Locked and Loaded

Stage Firearm Safety Tips

by Staff Writers    Posted 05/23/2008

Someone being shot and killed or injured on stage is tragic. Even more so if it's not in the script. How you manage the safety of a firearm on stage determines whether the tragedy is real or imagined. Although that may seem like a grim beginning to this article, this point must be stressed. Many firearms used in theatre are modified or replicas but are still dangerous. Guns, even replicas, can kill someone, so extreme care must be taken. You should always consult an expert in firearms or firearms stage combat. Also, it is necessary to consult with the theater in which performances will occur. Theaters often have specific policies about firearms: if they are allowed, what types may be used, how they can be used, and what, if any, issues there may be with insurance.

Now that you have read the "disclaimer", here are a few common safety tips when dealing with firearms in a theater:

Safety First
Unless there is an extremely good reason to use a real firearm, replicas and modified firearms are readily available, cheaper, and much safer. Most can still fire blanks but have the barrel plugged and are usually impossible to maliciously convert into firing real ammo. These modified or replica firearms are still dangerous and still require the same care. Should you need to use a real firearm for any reason, the safety on the firearm should remain on at all times.

The Gun Man
This may sound like a dangerous character from an old western. The truth is that the gun man, or firearms guardian, is there to protect everyone involved. This is the one person - usually an assistant stage or production manager - designated to be responsible for safeguarding and overseeing the firearms at all times. This should always be the same person every day so none of the procedures surrounding the firearms change.

Lock It Up
The firearms should be kept in a locked box that is fully secure and there should only be one or two keys given to the stage manager and the firearm guardian. This is where the firearms should remain at all times except when in rehearsal, actually being used on stage, or, if necessary, being loaded with blanks. The box should always be locked.

Rehearse Twice, Fire Once
Make sure all of your actors are appropriately trained in the use of the firearm they will be working with. This includes all the actors onstage in the scene, not just the person holding the weapon. Again, hire an expert. Rehearse the sequences with the gun in slow motion at first. Be sure everyone feels safe and comfortable with any combat choreography and with the actual firearm. Then increase the speed until the sequence can be run at full speed.

To the Point
Never, ever point a firearm at the audience. First, it is terrible for an audience, especially because members may lose their cool. Remember, you are creating a reality to which they are suspending their disbelief; they may assume the gun is real. Second, many modified or replica firearms have a red dot at the end which can be confusing when shown to the audience. Third, many theaters have policies, and in some places laws prohibiting, pointing a stage firearm at the audience. Never, ever point the firearm at anyone on stage if it can be avoided. If you can, point the firearm past the other person into a corridor of safety, a pre-blocked path in which no one will be standing, not even crew. This will make everyone feel safer and is safer should something go wrong. The safety corridor should be clearly marked with a unique spike so that everyone is clear on where not to be when the sequence is about to start.

Locked and Loaded
The firearms should be loaded prior to the show with the actors and firearm guardian present. When everyone is present, the guns should be removed from the lock box, loaded, verified by everyone present, and then replaced and locked in the box until the guns are about to be used on stage. Immediately following the sequence involving the firearms, they should be returned to the lock box.

Stop Signal
Choose an unambiguous signal that everyone understands. This is the signal for the contingency plan. Have a contingency plan. If anything appears to be going wrong, something seems not right with the firearm, etc. have a way out. Have alternate lines and blocking rehearsed that negotiates the firearm safely off stage. It is better that the play is changed than someone is seriously injured.

Following these common safety tips will give your production a head start on firearms safety. Always be as safe as possible. While firearms are a part of theatre, it is best if their effects stay in the play world, so your actors can return for their curtain call.

Staff Writers

Theatre-Inc - See this Business's Listing

The staff writers of Theatre-Inc are comprised of former and current Theatre professionals who work with the company and write regularly as well as other professionals within the company with experience to lend to the Theatre World. Many of the staff writers have worked in multiple disciplines in theatre, ranging from directing, producing, design, acting, stage management and general management. These unique perspectives provide them with a depth of experience to address issues that often frustrate theatre professionals. But, sometimes we just like to share fun experiences and things that we ourselves find humorous, frustrating, or just outrageous.