Boston Lightsaber Stage Combat Club

11 March 2020: Due to COVID-19, Boston Lightsaber Stage Combat Club is going on hiatus until further notice. We apologize to the groups we already had show and workshop committments with, but flattening the curve of infections early during a pandemic is important, and we cannot in good faith continue club operations at this time. Please follow our Facebook page for an announcement of the resumption of club operations.

What do we do?

Boston Lightsaber Stage Combat Club is... wait for it... a Boston-based lightsaber stage combat club. We are looking to get Star Wars fans together to create and practice with lightsaber props to create visually engaging stage combat for audiences, whether that's 3 people in a hallway, a stage in front of a room full of people, or an outing on Boston Common.

Practices

We start with drills to practice fundamentals. Nothing like constant repetition to build a good foundation!

From there, we split into small groups. In the early weeks of a rehearsal schedule, we're working on developing new choreography - either coming up with a brand new sequence, or extending an older sequence with more material.

In the later weeks, we are focusing on mastery: not just merely memorizing the choreography, but learning it cold. Being able to move fluidly with your partner takes a lot of practice! This is where the earlier drills on fundamentals really pays off. The last 2-3 weeks are dedicated to show run-throughs.

What about Cosplay or RP?

We are not a cosplay group, although some of our members do SW cosplay. Likewise, we are not a roleplaying group, although some of our members do SW RP.

We are not affiliated with Lucasfilm in any way, although we are encouraging our members to create a costume and apply for membership in one of the Lucasfilm-recognized groups: the 501st Legion (as a specific Sith Lord), the Rebel Legion (both specific and generic Jedi), or The Dark Empire (as a generic Sith).

Workshops

We have Beginners' Nights before we start a new rehearsal schedule. For details on when those will be scheduled, please follow our Facebook or join our Meetup group. These workshops are typically on a Thursday night in Cambridge, from 7:30-9:00pm, and are free.

In addition, for the past few years, we've run a workshop at the Arisia Science Fiction & Fantasy Convention where we teach the basics of what we do, with an emphasis on going slowly and being safe.

About

Core Principles

Safety

Safety is paramount at BLSCC. You are responsible for your own safety and your partner's safety at all times.

Inclusiveness

BLSCC welcomes all fans. We will not tolerate any harassment: reports of harassment will be promptly investigated, and violators will be disinvited from returning. Our full anti-harassment policy is online as is our Charter.

Sharing

Come to learn, come to teach! Everyone has something to contribute. If you know experience with stage combat, dance (of any form), or any martial art, your knowledge is definitely applicable. Even if your only experience is "I've watched the Star Wars films", that's still valuable, and we'll want your opinion.

Likewise, no one here is the be-all and end-all master of lightsaber stage combat. Everyone needs to be open to learning from other people.

History

Jan 2020

Arisia Show & Workshop

Our newest show, Jedi High School, made its debut at Arisia, with a beginners' workshop immediately following.
Aug 2019

Summer in the City

We performed Inconceivable! A Princess Bride Story at Cambridge's Summer in the City showing of Empire Strikes Back.
May 2019

May 4 Show

We debuted Inconceivable! A Princess Bride Story at Somerville Library and the Public Library of Brookline.
Jan 2019

Arisia Show & Workshop

Once again, we had a small show and then hosted a novice's primer for convention participants.
Oct 2018

Halloween Show

Sith ghosts? In the Jedi temple? Zoinks! Intrepid Jedi adventurers explore an ancient abandoned temple, and it mostly goes okay.
Aug 2018

Boston Comic Con

For our debut outing, we performed scenes in progress outside of Boston Comic Con / Boston Fan Expo.
April 2018

Split off from Boston Jedi

To accommodate different levels of how much time & energy people wanted to commit to each week, BLSCC split off from Boston Jedi.
July 10, 2014

Boston Jedi founded

Dave and Meg started the club, practicing in Ten Hills Park in Somerville, MA. Later, Boston Jedi moved its practices to MIT in Cambridge.

Join Us

How do I Join BLSCC?

Beginners' Nights are held the first 2 weeks of a rehearsal schedule. Check out our Facebook or Meetup for upcoming Beginners' Nights, which will always be on a Thursday night, from 7:30-9:00pm, at MIT.

For a Beginners' Night, all you need to do is just show up! Dress comfortably; layers is recommended, as you may get warm as we move around. We will have loaner sabers, as we do not expect new members to have their own stunt saber.

There is no committment in coming to a Beginners' Night. Hopefully you'll want to join us for a performance, though! We plan on accommodating all beginners for a performance: you'll be given a small role appropriate for a beginner. You will only need to come to Thursday practices to be ready for the performance.

While we're here to have fun, BLSCC rehearsals are for serious practice. As some members have limited time, we must make the best use of the 90 minutes of rehearsal, which requires everyone to be both focusing and working hard during rehearsal. People interested in a more relaxed group should instead consider joining Boston Star Wars Fans on Facebook.