Have you ever wondered if that prop sword used in the heroic fighting scene of a play is real? Artist Jon Reeves of Kalamazoo has created countless steel props for plays over his 40 years in theater production.
It’s 3,200 degrees at the center of a scorching fire as Jon Reeves is turning the color of a black steel rod to a hot bright orange. He’s bending it into a decorative lawn ornament in the shape of a snake. At his studio in the Park Trades Center called Combat Ready Art he makes art out of steel, copper, and brass.
But that’s just a small part of what Reeves can do. He also makes props and sets for plays. He also helps with the lighting, sound, and sometimes makeup. Reeves has been working in theater since high school and got his degree in technical design and production for theater arts.
“I’ve lost track of how many shows, I mean thousands at this point. And, that’s all I’ve done is theater and art for 40 years,” Reeves says.
Right now, Reeves primarily works at his studio and at Kalamazoo College’s theater department. For his theater productions he creates most if not all parts of the set and props. Reeves says those props are created with the stage in mind, so they’re different from his other work.
“The stage combat weapons, I started making because I didn’t trust other people’s weapons, because I didn’t know how they were made, you know, unless you take it apart you don’t know what’s inside it and the last thing you want is a weapon to break on stage," Reeves says.
"So, I make my weapons a very specific way out of one piece of steel that’s hot rolled and designed to take an impact and not shatter so that it’s the safest a weapon can be for a performer.”
Reeves also teaches stage combat at K-College. He adapts the steel work to whatever look and image the play may need to have.
“For example in the fall we’re doing Rocky Horror, which, you know, is the Broadway play that launched the cult movie that’s now become a popular Broadway play again, kind of a weird thing," Reeves says.
"And because it has futuristic and science fiction elements and space elements and extraterrestrials, I mean it’s pretty much everything you can imagine, it’s going to be a very shiny, industrial looking set.”
Reeves says that a full broad sword takes about three hours to make, while a decorative steel rose takes about 15 minutes. Reeves says he loves the teamwork in theater production and the intensity that theater deadlines can put on his work.
"It's about the collaboration. You have a group of people, in a room, with a common goal, and theater, unlike a lot of other professions, that common goal has a very strict deadline-it's called opening night," Reeves says. "And so the fun and the challenge is, where can you create what everybody wants in the time and money you have available."
The non-theatrical metal work that Reeves makes includes furniture, utensils, magnets, jewelry, stylized swords and knives, and different types of decorative work you can hang on a wall or put on a shelf. These pieces have an industrial style and Reeves has a clear affinity for skulls. Reeves says this is what makes his work stand out.
“I’d have to say metal is kind of in my blood," Reeves says. "My father was a steel worker at Wisconsin Bridge and Iron and I worked there a little bit when I was younger and that’s probably where the steel started. I worked on my first steel chandelier when I was a sophmore in high school, so it's kind of always been there.”
Reeves hopes to pass on his blacksmithing knowledge by teaching students at his forge. People can schedule hands-on classes with Reeves and learn to become blacksmiths in his studio too.
“I don’t care how much you read about art, I don’t care how much you read about theater, until you’re in the middle of it, you’re not going to learn anything," Reeves says.
"And so, since I’ve always been in this world, I’ve always wanted to pass down what I’ve learned, what I do, because otherwise what’s the point?”
Reeves work is on display at his Combat Ready Art studio in Kalamazoo’s Park Trades Center. To learn more about Jon Reeves and his metal work visit his webpage or facebook.com/combatreadyart.
