European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 13, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Ttys a kick in the face for pfc. Eric Wood from William Hauserman during a Laason on stage fighting. Playing at violence actors learn to inflict pain the harmless Way by Deedee Arrington Doke assistant City editor blam Post Biff Eric Wood s attacker stepped in for the kill. After dragging Wood by his hair to the Center of the floor the assailant savagely pounded Wood s head to the ground. Kicks to the stomach and head finished the Young Soldier. Well not quite. Wood got up grinning and in perfect health. Quot let s try it a Little faster a suggested Woods Quot assailant Quot William Hauserman. Quot use your reactions to get into position to set up for the next thing. Then it will All How smoothly and look  Hauserman offered one More tip before the next round. Quot Between moves a he said Quot really play up the pain. Pantomime like you Don t know what a coming  but the big secret of a stage fight is that All the combatants know exactly what s coming next. If they Don to someone is going to get Hurt for real. And although realism is usually one goal of a stage play achieving the reality of a ripped lip or broken hand goes far beyond the thespian s Call of duty. Hauserman the Hanau Germany entertainment director is the reigning expert in army Heaters in Europe on stage fighting. He was teaching fisticuffs a or hand to hand fighting a at the one act play festival at Fliege Horst Cavern in Hanau. In years past he has offered instruction in Quarter staff and sword fighting. Theater goers in Germany May have seen the stage fights he choreographed for productions of bullshit Drummond and Les liaisons danger uses. Holder of a master s degree from the University of Minnesota Hauserman is mostly self taught in the skills of stage combat but his theatrical studies included stage fighting at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. Quot overcoming fear Quot a of either getting Hurt or hurting someone else a is the biggest Challenge most would be combatants face in preparing to do Battle in front of an audience Hauserman says. But the Basic Tenet of creating a successful stage fight is safety first. Quot recognize that the person you re fighting with is your partner not your opponent Quot Hauserman advises. Quot maintain Eye  keeping an Aye on those of a partner he adds will quickly teach an actor to recognize the telegraphed panic of Quot of my god what s next it s hard to finish the scene if your partner s  among the other rules of stage fighting Are keeping one s fists or feet Loose to avoid injury to the partner while managing to look tense or tightly coiled and also choreographing the actors moves so that Eric Wood Rayala from a nearly landed punch by instructor William Haua Arman who Showa the actor How to put More sock in their fights. The audience misses the machinations behind the magic. For instance a fight should be choreographed so that the person getting punched generally has his or her Back to the audience. One exception to the Quot never let them see both actors profiles Quot Rule looks vicious from any Angle. That s the head to the ground pounding Wood had borne bravely in his mock Battle to the death with Hauserman. But in reality the victim drives the action on this move shaking his head toward the floor As the perpetrator lightly holds on to the victim s head. The victim then pushes off the ground quickly with his hands Rhode full quicker than the audience can spot to simulate a Sharp violent slam and Bounce. Meanwhile the perpetrator Quot just goes along for the ride Quot Hauserman says of this move Quot you Don t do anything when you re the  Roundhouse punches to the jaw fierce blows to the stomach and seemingly lethal knee kicks to the Groin Are among Hauserman s repertoire of Nasty body blows that can be dusted off and honed Lor a show that needs some violence gratuitous or not. Various types of Falls As Well As Severa different ways of concocting the harsh slap of bodily Contact also must be Learned to further the semblance of. Reality. And us victims can to forget to say Quot roof Quot when they get Quot hit Quot Eric Wood a private first class assigned to the 48th Maint co in Wil Flecken says he Quot enjoyed immensely his first exposure to the ground rules of stage fighting. He adds that the theater group he belongs to could have benefited from some stage fighting training for a recent production. The play called for a character to get hit Quot and he took a couple of hard ones Quot Wood says wincing at the memory. Quot i could hear them  one class in to however enough to create