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Permalink Reply by Brian Dettling on November 9, 2015 at 10:33pm

You are on the right track, Bryan. All of those are excellent protocol, and more importantly ingrain good habits in your students. The only suggestion that I might offer is to stress safe gun handling with the students - even though it's a prop it should never be pointed directly at another human being (cheat slightly upstage of the other actor); finger off the trigger until the action calls for it; try not to 'sweep' other actors (where the actor moves the gun across the plain of other actors usually from changing positions - best to attempt to point at the floor while in motion); never point at the audience (at least not intentionally), and so forth.

One of the things we are trying to do when we teach is to show the student how to watch out for themselves and to recognize a bad situation that they may encounter "out in the world"- like being asked on another stage production or on a film project to do something that they'll know is unsafe- they can at least weigh their options from a base of knowledge.

You might also try a 'blank-firing' workshop to have a way to explore that aspect in a focused and undistracted manner. Again, stressing safe handling, knowledge of minimum separation distances for safety, hearing protection, and so on. At least you'd be able to judge better if the students could handle incorporating a blank-firing prop gun into an actual production.

Best wishes and thank you for being so conscientious- at the bottom of all accidents is complacency or ignorance.

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Permalink Reply by Erich Friend on November 9, 2015 at 11:29pm

First and foremost, have a meeting with your administration, security staff, and local law enforcement to get their take on this. Be willing to do just about anything they request, yet explain repeatedly to them that this will all be taking-place on a stage under controlled circumstances - they have to understand it is theatre.

Do not bring any props to the meetings. Bring pictures. They are easier to carry, and a lot safer. If they give you a preliminary approval, then make arrangements with them as to the best procedure for bring the props onto the campus. Have a secure weapons locker prepared before you arrive, so they can be immediately be stored. When the administration, security staff, and local law enforcement arrive onstage for your follow-up meeting, wait until everyone is there, then explain the scenes that will involve the props (never call them guns, weapons, or firearms). Once they understand the application and are comfortable being onstage with the lights and actors, you can then lead them to your prop storage locker (weapons locker) and let them see you unlock it and retrieve the props. You might stock the locker with some other fake hatchets, swords, and knives so they can see that these are commonplace props.

Place the props on a well-lit table for them to inspect. Reinforce that none of them are loaded nor can they be configured to actually fire any projectiles. Once they are satisfied with what they see, have your actors run the scene(s) like a technical rehearsal. Explain any special blocking if there is any (you will probably need to explain 'blocking' to them, too).

Listen to their comments and assure them that you will try to incorporate all of their requests. If there is something they ask for that is going to spoil the illusion (i.e. a pink gun), go back and explain the 'illusion' of theatre and see if they won't come around to your perspective on it.

Have a written prop handling policy already drafted for their review. Address the procedures for the stage crew and actors to transfer the props to / from the prop storage locker.

Give all of them pairs of complementary tickets to the show before they leave.

Follow-up with a written memo that addresses all the points discussed and thank them again for their time and cooperation.

You mentioned the use of blanks was considered at one point. It was a good decision to delete this from the show. Blanks have been the cause of too many accidents and deaths in the theatre, and the use of real guns with blank cartridges should never be considered. The consequences can be tragic. See: http://www.theatreface.com/profiles/blogs/three-for-the-price-of-one

For realistic looking but harmless gun props, look at non-shooting (neutered) Airsoft guns. They have just about every make and model you can imagine, and they are relatively inexpensive. Note that non-shooting/ non-firing Airsoft guns are special - most Airsoft guns can fire plastic pellets.

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Permalink Reply by Shan Ayers on November 10, 2015 at 7:44am

We have a separate, locked cabinet for all of our functioning weapons; blank firing firearms and combat ready swords. There are three keys to said cabinets so not everyone can access those props. Non-functioning firearms are, currently, stored in the locked props area but in unlocked cabinets. Given the current climate, it may be necessary to begin locking those away as well. All ammunition is stored away from the prop firearms in a faculty office.

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Permalink Reply by Bryan on November 10, 2015 at 9:13am

I did forget to mention that I do have a safety tech meeting with the kids and teach them about gun safety. I also always tell them the only time you aim a gun at anyone is if you are going to kill them even if it is a prop gun.

Update: After a few meetings, we decided at our school that we will no longer keep anything which looks realistic in any way in our prop storage and after any production which needs one, we destroy it immediately after the last performance. We also start making them have a orange tip as an added precautionary measure.

Thank you everyone for your help on this.

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