Harvard students GRAHAM A. SACK ’03 (L) and AUSTIN S. GUEST ’05 (R) turned the area in front of the Science Center into a dueling ground yesterday. The staged joust aimed to recruit new talent to common casting.

Two steely student combatants faced off yesterday in front of the Science Center in a mock battle designed as a publicity stunt for Common Casting, the open auditions held at the beginning of each semester by the Harvard Radcliffe Dramatic Club (HRDC).

Austin S. Guest ’05 and Graham A. Sack ’03 said they staged the “duel” to try to attract fresh talent to auditions.

“We were discussing what we could do when we realized that nobody duels anymore,” Guest said.

The premise of the duel was established Friday night in a staged dispute over casting for Guest’s upcoming play, The Dybbuk.

Following a performance of the group “13” at the Rieman Center, Guest started a shouting match with Sack that led to a mock brawl. The two resolved to settle the dispute Monday with a duel.

Outgoing HRDC president Dan Cozzens was bemused by the stunt but was careful to explain that it was not an HRDC-sponsored event.

“As far as I can tell, it’s something a little fun, a little crazy and a little stupid to publicize Common Casting,” Cozzens said.

A “Fight” to the “Death”

The warm noontime sun shone on the crowds streaming from their 11 o’clock classes yesterday morning, as Guest and Sack galloped to the slushy dueling ground on hobbyhorse steeds.

As a crowd gathered, Sack aired his grievances—in verse.

“By a pact, we’ve here agreed to meet,” Sack began, concluding that God would ultimately “stand guard on the side of right.”

“Thou foul-pated star of monkey films,” Guest responded with gusto. “How dare you try besmirching my good name!”

The crowd was quickly swept up in the action.

“Besmirch! Besmirch!,” a spectator cried out, egging Sack on.

Each next threw down a ski glove to signal the start of the duel. They then, without explanation, discarded their hats, shirts, and pants.