Prairie Rose Regional Stage Combat Workshop

Brian Byrnes

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 theatres; regional and repertory theatres; opera and ballet companies; and work with Motion Capture companies in the U.S. and Sweden.  Brian is an AEA actor, works as a director, and has also written several plays that have been professionally produced.  He was a Visiting Assistant Professor at the University of Iowa (1992 & 1995).  He was a Full-Time Faculty Member, Tenured Associate Professor with the University of Houston School of Theatre & Dance (1996-2012).  Brian also served as a Full-Time, Tenured Associate Professor and Head of Movement with the Graduate Acting Program at the Old Globe and University of San Diego Shiley Graduate Theatre Program (2012-2020).

Amie Root

Amie Root is a movement, stage combat and theater pedagogy teacher, fight director, playwright and actor. She travels across the country teaching and working in theatre. Amie is a Certified Teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) with whom she is an official mentor. Amie has been a guest artist instructor for California State University Summer Arts for over a decade and has been the Fight Director for Unto These Hills for four seasons. She was a teaching artist for The Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington DC for four years. Additionally, she is this year's SAFD Teacher Certification Workshop Pedagogy Instructor, as well as coordinates the pedagogy training at the Texas Intensive hosted by the University of Houston and the two-week Central Illinois Stage Combat Teacher Trainer hosted by Western Illinois University. Amie Root has a BA in drama from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point and is pursuing her MFA in Directing at Western IL University. Website: www.Amieroot.com

Brandon Brockshus

Brandon Brockshus (ISU Performing Arts BA ’13; Kinesiology MS ’21) is a PhD candidate in Kinesiology at Iowa State University and Recognized Society of American Fight Directors (SAFD) Actor/Combatant. Mr. Brockshus has served as fight director for Iowa Stage Theater Company, The Des Moines Playhouse, Shot in the Dark Productions, Central College, Simpson College, Drake University, Morningside University, Iowa State University, and Iowa high schools. He teaches DRA 127: Stage Combat at DMACC -- Ankeny in the summer. His research interests include methods of teaching stage combat and the effects of stage combat training and practice on the human brain. He lives in Ames, Iowa with his wife, daughter, and son.

fighting-brain.com

Christina Traister

Christina is an SAFD Fight Master, Fight Director, and Certified Teacher; she also currently serves as the organization’s president.  She is Head of Performance and a Professor of Acting & Stage Combat in the Department of Theatre & Drama at the University of Michigan.  Prior to that she was an Associate Professor of Acting & Movement for eleven years in the Department of Theatre at Michigan State University, teaching Classical Acting, Movement, and Stage Combat; she also served as the Graduate Acting Program Director for five years during her tenure there.  Before she began her career in academia, Christina was a San Francisco based actor and fight director for twelve years before moving back to her home state of Michigan.  Professional fight directing and teaching venues include the American Conservatory Theater, Utah Shakespeare Festival, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Cleveland Play House, The American Shakespeare Collective (TASC), Shakespeare Santa Cruz, San Francisco Shakespeare Festival, Michigan Shakespeare Festival, Purple Rose Theatre Company, Williamston Theatre, BoarsHead Theatre, Stormfield Theatre, North Carolina School of the Arts, University of San Diego, University of California-Santa Cruz, the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, Adrian College, and Hillsdale College. She has also taught stage combat master classes at numerous workshops both nationally and internationally. Christina holds an MFA in Acting from the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, and a BFA in Performance (Acting) from the Department of Theatre & Drama at the University of Michigan. She is the Founder and Coordinator of The Fredricksen Intensive.  She is also a freelance audiobook narrator with over 300 recorded titles.

Jason Tipsword

Jason Tipsword (certified teacher - SAFD) currently serves as Social and Emotional Learning Interventionist for Clayton Ridge Community Schools in NE Iowa where he lives with his wife Nika and 53 animals. He also works extensively in youth theatre, serving as Teaching Artist in Residence at George Daily YouTheatre in addition to directing the theatre program at Clayton Ridge. J served on the faculty at Central College-Pella, and the University of Iowa, and as guest artist at Kirkwood Community College, and William Penn University.

