Stage Combat Fight Masters
An SAFD Fight Master has demonstrated the highest level of professional experience as a teacher and fight director in the academia and in professional theatre. Elected by a college of their peers, SAFD Fight Masters are the only members of the SAFD endorsed to adjudicate Skills Proficiency Tests and to serve as Master Teachers at our National Stage Combat Workshops..
Here is a current list of our fight masters:
Fight Master
Northwest Region - AK, OR, WA
Washington
gbald@juno.com
Geoffrey Alm studied in England with John Waller at the Drama Studio in 1977, in the summer of that year he passed the British Society of Fight Directors Certification test, adjudicated by William Hobbs. He has been teaching SAFD...
Fight Master, Fight Director and Certified Teacher
East Central Region -DE, MD, NJ, NY, PN, DC
Yardley
Pennsylvania
jdavidbrimmer@aol.com
(347) 512-3932
SAG
J. David Brimmer, Violence Specialist (Fight Master, SAFD) has choreographed some stuff (Broadway: Grace, An Enemy of the People, Wit, Born Yesterday, A life in the Theatre, Speed the Plow, Come Back, Little Sheba, Spring Awakening, The...
Fight Master, Fight Director, Certified Teacher
Pacific West Region - AZ, CA, HI, NV
San Diego
Iowa
bbyrnes123@yahoo.com
(713) 446-4004
AEA
SAFD Fight Master, Fight Director, and Certified Teacher -- Brian has taught at institutes, colleges and universities across the country. His work as a Fight Director includes New York, regional, and repertory theatres; opera and ballet...
Fight Master, Fight Director, Certified Teacher
East Central Region -DE, MD, NJ, NY, PN, DC
New York
New York
chinmichaelg@gmail.com
AEA, AFTRA/SAG, SDC
Michael G. Chin is a professional actor (AEA, AFTRA, SAG) as well as a sanctioned Master instructor and choreographer with the Society of American Fight Directors. He serves as fight director in residence for both The White Horse and Pan...
President
Great Lakes Region - IL, IN, MI, OH, WI
Chicago
Illinois
president@safd.org
773-764-3825
AGMA, SDC
Chuck Coyl has been a professional fight director for over 30 years and is president of the Society of American Fight Directors.
Recent credits include the Broadway production and national tour of “August: Osage County”, “The Crucible”...
Fight Master
Southeast Region - AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV
Highland Heights
Kentucky
vern10th@fuse.net
859-760-6230
AEA/SDC
Drew is a Fight Master and past President of the SAFD, having served on the Governing Body in one capacity or another for a total of 19 years. He is currently spending the majority of his time directing and continues to act and stage...
Fight Master
Great Lakes Region - IL, IN, MI, OH, WI
Ann Arbor
Michigan
hannis@umich.edu
734 944-0116
SAG, AFTRA, EQUITY, USFCA, US AIKIDO ASSOCIATION
Erik Fredricksen began his professional career at the Guthrie Theatre in 1971. While there he coached Christopher Plummer in his Tony Award winning “Cyrano” duel and, after his third season Erik moved on to acting and combat...
Southeast Region - AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV
Kernersville
North Carolina
dale.girard@ncstunts.com
Dale is an award winning Fight Director, Choreographer and author of the stage combat manual Actors On Guard. He is a Black Belt in Taekwondo, a founding member of the North Carolina Stuntmen’s Association and one of only thirteen...
Fight Master
Southwest Region - AR, LA, OK, NM, TX
Ruston
Louisiana
markguinn@mac.com
318-614-1636
Mark is Director of the School of the Performing Arts at Louisiana Tech University. He serves on the faculty as a Professor of Movement and Production Manager for the Department of Theatre. Mark is a past recipient of Louisiana Tech...
Fight Master
Great Lakes Region - IL, IN, MI, OH, WI
Cincinnati
Ohio
kj_jones@msn.com
AEA, SAG/AFTRA
k. Jenny Jones, a Fight Master and Certified Fight Director of the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD), stages fights and teaches throughout the U.S. and abroad. Her regional credits include Dracula (Actors Theater of Louisville);...
Fight Master and Chair, Professor VCU
Southeast Region - AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV
Virginia
dsleong@vcu.edu
As a professional theatre artist David's movement coaching and fights
scenes have been seen in many Broadway productions including Billy
Elliot,
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom, Carousel, The Rainmaker,
Frank Wildhorn's
musical The Civil War,...
Fight Master
Southeast Region - AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV
Georgia
mann_sj@mercer.edu
478-787-7691
AEA, SAG
Scot J. Mann is an internationally recognized and award winning Fight Director, certified through the Society of American Fight Directors and the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat. He most recently choreographed violence, stunts...
Fight Master/Fight Director/Certified Teacher
Great Lakes Region - IL, IN, MI, OH, WI
Rockford
Illinois
rraether@me.com
(815) 540-4717
AEA, SDC, AFTRA, SAG
Richard Raether is currently the artistic director for Artists' Ensemble (artistsensemble.org), an Equity professional theater in Illinois. He has staged violence for the Guthrie, the Roundabout, Milwaukee Repertory, American...
Fight Master Representative
East Central Region -DE, MD, NJ, NY, PN, DC
Philadelphia
Pennsylvania
rosefights@comcast.net
(215) 802-3885
SAG & AEA
Having taught and fought in the New York and Philadelphia areas for over 25 years, Ian is proud to hold the rank of Fight Master with the Society of American Fight Directors. Ian also holds the distinction of being an accredited...
Fight Master
Southeast Region - AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, WV
Charlotte
North Carolina
richard@stagefight.com
323-209-5240
SAG, Equity, BASSC, IDCA
Richard is an award winning Fight Director. He is currently Swordmaster and Assistant Stunt Coordinator on VIKINGS, a drama series for the History Channel. Recent work includes Stunt Coordination on HAMMER OF THE GODS and BESERK, both...
East Central Region -DE, MD, NJ, NY, PN, DC
Glen Ridge
New Jersey
nyfgtdirctr@aol.com
973 223 5056
AEA, SAG, AFTRA, BADC
J. ALLEN SUDDETH BIO
J. Allen Suddeth has worked professionally for the past thirty years out of the New York area. For Broadway, he has staged fights for Newsies, Gem Of The Ocean, Saturday Night Fever, Jekyll & Hyde, Angels in...
Fight Master
Great Lakes Region - IL, IN, MI, OH, WI
Chicago
Illinois
dwoolley@colum.edu
3125605448
AEA
Woolley is proud to be one of the SAFD Fight Masters. A resident of Chicago, Woolley has staged over 500 productions at all of the Equity Theaters in town, including our regional Tony Award winners: the Goodman, Steppenwolf, Victory...