Marshall University Marshall Digital Scholar

The Cutting Edge The Society of American Fight Directors

1-1996

The Cutting Edge, January/February 1996, Vol. 7 Issue 1

The Society of American Fight Directors

Follow this and additional works at: https://mds.marshall.edu/cutting

Part of the Acting Commons, Other Theatre and Performance Studies Commons, Performance Studies Commons, and the Theatre History Commons Election Results for SAFD President and Vice-President

Congratulations to Drew Fracher and Colleen Kelly on their election as President and Vice-President of the SAFD DUES!!!! Congratulations also to Mark Olsen and Mark "Rat" Guinn on their are now PAST DUE reappointments as Secretary and Treasurer. Please sendyour check for $35 to Mark Olsen at address directly below. Nominations for New Certi ed Member Representatives Teachers CHANGES OF ADDRESS must be sent to: Seven new Certified Teachers had Mark Olsen Due by April 30 their names and addresses left out of Secretary SAFD the last Fight Master. School of Theatre University of Houston With new officers, it is time to elect new member representatives as well. Paul Denhardt Houston, TX 77204-507 1 320 1/2 S. Randolph Street (713) 743-2915 (W) Two representatives are needed for a Macomb IL 61455 (713) 265-0945 (H) three year term: (309) 837-6744 Friends & Actor/Combatants Rep ATTENT~N! Certified Teachers Rep Michael Donohue ALL (EJTIFIED EACHERS 4201 Massachusetts Ave NW #7091 W AND f IGHT STE RS The nominees must come from Washington DC 20016 Please send your head shot their respective ranks and are (202) 686-6369 and a brief bio to Dav id nominated and voted on by their peers. Doersch for inclusion on (e.g. the Certified Teacher Rep must be Jeff Jones the World Wide Web Page. a Certified Teacher and is nominated 10008 Ponderosa Place and voted on by Certified Teachers). Sarasota FL 34243 David "Pops" Doersch (402) 438-3389 Route 5 Box 169 Remember, these two people are Oxford MS 38655 k. Jenny Jones ddoersch@sunset. backbone.ale very important in communicating your 5684 Candlelite Terrace miss.edu needs, ideas, goals, complaints, praise, and recommendations to the SAFD. Cincinnati OH 45238 (513) 772-6564 (HAN.Gl OF AltDRESS Please send your nominations along FOR FM DAVID BOUSHEY with your name and rank in writing to: Nick Sandys David Boushey 2206 West Granville #2 2723 Saratoga Lane Drew Fracher Chicago IL 60659 Everett WA 98203 Abiding Grace Farm (312) 274-0581 (206) 290-9973 780 Bushtown Road Harrodsburg KY 40330 Tim Tait 1331 Downing Street #102 SAFD HOTLINE Nominations must be received by Denver CO 80218 Ricki G. Ravitts (303) 830-7916 (800) 659-6579 April 30, 1996. Ballots based on these 9 AM-5PMEST nominations will go out with the next Cutting Edge after that date. Michael Johnson ♦♦♦ 816 E Street, SE ♦♦♦ Washington DC 2003 (202) 543-2571 ■ •• LIKE MANY OF US, I first it intriguing," he says. "It was become part of his life. It became met Michael Johnson at a Patty interesting to find something that his link between the martial arts Crean Workshop in Washington, required the same skills of and theatre. "Leaming how to kill, DC. Among the various classes listening, focus, hurt and maim someone offered, his drew a crowd and kept concentration and needed to be the audience attentive. As an commitment [as martial enthusiastic actor, director, martial arts]." artist and stage combatant, In 1985 Michael Michael's energy is contagious and headed for L.A. to his love and respect for what he pursue a career in does carries over into his class. He acting. While there, takes on the responsibility to step he began a new outside the vacuum of technique to level of training as tempered touch the moral soul of the artist. a martial artist. He with He feels that without began studying · 2':: ·~ something understanding the cause and effect with Chris Kent -l#., as passive of violence, the actor has little (one of the most ; ''~/ as stage knowledge on which to base knowledgeable · combat," he choices and little responsibility for practitioners of says. "Here I what is done. His students respect Bruce Lee's can create this in him and his example of Jeet Kune Do rather than commitment. Born and raised in and the Filipino martial destroy." Washington DC, Michael was first arts) at the Dan Inosanto Academy. Michael's exposed to the cause and effect of A year later, Chris opened his own creative link of actual violence in Jr. High. Unlike school and Michael found himself martial and theatrical arts saw him many stage combatants who shuttling between both schools attend the "TTW" in Las Vegas turned to the SAFD after a bad training both with Mr. Kent and last summer where he joined the experience in a staged fight, with Cass Magda. Mr. Magda ranks of Certified Teachers. Michael turned to the martial introduced him to the Silat arts of Among his continued training in discipline of Tae Kwon Do after Malaysia, Indonesia and the the martial and theatrical arts, several scuffles with bullying Philippines (named by Mr. Michael also manages to fit in a classmates. Here a life journey Inosanto: Maphilindo Silat). busy schedule as an actor and began, one that has carried on into Not until his return to the East director in DC. A summary of his his present activities. Michael Coast was Michael reacquainted to accomplishments would take more stage combat. While space than this column allows, but acting in a NCSF his contributions to productions at "It was interesting to find school tour he met such theatres as the Kennedy something that required the same Jack Cirillo, an Center, Source Theatre the The skills of listening, focus, SAFD Folger Library (to name only a concentration and commitment" Actor/Combatant. few) has earned him such honors Soon thereafter he as the 1995 Source Theatre Award found himself as well as entries in Who's Who in continued training through High studying with CT Brad Waller. In Entertainment, Who's Who in School and into college. It is while 1991 he took and passed his first America and International Men of pursuing his B.F.A.. at North skills test. He and his partner being Achievement. Carolina School for the Arts that recommended by FM Joseph As a director and fight this young martial artist was first Martinez. What had intrigued him choreographer Michael finds that exposed to stage combat. "I found in college was now beginning to ( Continued on page 3)

