2010 National Workshop Coverage: Coordinator's Report

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A 30th birthday used to be something that was to be feared, rather than cherished. However, this summer proved that 30 years old was nothing of the sort, and another milestone in the brilliant history of the SAFD.

Not that it wasn’t a CHALLENGE, mind you. For the first time in our history, the SAFD proudly provided training at four different levels under one roof:

  • The Introduction to Stage Combat Workshop, for high school students;
  • The Actor Combatant Skills Proficiency Workshop, our tried and true 3-weapon program;
  • The Advanced Actor Combatant Skills Proficiency Workshop, for students already tested and passed in three or more weapon disciplines; and
  • The Teacher Certification Workshop, where outstanding members are evaluated to be certified to teach stage combat per the SAFD.

To accommodate a workshop of this size, we could no longer rely on the generosity of the armory at University of North Carolina School of the Arts: The SAFD store of NSCW weapons and supplies had to be transferred from their desert home in Las Vegas to UNCSA in Winston-Salem, North Carolina! Special thanks to the Governing Body and in specific Treasurer Lee Soroko and Intern Benaiah Anderson for manning the truck and driving the 2500 miles the week before we started, and provided the workshop with what we needed to make it go!

And go it did. With 24 staff members, 18 TCW candidates, 16 in the advanced, 34 in the basic and 15 in the ISC, we were at virtually maximum capacity for the entire three weeks. In the mornings, we were holding classes in 7 different spaces, and in the afternoons we were working in 6. In the evenings, we were holding rehearsals, classes, history lessons and/or movies depending on the night.

The players:

  • Mike Mahaffey, Coordinator
  • Dale Girard, On-site Coordinator

Fight Masters:

  • J. David Brimmer, TCW Coordinator
  • Chuck Coyl, TCW
  • J. Allen Suddeth, AACW Coordinator, AACW Singlesword
  • Geoffrey Alm, ACW Rapier & Dagger, AACW Quarterstaff
  • Brian Byrnes, ACW Broadsword, AACW Sword & Shield
  • Michael Chin, ACW Unarmed

Fight Directors/Certified Teachers:

  • Jack Young, Pedagogy and Academic Specialist
  • Paul Dennhardt, Head TA, assisting FM J. David Brimmer in the TCW

Certified Teachers:

  • Lacy Altwine, assisting FM Chuck Coyl in the TCW
  • H Russ Brown, assisting FM Michael Chin
  • Jim Brown, assisting FM Geoffrey Alm
  • Matthew Ellis, assisting FM J. Allen Suddeth
  • Stephen Gray, assisting FM Brian Byrnes

Intern Staff:

  • AAC Travis Sims, Head Intern
  • AAC Mark Rosenthal
  • AAC Benaiah Anderson
  • AAC Kalob Martinez
  • AAC Samantha McDonald
  • AAC Turner Smith
  • AAC Mike Speck
  • AAC Sarah Wahl
  • AAC Claire Yearman

Guest Instructors:

  • FM Richard Ryan
  • FD/CT Colleen Kelly
  • CT Lewis Shaw

Special Guests:

  • Joseph Martinez, FM Emeritius
  • FM k. Jenny Jones
  • FD/CT Jeff AR Jones
  • CT Martin Noyes
  • CT Rob Najarian
  • CT Angela Bonacasa
  • CT Lee Soroko
  • Kerry Stagmyr
  • Walter Triplette
  • Jesse Belsky

Teacher Certification Workshop:

  • Jonathan Baca
  • Jay Burckhardt
  • T. Fulton Burns
  • J. Alex Cordaro
  • Christopher Duval
  • Brian Evans
  • Jonathan Jolly
  • Casey Kaleba
  • Marianne Kubik
  • Jennifer Male
  • Michael Mueller
  • Adam Noble
  • Cara Rawlings
  • Andrea Robertson
  • Missy Styles
  • Sterling Swann
  • Heidi Wolf
  • David Yondorf

UNCSA Staff:

  • Mary Jane Degnan, Drama
  • Teresa Prevatte, Drama
  • Steve Holland, Housing
  • Brent LeFever, Performance Place
  • Bill Poole, Admissions
  • Ann Potter, Health Services
  • Karen Waldo, One Card Offices

Advanced Actor Combatant Skills Proficiency Workshop Participants:

  • Danette Baker
  • Ed Baker
  • Sarah Beckerman
  • Michael Cosenza
  • Lauren Cafrelli
  • Jeremy Earl
  • Shawn Ergler
  • Paul Evans
  • Joe Isenberg
  • Jim Ludlum
  • Edward “Teddy” Lytle
  • Jule Nelson-Duac
  • Adele Rylands
  • Nick Santana
  • Zev Steinberg
  • Dustin Vandenberg

Actor Combatant Skills Proficiency Workshop Participants:

  • Lila Becker
  • Michael Bloom
  • Abba Carmichael
  • Xander Carson
  • Chris Carter
  • Sean Carter
  • Bette Cassatt
  • Joel Castro
  • Bob Chanda
  • Brandon Clark
  • Larry Cook Jr.
  • Pat Cooney
  • Kyle Curry
  • Zac Delventhal
  • Elizabeth Edgeworth
  • Brad Eick
  • Kyle Encinas
  • Anna Engelsman
  • Josh Jeffries
  • Sarah Johnson
  • Clint Lienau
  • Holly McNeill
  • Olivia Myers
  • Trevor Olds
  • Shelly Riggs
  • Emma Rojas
  • Deanna Roseen
  • Nick Shuhan
  • Sarah Siegel
  • Danielle Stahl
  • Nick Stockwell
  • Ian Steffy
  • Matthew Taylor
  • Brian Weitz

Introduction to Stage Combat Workshop Participants:

  • Bryn Harris
  • Luis Herrera
  • Emily Johnson-Erday
  • Alec Grooms
  • Adrian Knowles
  • Savannah Kruzner
  • Diandra Langenbach
  • Tai Langenbach
  • Ernie Long
  • Aaron Mitchum
  • Jacob Owen
  • Ryan Pater
  • Allison Taylor Pearl
  • Cameron Prevatte
  • Warren Weber
  • Danny Yoerges

Starting on July 5, we were able to start things off with our usual meet and greet followed by a special screening of the film “Eyeborgs”, starring many SAFD members in various roles and featuring Dale Girard as 2nd unit director.

