Prairie Rose Regional Stage Combat Workshop
Questions? Contact Us.
DMACC
Theatre Department
theatre@dmacc.edu
The Prairie Rose regional stage combat workshop at DMACC
October 18 & 19, 2025
DMACC Ankeny Theatre at the Simon Estes School of Fine Arts
Building 5, Black Box Theatre and Conference Center
DMACC Ankeny Theatre is proud to present the first annual Prairie Rose regional stage combat workshop. Expert stage combat instructors from around the nation will be brought to our campus to provide workshops on safety-oriented techniques for violent storytelling. Workshops in all 8 SAFD weapon disciplines for all skill levels will be offered, and seasoned actor-combatants may complete up to 2 Skill Proficiency Renewals adjudicated by Iowa’s very own Fight Master, Brian Byrnes.
Who is this for?
This workshop is perfect for current and aspiring actors, directors, stage managers, and fight directors. Whether you are picking up a sword or throwing a punch for the first time or the thousandth time, we all have something to learn from one another.
How much will it cost?
Cost is $200 per attendee. A 10% reduction in tuition will be offered for SAFD members in good standing. A Buddy discount of 15% will be offered for people registering together. These discounts are not cumulative.
How will I get there, and where will I stay?
Ankeny is located just off I-35. The DMACC Ankeny Campus is at the intersection of Highway 69 and Oralabor Road. Des Moines International Airport is 18 miles from the DMACC campus, a roughly 30 minute drive. Hotels can be found in Ankeny, Des Moines, and other nearby towns.
What will we do?
We will learn to fight on stage and screen! Three classes will be offered at each
session, so there will be plenty of options. Class descriptions will be posted here
as decisions are finalized.
Schedule
Saturday
7:30-8:15 Registration
8:15-8:30 Morning Announcements
8:30-9:00 Warmups
9:10-10:30 Session I SPR I
10:40-12:00 Session II SPR I
12:00-1:30 Lunch SPR Performances
1:30-2:50 Session III
3:00-4:20 Session IV
4:30-5:50 Session V
6:00-6:15 Evening Announcements
Sunday
7:30-8:15 Registration
8:15-8:30 Morning Announcements
8:30-9:00 Warmups
9:10-10:30 Session VI SPR II
10:40-12:00 Session VII SPR II
12:00-1:30 Lunch SPR Performances
1:30-2:50 Session VIII
3:00-4:20 Session IX
4:30-5:50 Session X
6:00-6:15 Evening Announcements
Class Sessions
| Session | Open | Introductory | SPR |
| I |
Gruesome Theatre Injuries |
Disarm or Dat arm? |
SPR I |
| II |
Fuhlen It |
SMASHer and BASHer: Intro to Sword and Shield |
SPR I Various J Tipsword |
| III |
Court Spear |
Introduction to Smallsword |
|
| IV |
A Swashbuckling Adventure |
Rapier AND Dagger |
|
| V | Battle Field Fights – aka – Fighting with What You’ve Got! Various Brian Byrnes |
Got No Strings on Me |
|
| VI |
Is it soup yet? |
Knap Time |
SPR II |
| VII |
TBD |
Quarterstaff Quarrels! |
SPR II |
| VIII |
Old School Smallsword |
Simple Choreography, with Style Singlesword Kate Lass |
|
| IX |
Whose Line is it Anyway? |
One Shot |
|
| X |
Quick hands |
Multiple Opponents – and – the Rules of Protagonist Fighting |
Session I 9:10–10:30 Saturday
Gruesome Theatre Injuries: Safe Approaches to Stage Violence
Unarmed, Brandon Brockshus
Ever been injured in a stage fall? Tired of being slapped in the face on stage? Learn
and practice safe and effective techniques to sell stage violence to your audience
WITHOUT the battle scars to show for it. Explore the sounds and lingering pain of
violence to aid effective storytelling.
Disarm or Dat arm?
Knife, Andrew Rathgeber
Based on the foundations of knife flow drills, this workshop will explore disarms
and hand transfers. Utilizing aikido disarm techniques, combatants will explore choreography
where knives are taken away in a defensive action – as well as discovering moments
of surprise when the attacker switches the blade to the other hand. Focus will be
on listening and partnering, finding a sense of organic play, and experimentation.
Session II 10:40–12:00 Saturday
Fuhlen it
Two-Handed Sword, Amie Root
Glissade into action and yield to the fight with broadsword in hand.
SMASHer and BASHer: Intro to Sword and Shield
Sword and Shield, Brandon Brockshus
Find the OFFense and the DEfense in the double fence system of sword and shield! We
will start with the basics and build our way up to collaborative barbarity. Learn
to keep yourself, your scene partner, and the audience safe when the steel starts
flying.