In his other work, J serves in a county substance abuse treatment court, coaches high school and youth soccer, runs online narrative games professionally, and worked for seven years in security and law enforcement.

Firen Williams

Teacher - Fight Choreographer - Co-Owner of The Pen & Sword, LLC

Advanced Actor Combatant, SAFD

BFA Theatrical Studies - Musical Theatre w/ Russian Language minor

www.thepenandswordcombat.com

Instagram @the_pen_and_sword_combat
Facebook

Firen Williams is an Advanced Actor Combatant and Co-Owner of The Pen & Sword, LLC, a company dedicated to teaching and choreographing stage combat based in the Pacific Northwest. She is a fight choreographer and teacher, as well as the Adjunct Professor of Stage Combat at Columbia Basin College, who focuses on the development and application of martial skill and theatrical composition in her work. She loves to cross-train martial arts and is an active practitioner of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Pektiti Tirsia Kali, and Muay Thai. You can expect her to bring laser focus, precise attention to detail, a compassionate demeanor, and a thriving passion for the art form wherever she goes.

Firen is also the Co-Coordinator for the SAFD Workshop “Raid on the River” which is debuting June 20th-22nd, 2025 in her stomping grounds of Eastern Washington. You can find out more about this workshop at www.raidontheriverscw.com or via Instagram @raidontheriverscw

Aaron Preusse

Aaron is the Founder of the Fake Fighting Company, a stunt and stage combat company based in Minnesota. He is a Certified Teacher and Fight Director with the Society of American Fight Directors. In addition, Aaron received honors of Advanced Gold with Recommendation from the British Academy of Dramatic Combat.

Aaron has served as Fight Director for over 25 productions at the Guthrie Theater. In addition, he has been the Fight

Director for the Children’s Theatre Company, the Ordway Center for Performing Arts, Minnesota Opera, Commonweal Theatre Company, Park Square Theatre, as well as many other theatres, universities and film projects in the region.

Aaron has taught for the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, the University of Chicago, University of Minnesota, Concordia University of St. Paul, the Minnesota Thespian Festival, along with many other institutions. He is a graduate of the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. More info can be found at www.fakefighting.com

Ed Baker

Ed completed graduate studies, internship and residency to earn the M.F.A. in theatre from the professional actor training program at Ohio University and the bachelor of arts degree in communications with an emphasis in theatre arts from Wichita State University.  In 2006 he joined the faculty of Wichita State University where he serves the school of performing arts by heading up the stage management certificate in the theatre program and as the technical director for school productions.

Ed has spent the majority of his career as an actor and technologist in theatre, film/television, concerts, and convention/exposition venues. His love of stage combat and physical performance is matched only by his love of teaching.

"Every day is a Life Changing Moment if we can find a way to stop trying so hard and just let it be."

Mike Lubke

Mike Lubke is a fight choreographer, instructor, and occasional performer based in St Paul, MN.  He is the founder of Art In Arms, LLC which produces year-round stage combat courses and independent workshops for performers and choreographers.  Mike is a founding member, resident fight director, newest Artistic Director of Six Elements Theatre, where he serves as the lead coordinator for the Brawl of America regional stage combat workshop every May. Recently, he has joined the coaching staff at Circus Juventas, a Cirque du Soleil NexGen development affiliate.  Onstage, his work has been featured in over 80 productions for MN theaters and his various screen credits include work for FOX, History, and Lifetime networks.  Mike is a proud Certified Teacher and recognized Fight Director with the Society of American Fight Directors, where he serves as the Fight Director Representative on their governing body. www.ArtinArms.org

Rodney Rice

Rodney is an Advanced Actor Combatant based out of Ypsilanti Michigan where Rodney performs and choreographs fights and has assisted Christina Traister with University of Michigan's stage combat course. Rodney has also worked a good number of workshops in the past few years and is excited to add the Prairie Rose to that list.

Kate Lass

Kate Lass (she/her) is a Chicago-based actor, fight choreographer, teaching artist, and intimacy director. She teaches regularly in Chicago at The Actors Gymnasium and at her own company, Strike & Reason, and she has been on staff at numerous SAFD workshops around the country. Kate is an Advanced Actor Combatant with the SAFD and an Associate Member of SDC.

