Robert Westley (He/Him/His)

Fight Master / Fight Director / Certified Teacher

Robert has performed, directed, and choreographed movement and staged violence for award-winning films, theatre productions and internationally acclaimed opera houses for twenty-three years. Robert incorporates his training in acting, dance, clowning, martial arts, mask, puppetry, yoga and other disciplines to bring unique creation of character and story to multiple performance venues. His work has received rave reviews by the New York Times, New York Magazine, Variety, Newsday, Opera News and many others.

 

He made his Broadway debut for his work on the Tony nominated Hand to God (Tony Nomination for Best Play) and recent Broadway productions of A Bronx Tale: The Musical directed by Academy Award winner Robert DeNiro and Tony Award winning director Jerry Zaks, Gettin' The Band Back Together and Bernhardt/Hamlet starring Janet McTeer. Most recently he choreographed New York City productions of Teenage Dick at The Public Theatre, The Thanksgiving Play at Playwright's Horizons, Important Hats of the Twentieth Century at Manhattan Theatre Club, Verité at LCT3, Lesser America’s Trevor, Second Stage Theatre’s production of Butcher of Baraboo, the Off-Broadway production of Little Rock, Studio 42’s Billy Witch, The New York Musical Theatre Festival production of The Screams of Kitty Genovese, the Keen Company’s Tea and Sympathy, and The New York Fringe Festival’s The Salacious Uncle Baldrick and Waiter, Waiter. Regional Theatre credits include Paper Mill Playhouse productions of The Honeymooner’s the Musical and The Sting the Musical, the Westport Country Playhouse’s productions of What the Butler Saw, Bedroom Farce, and The Things We Do For Love, Asolo Repertory Theatre’s The Game’s Afoot and God of Carnage, Utah Shakespeare Festival productions of Romeo & Juliet, Julius Caesar, The Tavern and A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Hudson Valley Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Boston’s New Repertory Theatre’s A Skull in Connemaraand Los Angeles’ Circle X Theatre’s production of The Bigger Man. Robert has choreographed movement for the New York City Opera production of La fanciulla del West and Tosca, New England Opera’s production of The Dangerous Liasion and Saint of Bleeker Street at DiCapo Opera, Les Contes D’Hoffmann and I Pagliacci/Goyescas for Central City Opera, Carmen at the Chautauqua Opera, The Lost Colony, The Colorado Shakespeare Festival and the 75th Anniversary Tour of Porgy and Bess which played regionally and at the Palacio de Bellas Artes, Mexico City.            

 

In additional to stage success, Robert has been stunt coordinator and arranged fights for Brooklyn Film Festival award winning VictorianaThe Subject starring Jason Biggs, Giselle’s Heart, Bullycam and the upcoming web series, After. He has worked as a stunt double and stunt performer for action films such as The Key Man starring Hugo Weaving, Eyeborgs starring Danny Trejo and Fall Down Dead with David Carradine. As a physical performer Robert has worked in productions at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, New York Theatre Workshop and for independent live action companies across the country. He is a member of the SAG-AFTRA and SDC.

 

Robert has been an instructor and movement coach for theatrical productions and on film sets, intensives in America and Great Britain and at Boston University’s Theatre Conservatory and Opera Institute, the University of North Carolina School of the Arts, National Theatre Conservatory, Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute, the Asolo Conservatory for Actor Training, the Manhattan School of Music, the University of Alabama, Temple University and presently at Hofstra University.

  


Skill Proficiency History

Date Weapon Location Grade

NSCW 2021 Firearms Certification

Jul 24, 2021 Firearm Ruston, Louisiana Recommended Pass

GirardWestleyKent Renewals 2016

May 6, 2016 Rapier and Dagger Baton Rouge, Louisiana Recommended Pass
May 6, 2016 Single Sword Baton Rouge, Louisiana Recommended Pass
May 6, 2016 Unarmed Baton Rouge, Louisiana Recommended Pass
May 6, 2016 Knife Baton Rouge, Louisiana Recommended Pass

Summer Sling

Aug 21, 2010 Single Sword New York, New York Recommended Pass

2009 Winter Wonderland Workshop

Jan 18, 2009 Broadsword Elgin, Illinois Recommended Pass

Eureka College Workshop

May 30, 2008 Rapier and Dagger Eureka, Illinois Recommended Pass

Denver Center Theatre Academy

Mar 16, 2008 Broadsword Denver, Colorado Recommended Pass
Mar 16, 2008 Single Sword Denver, Colorado Recommended Pass
Mar 16, 2008 Knife Denver, Colorado Recommended Pass
Mar 16, 2008 Unarmed Denver, Colorado Recommended Pass
Mar 16, 2008 Small Sword Denver, Colorado Recommended Pass
Mar 16, 2008 Quarterstaff Denver, Colorado Recommended Pass