Wednesday, October 27, 2021
Guns on stage are here to stay, some Chicago theater workers say
Chicago Sun-Times: Days after cinematographer Halyna Hutchins was killed and director Joel Souza was injured after actor Alec Baldwin fired a gun on the set of “Rust” during the filming of the movie in New Mexico, some Chicago theater workers say their procedures are safe and have no plans to stop using guns in stage productions here.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
8 comments:
I think this article is a fascinating study of the ways in which people react to a tragedy, especially one caused by a policy issue or a horrible mistake. Some people call for the abolition of whatever structure caused the tragedy, demanding that it be permanently struck from the record so that the tragedy never happens again. Others consider what would happen without whatever policy, what would be erased along with the threat, and try to create a safe solution that retains whatever benefits the policy had. The prop gun debate is the perfect example, eliminating them entirely would remove a very effective theatrical tool that raises the stakes like little else, but keeping the policies the same could lead to more accidents. There is also the point that prop guns in theater and film are very different, and it seems that theater makers don’t believe their policies need to change.
I find the prop gun debate very interesting and difficult to answer, as guns and gun safety are not easily maintained. This is especially evident after the events on the “Rust” production that led to Alc Baldwin shooting and killing Halyna Hutchins. I understand the sentiment and need to use real guns within film; a prop can truly never capture the feel and look of an actual gun. Especially with film close ups it is nearly impossible to recreate the look of a real gun, but I think that theater should be handled as a far different realm. Small gun details are really not very visible to audiences in theater and there is also a far greater risk that someone can be shot and killed within the audience. There are also tons of prop gun that are only capable of firing blanks and they cannot shoot actual bullets. That being said, I think that firstly real bullets have no place what so ever being on set, and if they are they should be stored in completely different facilities so that they are not mixed up. I hope that from now on production take firearm safety a lot more seriously, because tragedies like what happened to Halyna Hutchins should never happen.
This article does a good job of showing different ways to make blank firing guns safe, but it does not directly relate to this most recent incident. Even guns that fire blanks pose a very real danger in the theatrical industry. However, the gun that killed Hayla Hutchins was not a blank firing gun. Somehow, live ammunition was given to an actor on set, which is possible in a theater setting as well. Eliminating firing guns altogether would fix this problem, but if the correct steps are taken to ensure that tragic incidents such as this don’t happen, then blanks can be safely managed. This article clearly shows that caution is key. Overall, it’s more important that everyone from the producer to the prop handlers is adamant and consistently careful regarding what firearms are on set. If this level of caution can’t happen, then firearms absolutely cannot be used in a production.
It’s very interesting looking at the debate regarding guns and gun safety coming from a place where guns are illegal and thus, more of a fantasy and less of a reality. This article is a solid deep dive into the procedures and protocols regarding the use of guns and gun props on the stage. There is extensive rehearsal and a very heavy emphasis on proper training and safety--a certified violence designer comes in to teach the crew and choreograph, rehearsing with rubber guns that do not fire, wearing skin coloured ear plugs, and more. All of this may seem a tad extra, but even guns that fire blanks still pose danger. As Jim Guy, properties director at the Milwaukee Repertory Theater says, the goal is to reduce the margin of error as much as possible and these steps along the way ensure the safety of the cast, crew, and audience. The issues on the set of Rust largely stem from poor and irresponsible handling of guns and the mistreatment of crew. When it comes to working conditions and human life, safety precautions are of the utmost importance and must be carefully observed.
It's refreshing to read this article and see a dose of rationality injected into this debate. I think it's really important to note that the article mentions several times the specific instances in which an actual firearm could be used out of necessity - which is to say, almost never in modern films. What happened with Rust was a failure on many parts, and a complete disregard for procedure and safety.
Reading this though, I appreciate well known, reputable theaters coming out and stating their protocols for weapon usage. Any kind of stage violence should be, and usually always is, meticulously rehearsed, and there should always be professionals whose job it is to handle violence and firearms in a production. It's great to see these places saying "this is the protocol, this is how we've been doing it, this is how we'll keep doing it for the safety of everyone involved".
I think that this article is a really interesting look at the use of guns on stage in theatre. Even with the most recent incident on the film set of Rust, I do not think that we need to abolish guns that can fire blanks from theatre or film. This article brings up the good point of that it's all about safety and protocol, which we all know wasn't followed on the set of Rust. Yes, bringing a gun on stage of any sort is adding a new level of danger to that stage but it's the same with any weapon or simulated violence. As we've all heard "anything can be a weapon, it's just how you use it". I tend to stay away from shows that have a lot of gun violence but I do not think that the industry should get rid of them all together. Just like the article mentions, a lot of new works are coming out and talking about gun violence in a way that we all need to talk about it. We all just need to know when to speak up about something unsafe happening and leave if no one listens.
It is nice to read this article after having my Props Stagecraft session, where we talked briefly about the use of weaponry props, such as knives, dagger and guns. The article talks about the differences in theatre and TV/film being that real guns or even blank guns are rarely used. Although this is reassuring, Guy still talks about the potential harm that is present in any sorts of weaponry, no matter how ‘fake’. And despite all the training with professionals (e.g. fight choreographer, violence designer etc.) and protocols, there’s still a “margin of error” that can never truly be 0. I remember learning about daggers in Props, where we were shown the dagger that was used to kill Richard in Power Trip, and talking about blunting the dagger. We were told that a real dagger was used and then blunted around all edges and tips. The dagger, after blunted, was tested on ourselves as we slid the blade across our arms. Of course, it caused no harm at all (not even a red mark), it did not mean that the dagger is harmless. Because quite frankly, any object, when applied with enough force, can be very powerful and damaging, whether to another object or person. And this really shows me how we can never treat props too carefully.
Guns in any environment are an immediate danger to everyone involved, this is undeniable. Industries’ reactions to this tragedy are different from who you speak to. Theatre’s immediate defensive reaction shows how people want to believe they are safe and they rationalize why tragedy could never occur in their safe spaces. I think that firearms in theatrical context should be even more regulated than on film sets, and I think film sets should be VERY stringent in their firearm policy. I hope that theatres reconsider their firearms policies regardless of their beliefs on how safe their own productions are. The idea that a firearm could discharge in a theatre is deeply terrifying considering the density of people in spaces (audience, deck crew, ensemble, etc). I really think that theatres should consider not having functional firearms as props at all considering the suspension of disbelief in the theatre already. It should really be considered.
Post a Comment