UW Theatre and Dance Hosting Combat Workshop

Intensive stage combat instruction in a variety of styles, including swashbuckling sword work, down and dirty knife fighting, cowboy gun-spinning and more will be offered during the UWYO Stage Combat Workshop May 9-10 in the University of Wyoming Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts.

Sponsored by the UW Department of Theatre and Dance, the workshop is fully endorsed by the Society for American Fight Directors (SAFD), the oldest and largest domestic group dedicated to the study and performance of staged conflict.

The workshop, the only one of its kind in the Rocky Mountain region, will consist of classes that will be held in the morning and afternoon, along with a chance to watch UW broadsword students perform their scenes for testing. A question and answer session also will be offered with the instructors.

This year's teaching staff includes SAFD’s fight master Geof Alm and fight director Geoff "Jefe" Kent; and SAFD certified teacher Kevin Inouye, a UW Department of Theatre and Dance assistant professor who also is organizing the event.

Registration for UW students is free and cost for non-students is $50 for one day and $75 for two days, making this the most inexpensive SAFD-sponsored regional workshop in the nation, Inouye says.

“Registration is open to anyone 18 and older, and younger participants may be considered with parental consent, but high school age is minimum,” he adds.

To register, visit www.uwyo.edu/fineart_ticket/tickets.aspx?EVENT_ID=217&EVENT_DETAIL_ID=319.

Alm has taught SAFD certification classes since 1988, has attained the highest rank -- fight master -- within the organization, and has directed fights for hundreds of Actor’s Equity productions since 1986. He is an Equity actor as well.

Kent, a fight director, actor, stage combat teacher and director based out of Denver, Colo., is a past president of SAFD.

Inouye joined the UW Theatre and Dance faculty in fall 2014, bringing 17 years of training and experience in stage combat and stunt work. He is a SAFD certified teacher, a union stunt performer (SAG-AFTRA) and an award-winning fight choreographer.

Along with Kent, Inouye is among 20 SAFD recognized theatrical firearms instructors, and also is the author of the “Theatrical Firearms Handbook (2014).”

For more information, email Inouye at kinouye@uwyo.edu.