T H E C u T T I N G E D G E Michael Jerome Johnson (continued)

martial arts training is helpful in Nicolas Sandys choreographed a Buddies, A View From The Bridge at fulfilling the dramatic process and smalls word duel in Andrea Chenier the Source Theatre Company (for informing the movements on stage and sabres in Faust for the current which he got critical acclaim for his with truth rather than mechanics. season at the Lyric Opera of Chicago; work), Cat On A Hot Tin Roof for the Personal life experience as well as choreographed violence and dress National Convervatory of Dramatic infonnation gathered as a volunteer marching for the world premiere of Arts, and the Rep Stage company's with the IMPACT/Model Mugging Black Star Line at the Goodman production of J ejfrey. He's teaching courses has made Michael aware that Theatre; and is currently arranging a his first class as a CT for the Noble there are always consequences to duel for Les Liaisons at the Shattered Blades, five of whom will test with violent actions. The play cannot stop Globe. Along with Wooley, Coyl, Dale Girard in February. He is also for a fight, and the characters cannot Finney, Gray, MacFarlane and preparing to direct The Gospel at ignore what happens between them Raether, he taught at the Winter C olonus for the Capitol Hill Arts within that fight. "Reality," says Wonderland Workshop thrown by the Workshop. Michael, "is something that you would Chicago mob in January. do at that moment-not a martial arts Foster Solomon a recent SAFD move or a stage fight move, but a move Julia Rupkalvis announces her member, has just returned from to serve a purpose at that moment for completion both with her Ph.D. Boston where he choreographed all of that particular character." For him, the program in Theatrical Hoplology and the violence for Romeo and Juliet for cause and effect of the fight deals with her battle with cancer. She gratefully Shakespeare & Company's Education the moment to moment reality of the thanks all Society members who Program. While there, he also held character and the consequences of their helped her overcome both three day's of master classes in stage actions. "Violence without challenges! combat for selected students of North consequences glorifies violence, " he Andover High School. Almost says, "and my job is not to glorify Michael Johnson (since becoming a simultaneously, Foster also violence, but to clarify it." And that he CT last July) has choreographed choreographed the violence for the does. fights for the Folger Shakespeare world premiere of Like Two Eagles at ♦♦♦ Library's touring troupe, Bill's the Jewish Theatre of New York. ♦♦♦

1996 Webster Movement Institute

SAFD Secretary Mark Olsen will be part of the 1996 Webster Movement Institute where he will teach a workshop titles Relationship Characterization. The workshop will focus on creating, developing, and refining a variety of comic and serious physical characters based on six fundamental relationships. This will be a six day intensive workshop offered in the afternoons during the week of July 22 - 27. In the morning session Joan Schirie, Director of Training at the School of Physical Theatre, will offer a mask workshop. Her work has developed out of twenty years of research, performance, and teaching. Joan is a founding member of the Dell' Arte Players Company. Laban Movement Analysis and Bartenieff Fundamentals will be taught during the week of July 8 - 13 by Tom Casciero and Karen Kohn Bradley, both of whom are Certified Movement Analysts. An Exploration of three basic energy systems (meridians, chakras, auras) and their relationship to actor training and performance will be led by Jennifer Martin during the morning sessions during July 15 - 20. in the afternoon Lloyd Williamson, Head of Movement Training at Rutgers University and founder of the Actor's Movement Studio in NYC, will explore basic Williamson technique exercises and their applications to text.

The 1996 Webster Movement Institute will be held July 8 - 27 at Webster University in St. Louis Call Theresa Mitchell at (314) 963-9078 for a brochure and information

T H E C u T T r N G E D G E UNITED STUNTMEN'S ASSOCIATION NATIONAL STUNT TRAINING WORKSHOP Limited enrollment is still available Tuition is $1500.00 with a $300.00 for The United Stuntmen's deposit due by April 1st to ensure your is .edited bimonthly by Association National Stunt Training place. (Balance dZ,ie by June 2nd); Rolph H. Anderson. Workshop to be held June 3 - 22 in Seattle, WA. For further details please call or write: The Cuttin9 Edge is a publication ot the This is a three week intensive The United Stuntmen's Association Society of American Fight training session with emphasis on the 2723 Saratoga Lane Directors most basic stunts found in film Everett, WA 98023 production, including: (206) 290-9957

•Precision Driving The Workshop Coordinator is David •Weaponry Boushey, founder of the United •Unarmed Combat Stuntmen's Association and the Society •Fire Work of American Fight Directors. •Mini Tramp •High Falls With your deposit, submit a full •Special Effects body picture and resume (which •Harness and Rappelling includes your height, weight and any •Martial Arts special skills you have) and any acting •Horse Work training. •Firearms and Safety T H E C u T T I N G E D G E

465 West 4 9th Street # 1-B New York, NY 10019 ISS-A ioa