Fight Director
What does a Fight Director do?
What does a Fight Director do?
A FIGHT DIRECTOR is someone who directs, stages, and choreographs the fight sequences of a production. FIGHT DIRECTORS help bring the action of a play to life by working with the DIRECTOR, ACTORS, FIGHT CAPTAIN, and all of the DESIGNERS in safe and exciting ways. They teach and create the movements for the actors, how to make the choreography convincing, and how to use the necessary props in scenes that call for swords, guns, knives, and any other prop or set pieces.
Skills
Attention to Detail | Choreography | Direction | Safety precautions and techniques | Stage combat | Possible use of prop weapons | Fencing | Patience | Strong verbal communication
Pathways
Assisting | Apprenticeship | Workshops | Certification | Training
How to become a Fight Director
How to become a Fight Director
Many colleges and universities offer degrees and concentrations in performance, choreography, and direction; however, the closest thing to learning how to be a fight choreographer in school is most likely a stage combat class. Those hoping to be a fight choreographer on Broadway should take advantage of workshops, courses, and assistant positions available at their university or a regional theatre that pertain to fight choreography, direction, and choreography.
Union/Professional Organization Affiliations
Resources
- The New Yorker’s “Choreographing Barroom Brawls with B.H. Barry”
- TheaterMania’s “Delivering the One-Two Punch of Fight Choreography in Rocky”
- Playbill’s “Inside the Broadway Community Project: The Art of Fighting“
American Theatre Wing’s “Fight Director”
TDF Stages’ “Fight Director – TDF’s Theatre Dictionary – Defining Theatre Terms”
Sam Shakya’s “Broadway Fight Director Ron Peretti”
Berkeleyrep’s “Behind the scenes: Fight Director Thomas Schall”