D Granke

D is a Director, Fight Director, Intimacy Director, and Movement Specialist based in Maine.

Selected Professional Fight Direction credits include: The Black Suits (Joe's Pub), Born Yesterday, Morning After Grace, and The Little Foxes (Asolo Repertory Theatre), FLY and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime (Florida Studio Theatre), The Piano Lesson, The Mountain Top, and Dearly Departed (Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe),  Vietgone, The Invisible Hand and Bad Jews (American Stage),  The Niceties, Dry Land, Dike, and Pilgrims (Urbanite), Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and Richard the III (Tampa Shakes), The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Diety and In the Blood (Stageworks), As You Like It, A Skull In Conemarra, and Gloucester Blue (Jobsite Theatre), Don Giovanni, Faust, Il Trovatore, Carmen, Tales of Hoffman, and La Boheme (St Petersburg Opera), Voodoo Macbeth and Take Me Out (Studio 620), A View from the Bridge (Tampa Rep), Appropriate (Three Bone Theatre) and Unto these Hills and Time of War (Cherokee Historical Association)

Directing Credits include: A Clockwork Orange (Jobsite Theatre) Ready Steady Yeti Go (Stageworks) Macbeth and Richard III (Tampa Shakes) Beruit and Blue Surge (Cena/Cenari) Bethany and Tender Napalm (TRT2) and US Drag, They Don't Pay We Won't Pay, and She Kills Monsters (Theatre USF) They are currently the director of Unto these Hills 72nd season.

They hold a BFA from the University of Michigan, and an MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University. They teach acting at the University of Maine, Orono and have previously served on faculty at the University of South Florida.

In addition to stage combat training, they have extensive experience in mask, mime, physical comedy, and devising. They also has extensive experience in the martial arts, including Tai Chi, Aikido, SAMBO, and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. They have also served as an associate instructor of Historical Fencing, with Krieg School Tampa Bay, where they taught longsword and dussack based on the work of Joachim Meyer.

Mason Tyer

Mason Tyer is a director, violence director, intimacy director, and production manager living in Minneapolis, Minnesota. He is a Certified Teacher, Theatrical Firearms Safety Instructor, and the Secretary for the Society of American Fight Directors.

Mason is a lead teaching artist for Children's Theatre Company and taught stage combat for The Guthrie, North Hennepin Community College, Art in Arms, Youth Performance Company, Bemidji Community Theatre and Open Gate Movement Arts.

As a violence director, he has worked with Children's Theatre Company, Duluth Playhouse, Paul Bunyan Playhouse, Theatre in the Round, Full Circle Theatre Company, Journey North Opera Company, GREAT, Open Window Theatre, Children's Performing Arts, Lakeshore Players, and numerous high schools and community theatres.

Mason is also a stunt performer and coordinator for films and video content in Minnesota. masontyer@gmail.com.

Andrew Rathgeber

Andrew Rathgeber (he/him) is a Chicago-based Actor and Fight Director. As a fully-recommended Advanced Actor Combatant in the Society of American Fight Directors, Andrew is the Company Fight Director for Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, works locally as an Actor/Fighter with Lyric Opera Chicago, Fight Director for Oak Park Festival Theater, and has collaborated with Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, Remy Bumppo, Commission Theatre Co, Raven, The House Theatre, Route 66 Theater, Haven Theatre and side project theatre co. Other credits: American Players Theatre, Forward Theater, Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Park, Montana InSite Theatre, Tippet Rise Art Center, Bozeman Actors Theatre, and The Verge. Andrew is actively pursuing Certified Teacher status with the SAFD, and is a certified Consent Forward Artist with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators. He has been on teaching staff at numerous regional workshops (Winter Wonderland Workshop, Tourist Trap, Brawl of America, Allegheny Alley Fight, The Fredricksen Intensive, The Stage Combat Workshop at Louisiana Tech, and the Texas Intensive), and has taught masterclasses for the University of Oklahoma, the University of Toledo, North Central University, Neutral Chaos, and Open Gate Movement Arts. Andrew trained at the University of Oklahoma and the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Outside of the SAFD, Andrew holds rank in Aikido at Chicago Aikikai, and in Judo at Tohkon Judo Academy.