In the ISC, students received 10 hours of instruction in all eight SAFD disciplines. They began with Unarmed (taught by Jay Burckhardt in one section, Missy Styles in the other), Broadsword (Casey Kaleba and Jon Baca, respectively), Quarterstaff (Chris Duvall, Jonathan Jolly) and Single Sword (Heidi Wolf, Sterling Swann), then transitioned to Rapier and Dagger (Cara Rawlings, Brian Evans), Smallword (Andrea Roberts, Marianne Kubik), Sword and Shield (T. Fulton Burns, Michael Mueller), and Knife (Alex Cordaro, J. Alex Cordaro). Movies were again a part of the curriculum, as The Mark of Zorro, The Three Musketeers, and other classic swashbuckling films were shown on the big screen. Master classes were held on Saturdays as well.

ACSP students had a busy schedule as well: Broadsword with FM Brian Byrnes assisted by Stephen Gray, Rapier and Dagger with FM Geoffrey Alm assisted by Jim Brown, and Unarmed with FM Michael Chin assisted by H Russ Brown. Week one was supplemented by Quarterstaff classes with Paul Dennhardt, and moved into smallsword taught by Lacy Altwine during week two, and classes specifically geared toward SPT choreography and Alexander Technique in week three.

As to be expected, the AACSP began the workshop with aplomb, and it never let up. With renewals in the first week, an SAFD Gun Safety Certification course, SPTs in Singlesword (taught by FM J Allen Suddeth), Quarterstaff (taught by FM Geoffrey Alm) and Sword & Shield (taught by FM Brian Byrnes), and many other classes, the AACW never took a break. Whether in an SPT class or Film Fighting, the AACSP students showed talent, drive and determination during their three weeks.

And lest we forget, during all of this work, the TCW were working towards gaining teacher certification under the direction of FM J. David Brimmer and FM Chuck Coyl. In addition to their teaching assignments, each candidate received tutorials and other classes in topics such as pedagogy, choreography, modality, academic tenure, working as part of a department, and much much more. In addition each candidate had to present SPT choreography in a selected weapon (as well as perform in 2 others) and was responsible for a history presentation in an SAFD weapons discipline as well. All in all, it was a grueling 3 weeks for them as well.

Merchandise night was an amazing diversion for us this year! Appearances by Lewis Shaw and Walter Triplette, as well as Kerry Stagmyr, newcomer Jesse Belsky, Bette Cassatt (representing thinkgeek.com!), as well as FMs Dale Girard, Richard Ryan and J. Allen Suddeth made our merchandise night pretty special as everyone had a chance to pick up cool clothing items or ‘theatrical props’ to their liking. Add that to our usual membership drive and SAFD swag, and it was a pretty wonderful night for all. And expensive, for all too many of us. The check’s in the mail, I swear…

But sadly, all good things must come to an end. All too quickly our last day arrived and it was time for the closing ceremonies. The ISC ceremonies were first, with awards and certificates handed out to the students. Many of them stayed to watch the conclusion of the ACSP SPTs, as well as attending the closing ceremonies, which took place shortly after the end of an epic day of SPT testing: 74 scenes were presented on Friday in 6 total weapons.

The awards were as follows:

  • Best Male Actor Combatant, ACSP: Chris Carter
  • Best Female Actor Combatant, ACSP: Bette Cassatt
  • Best Scene ACSP: "How I Met Your Mother", Danielle Stahl and Nick Stockwell
  • Best Male Actor Combatant, Advanced ACSP: Mike Cosenza
  • Best Female Actor Combatant, Advanced ACSP: Danette Baker
  • Best Scene Advanced ACSP: "Doctor Faustus", Joe Isenberg and Zev Steinberg
  • The Founder's Award for Unarmed Excellence: Kyle "Panda" Encinas
  • The James Finney Award: Holly McNeil
  • The Swashbuckler's Award: Joe Isenberg
  • The Paddy Crean Award: Paul Dennhardt

The presentation of the official NSCW awards and Broadway Cares / Equity Fights Aids (BCEFA) drawing/raffle closed out the ceremonies, with the NSCW students and staff raising over $2500 for BCEFA. From there, the party moved to the “Fox and the Hound”, where staff and students ate and drank before going back to the apartments to close out a great workshop.

2010 was my first year as coordinator, and was also the largest we’ve ever attempted. Although it was a test to be sure, I couldn’t have done it as well as I did without help from my entire staff, who worked very hard for the SAFD this summer.

Just to single out those who went above and beyond the call and thank them personally: Head Intern Travis Sims helped keep us on track as schedules changed and priorities evolved; Head TA Paul Dennhardt lent his help and assistance where ever he could despite a VERY full schedule; Merchandise/Raffle chair H Russ Brown was relentless in making the raffle such a resounding success; Morale officer Matt Ellis was instrumental in keeping the students happy and focused, and Armory intern Benaiah Anderson kept the SAFD armory in great shape and prepped all the weapons before the workshop almost single-handedly. Add to that the brilliant blueprint created by my predecessor, Angela Bonacasa, and I was privileged and honored to have held the post this year.