a stage fighting expert out of an Amateur. As Hauserman emphasizes Quot it s not something you can just go out and teach somebody without someone getting  actors Swap ideas backstage stories at theater fest by Deedee Arrington Doke assistant City editor people who go to the theater on a Friday or saturday night to be entertained Don t get what army sgt. Rob Moore of Hanau. Germany Calls Quot the whole feeling Quot of what it takes to put on a play. A but come to one of these Quot the aviation worker said of the 1992 one act play festival Quot and you get More of a feeling of what it s really like. You share the fun the  describing the annual showcase of Short dramatic productions As merely a play fest does t reveal the whole scenario. It s More like a mini summer Camp where participants learn a Little show off some and eat sleep and breathe an often All consuming interest. Plus they can share backstage War stories with soulmates who completely understand about the leading Man who would t learn his lines the first time director who did t know anything and the set that fell Down around the cast s ears on opening night. Hanau hosted the 1992 festival at Fliege Horst Cavern late last month. Workshops in improvisation directing stage fighting lighting and character analysis were offered As Well As a full menu of plays from military communities in Germany including bad Kreuz Nach Hanau. Numberg Stuttgart and Wil Flecken. Not a bad Deal for communities that each paid a $50 fee for an unlimited number of their local thespians to attend. The 1992 event Drew about 50 people noticeably fewer than last year s fest at Nurnberg. The lower attendance according to festival veterans reflected the stepped up withdrawal of forces from Europe and the fewer number of army Community Heaters in business. Instructor Mort Clark Calls workshops a Quot brain Exchange Quot unlike in the annual tournament of plays which focuses on full length productions logistics pose More of an Issue for participants. A show Complete with cast Crew and set must be packed and transported to another location. The tournament on the other hand brings the judges to each Community theater. Quot a lot of times a Community does no to even have a one act in its season Quot said William Hauserman Hanau s entertainment director. Quot so doing a one act is like doing a whole extra  but the Prospect of smaller theater programs and a return to the Quot lets put a show on in the barn Quot thinking that s driving stage productions in some communities did no to diminish the enthusiasm of those who showed up. A i want to put bad Kreuz Nach Back on the map and be known As getting Back in the theater business and we want to work with other groups Quot said Bob Caulfield a Resene officers training corps adviser at bad Kreuz Nach High school. Caulfield one of two bad Kreuz Nach s Bridgehouse players who attended performed the one Man play the old jewel the lest. Mort Clark a guest instructor from the United states who led the improvisation sessions revels in the Quot brain Exchange he said results at theater festivals and workshops. Quot we re fertilize each other a said Clark a faculty member of Westchester Community College part of the state University of new York and a Board member of the american association of Community theatres. Encouragement from Peers and experts is a valuable offshoot of the experience Clark   Job moors imitates a keyboard for Marla Janaan who plays the part of a piano student joining the fun from left David Mcquown Turner Gleela Hauserman Mort Clark and Joseph Ford. Some people Are Good and Don t know it Quot Clark said. Although the festival did t involve a contest per be Competition can be a plus he said As part of Quot anything we can do to get better  first sgt. De Johnson a Volunteer from Friedberg with Giessen s Keller theatre went to the festival to Quot get some pointers Quot on opening up. He spent the sunday afternoon improvising scenes As a lovelorn Windshield wiper and a Cranky child who would t get into his pyjamas for sleep. Can let Loose a Johnson said noting that some soldiers he knows claim they d spend most of their off duty time in bars if it Wasny to for the theater. For others the weekend was Lime spent pursuing nothing less than a passion. Quot we do this not just because it s a Hobby a said Maria Jensen of Giessen who teaches theater and speech for the University of Maryland. Quot it s a Way of life. Our sanity break even though we re masochists at heart a Bob Caulfield emote during the one men play Quot the old jew Quot. A amps photos by Dove Casey Page 14 the stars and stripes monday. April 13, 1992 the stars and stripes Page 15