Furniture abuse 

Deliberate violence towards chairs, tables or other items of furniture during a theatrical production. The most common form of furniture abuse is knocking over chairs or throwing them across the stage. Frequently seen in operas, furniture abuse is usually perpetrated by characters as an expression of rage or great despair, although some cynics claim it merely shows a lack of imagination on the part of the director

"There was a lot of gratuitous furniture abuse in the recent Covent Garden Ring cycle"

Furniture abuse by Faye Courtney September 14, 2008