Episode #21: Swords of Shakespeare | An interview with Joseph David Martinez

When we see a Shakespeare play, we take for granted just how much work, and history, goes into staging the fight scenes. Whether it’s Hamlet and Laertes dueling it out, or the legions of armies storming the stage in the Battle of Agincourt, the fights that Shakespeare put on stage are the secret sauce that helps seal the deal on Shakespeare’s plays. Our guide this week into the real life of William Shakespeare is Joseph David Martinez. Joseph is a founding member and past president of the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD). He has trained actors and Shakespeareans all over the world, with numerous books and publications on the swords of Shakespeare to his credit. He joins us today to discuss fight scenes in Shakespeare's plays, and just what the history of stage directions can tell us about William Shakespeare.