe and have varying levels of bendy-ness for whatever we need to do with it. Almost every type of knife has an equivalent training weapon that looks just like it. Spray the blade silver, if you need to, paint the grip or wrap it with something. But even close up they're passable.

 

[gafftaper]

I treat stuff like this with the "my kid rule" the same as with rigging. If I wouldn't trust my 3-year-old with a real knife, I'm not trusting an actor on stage with a real knife.

That's a really good way of thinking about it. My rule is always would I allow my son to stand under it, on it, use the prop, etc. If there's any doubt, then I don't do it.

 

[seanandkate]

So for those reading this asking, what could they have done to make this safe. There are two options I go with. Others, Please add your ideas for how to safely have a knife on stage below.

One: The safest and prefered option. Use a prop rubber knife. There are many options for rubber knifes all over the Internet. Amazon has multiple options starting about $5. You can paint them to look more realistic. Depending on how far away the audience is from the stage, a rubber knife may not look realistic, however if you are doing any sort of actual assult (stabbing, slashing, etc) then a rubber knife should really be your only option.

Two: If no one is going to be stabbed or slashed with the knife, and if the audience is close enough to tell your prop knife is rubber, then a real knife may be needed. However you should NEVER put a sharpened real knife on stage. As far as I'm concerned taping the blade is not acceptable either. I head to the local thrift store and buy the knife I want for dirt cheap. Then I take the knife to the shop and grind it down. Dull the entire blade, nice an blunt, removing the entire edge. Do not leave a pointed tip either, round it off. Grind it down until you can safely slice it back and forth across your hand. Even with a carefully dulled down blade, you should NEVER use this knife to do any sort of a physical attack on an actor. Safety first, the look of the show second.

I would add that hiring a fight director (or somebody, anybody, trained) would have showed the actors how to use the knife safely. As with most accidents, this was entirely preventable.

 

[gafftapegreenia]

You'd be hard pressed to break skin with these. They are very blunt, light plastic things. Possibly bruise, but I'd think that'd be possible with bad choreography and a rubber knife alone.

Perhaps, and it probably would take a lot of effort to break skin, but I've know actors who've made a fuss out of much much less than a bruise. For some performers, a bruise is probably enough to send the understudy in. Where I work, the production management team, let alone the actor themselves and Equity, would NOT be happy if a prop like that malfunctioned. Of course we'd have a fight director and everything, but its still a risk we cannot take.

 

[StradivariusBone]

Perhaps, and it probably would take a lot of effort to break skin, but I've know actors who've made a fuss out of much much less than a bruise. For some performers, a bruise is probably enough to send the understudy in. Where I work, the production management team, let alone the actor themselves and Equity, would NOT be happy if a prop like that malfunctioned. Of course we'd have a fight director and everything, but its still a risk we cannot take.

Fair enough. I deal with high school kids, and we do have the occasional prima donna who'd make a fuss, but most of the kids would shrug something like that off. Not to sound callous, but I have a hard time finding sympathy for an adult who can't deal with a minor bruise. Obviously if there is negligence or a broken prop that needs to be addressed, but I have no patience for people who make mountains out of molehills. In our situation the actor was not moving fast enough to actually cause any sort of contusion. If they had we would have corrected it to ensure that the "stab-ee" would've remained unharmed.

With the knives we use the only way it would malfunction is if you jammed something in there. The spring is not stiff in any way and there's nothing to catch on as they slide inside a rail and we tested them pretty extensively before we did the gag, but I definitely can see with a metal or pointy plastic blade it would be a greater risk. I still stand by my 3-year-old rule and he has fiddled with these before.

I think the best insurance, as has been stated, is getting someone who knows how to create these illusions training the talent to not kill or harm each other.

 

[What Rigger?]

So for those reading this asking, what could they have done to make this safe. There are two options I go with. Others, Please add your ideas for how to safely have a knife on stage below.

One: The safest and prefered option. Use a prop rubber knife. There are many options for rubber knifes all over the Internet. Amazon has multiple options starting about $5. You can paint them to look more realistic. Depending on how far away the audience is from the stage, a rubber knife may not look realistic, however if you are doing any sort of actual assult (stabbing, slashing, etc) then a rubber knife should really be your only option.

Two: If no one is going to be stabbed or slashed with the knife, and if the audience is close enough to tell your prop knife is rubber, then a real knife may be needed. However you should NEVER put a sharpened real knife on stage. As far as I'm concerned taping the blade is not acceptable either. I head to the local thrift store and buy the knife I want for dirt cheap. Then I take the knife to the shop and grind it down. Dull the entire blade, nice an blunt, removing the entire edge. Do not leave a pointed tip either, round it off. Grind it down until you can safely slice it back and forth across your hand. Even with a carefully dulled down blade, you should NEVER use this knife to do any sort of a physical attack on an actor. Safety first, the look of the show second.

Everything he said, +1!