Session III 1:30–2:50 Saturday
Court Spear
Staff, Mason Tyer
The smallsword is not the epitome of precision and nuance; you are, and you can be
that with any weapon. We’ll explore the finest point work this side of France, proving
elegance can be found even in a stick.
Introduction to Smallsword
Smallsword, Amie Root
Be introduced to the joyous specificity and style of Smallsword that will improve
your stage combat across the disciplines.
Session IV 3:00–4:20 Saturday
A Swashbuckling Adventure
Single Sword, Amie Root
Play with classic Hollywood stock phrases, piratey grins and an emphasis on the timing
of a grand adventure story.
Rapier AND Dagger
Rapier & Dagger, Kate Lass
Through choreography, we’ll look at all the ways you can get the dagger more involved
in the fight.
Session V 4:30–5:50
Battle Field Fights – aka – Fighting with What You’ve Got
Multiple Weapons, Brian Byrnes
Explore the scenario of what it may be like to really fight on a battlefield -- with
mismatched weapons and a multitude of possible fighting styles. A good class to work
on your partnering skills, physical listening, and safety for all the other fighters
on the stage. Also a good lesson in ways to stage battles for stage, film, motion-capture,
and other mediums.
Got No Strings On Me
Unarmed, Mason Tyer
Rag-doll physics at its grossest and silliest, from broken limbs to knockouts. Students
will practice formulating injuries and debilitating effects on their character’s body
while staying in the story. There will be some discussion of human anatomy as it experiences
blunt-force trauma.
Session VI 9:10–10:30 Sunday
Is it soup yet?
Knife, J Tipsword
This class explores a layering approach to choreographing knife fights beginning with
an extremely generic sequence and building one layer at a time.
Knap Time
Unarmed, Kate Lass
Clap knaps, body knaps, shared knaps, oh my! There are so many ways to make the sound
of impact in a fight. Let’s learn the most common options and maybe even find some
new ones!
Session VII 10:40–12:00 Sunday
TBD
Sword and Shield, Andrew Rathgeber
A sword and shield class open to all skill levels – description to come.
Quarterstaff Quarrels!
Staff, Brandon Brockshus
Pick up a six-foot stick and learn to look good moving across stage with it. Long
and short form strikes, parries, pris-de-bois, thrusts, avoids, and disarms are considered.
Take care of yourself, your scene partner(s), and your audience in staged, violent
situations.
Session VIII 1:30–2:50 Sunday
Old School Smallsword
Smallsword, J Tipsword
Featuring syncopated footwork and tight thrusts and parries, this open class demonstrates
the refined basics of this elegant weapon. Sharpen your inline steals and lunges.
Dial in your thrust, parry, riposte, and remise. Remarkable acts of swishy-pokeyness!
Simple Choreography, with Style
Singlesword, Kate Lass
Even the most basic choreography can still tell an exciting story. From rhythm changes
to vocals and more, this class explores all the elements that can make a fight dynamic
to watch on stage, no matter what the choreography is.
Session IX 3:00–4:20
Whose Line is it Anyway?
Rapier & Dagger, Andrew Rathgeber
Utilizing aikido techniques and terminologies, this class explores the advantages
(and disadvantages) of non-linear choreography. This will focus on telling better
stories in smaller spaces, or in “the round” while still implementing proper stage
combat safety standards. So often we harp on maintaining safe distance and staying
on target, but here we will play around with the opposite. There will be an aikido
element to the unarmed portion of this class.
One Shot
Two-Handed Sword, Mason Tyer
Look; if you had one shot or one opportunity to seize everything you wanted in one
moment, would you capture it or just let it slip? A fight can start and end in the
blink of an eye; it's the characters' expectation and response that share the story
with the audience. Students in the class will explore establishing the pre-fight tension
and executing fight-ending moves using foundational attacks and defenses, with an
opportunity to explore contact and non-contact kills. No pre-requisite skills are
necessary.
Session X 4:30-5:50
Quick Hands
Unarmed, J Tipsword
We will use flow drills to create partnerships and non-verbal communication while
learning cool martial artsy sequences that can be put together as frameworks for messy
hand to hand fights.
Multiple Opponents – and – the Rules of Protagonist Fighting
Singlesword, Brian Byrnes
We often see our Protagonist in a situation where they must fight Multiple Assailants,
and this class will give you the chance to be on both sides of that equation! A good
class to work on the musicality and rhythms of a sequence, partnering skills with
multiple actors, accuracy of blade-work . . . and . . . exploring the general dos
and don'ts for the Protagonist's storyline.
Who is going to teach?
Instructors at the level of Certified Teacher or above and instructors at the level of Actor-Combatant or Advanced Actor-Combatant will rotate in the roles of primary and supporting instructor. This way, there will always be 2 instructors in each classroom – 1 seasoned and 1 developing their expertise. Here is your 2024 team!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Registration coming soon!
Send inquiries to Brandon Brockshus at bmbrockshus@dmacc.edu.