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Benjamin  Curns  Fight  Director  &  Stage  Combat  Instructor                                                                                                            

(646)  415-­‐4700                  benjamincurns@gmail.com  I  am  a  certified  actor  combatant  with  experience  staging  violence  in  plays  from  different  eras  and  with  actors  of  varying  ages  and  experience  levels.  Productions  I  have  worked  on  have  featured  both  classic  and  modern  weapons  as  well  as  unarmed  techniques.  I  believe  in  keeping  safety  as  the  utmost  concern  while  using  stage  violence  to  develop  both  characterization  and  plot.  

Selected  Professional  Credits:                    

• PlayMakers  Repertory  Company,  Chapel  Hill,  NC  Disgraced  (September  2014)  dir:  Shishir  Kurup  The  show  calls  for  a  brief  unarmed  phrase  where  Amir  savagely  attacks  his  wife,  Emily  in  the  play’s  climax.  The  phrase  also  called  for  working  in  a  thrust  configuration,  using  the  set’s  furniture  within  the  fight,  and  blood  effects.  Also  served  as  production’s  fight  captain.    Peter  &  The  StarCatcher  (November  2014)  dir:  Brendon  Fox  Served  as  assistant  to  production  Movement  coach  in  all  physical  aspects,  but  chiefly  in  choreographing  the  climactic  duel  between  our  hero  Peter  Pan  and  his  nemesis  Black  Stache.  The  duel  was  fought  with  an  umbrella  and  straight  razor  and  therefore  maintained  an  element  of  real  danger  while  preserving  a  comic,  child-­‐friendly  tone.  Also  served  as  production  Fight  Captain.    Midsummer  Night’s  Dream  (dir:  Shana  Cooper);  Enemy  of  the  People  (dir:  Tom  Quaintance)  Served  as  production  fight  captain  for  both  productions  throughout  the  run  of  each  show.  Dream  consisted  of  comic  violence  with  leaps,  holds,  and  some  dueling  with  kitchen  equipment  while  Enemy  employed  only  some  pushing,  shoving,  and  threatening  with  a  cane.      

• American  Shakespeare  Center,  Staunton,  VA  (selected)  Julius  Caesar  (National  Tour  2015-­‐2016)                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                Elizabethan  setting  with  red  ribbon  blood  effects  and  single  sword  served  as  production  director.  

Macbeth  (6/14-­‐12/14)  dir:  Jim  Warren                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Dark  ages  setting  employed  broadswords,  practical  torches  as  weapons,  multiple  attackers  against  one  opponent,  and  unarmed  phrases  incorporating  traditional  and  modern  martial  arts.  

Romeo  &  Juliet  (6/13-­‐12/13)  dir:  Jim  Warren  Modern  Dress  production  with  street  weapons  (brass  knuckles,  butterfly  knife,  etc)  as  well  as  more  traditional  sword  play.  Also  incorporated  bladed  glove  for  Tybalt  (see  Publications).    Othello    (National  Tour  2013-­‐2014)  dir:  Jim  Warren  Traditional  dress  production  incorporating  drunken  sword  play  and  a  variety  of    inter-­‐gender  unarmed  techniques.  

 

   

 

 

 

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• Live  Arts,  Charlottesville,  VA  Henry  IV  (7/10)  dir;  Sara  Holdren  Conflation  of  both  parts  of  Shakespeare’s  history  saga  featuring  physical  comedy,  many  female  combatants,  medieval  weapons,  a  period  pistol,  and  climactic  dagger  duel  in  a  small  semi-­‐thrust  space.    Superior  Donuts  (7/11)  dir;  Chris  Baumer  Collaboration  with  Jeremy  L.  West  on  climactic  fight  between  hired  thug  and  older  gentleman.  Fight  featured  unarmed  sequences  as  well  as  use  of  found  objects  (forks,  hot  coffee,  napkin  dispenser)  as  weapons  in  an  intimate  space.    

Instructor  Credits:                    

• Univeristy  of  North  Carolina,  Chapel  Hill  (1/11/16-­‐Present)  Chief  Instructor  for  DRA  135,  Acting  for  Non-­‐Majors.  1/3  of  semester  is  spent  working  elementary  unarmed  techniques:  slaps,  punches,  blocks,  etc.  Unit  culminates  in  performance  of  short  phrase  with  dialogue.  Also  served  as  fight  choreographer  for  undergraduate  productions  of  As  You  Like  it  (dir:  Hope  Davis)  and  The  Will  of  Bernard  Boynton    (dir:  Kathryn  Hunter-­‐Williams).    

• American  Shakespeare  Center  Theatre  Camp    (2010-­‐2015)  Chief  Instructor  and  resident  fight  choreographer  for  high-­‐school  age  Shakespeare  camp  associated  with  American  Shakespeare  Center.  Elementary  unarmed  techniques,  basic  knife-­‐fighting,  and  staging  fights  for  camp  productions  including  Titus  Andronicus,  Macbeth,  2  Henry  IV,  Cymbeline,  and  Othello.  

 

Publications:                    

• ‘Tis Pity We Open in Ten Days, The Fight Master Fall/Winter 2007 pp.25-27 An exploration of actor-created choreography for early modern productions based on textual clues.  

• Instant Prince of Cats, The Fight Master Fall/Winter 2014 pp.27-29 A documentation of the use of a cat-like glove for the character of Tybalt in Romeo & Juliet and how this untraditional weapon was supported through text and casting “against type”.  

• Determined To Prove a Villain, The Playhouse Insider Fall 2014 An analysis of character backgrounds, personality tropes, and relationships resulting in villainy.  

Stage  Combat  Training:                    

NATIONAL STAGE COMBAT WORKSHOP WINSTON-SALEM, NC (7/2016) Broadsword: David Brimmer, Recommended Pass, Winner: Best Scene Rapier/Dagger: Dale Girrard, Recommended Pass Master Classes in Knife (Jason Tate) Master Class: Quarterstaff (Mike Lupke) Unarmed: Richard Raether, Recommended Pass, Winner David L Boushey Founder’s Award, Excellence in Unarmed Combat VIRGINIA BEACH BASH, VIRGINIA BEACH, VA (4/2015) Unarmed Renewal: Bob Aronson, Recommended Pass Master Classes in Sword and Shield, Single Sword, SWAT Technique, Krav Maga

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MARY BALDWIN UNIVERSITY, STAUNTON, VA Knife and Single Sword Renewal: JP Schiedler, (12/13, Recommended Passes) Unarmed: JP Schiedler, Recommended Pass (12/12) Single Sword: Colleen Kelly (2007: Recommended Pass, 2010: Basic Pass) SUMMER SLING, NEW YORK, NY (2005) Rapier/Dagger: Denise Hurd, Basic Pass Knife: Michael Johnson, Basic Pass Further  Education  &  Training:                    

American Freestyle Karate (7/12-5/15) John Bowersox, Master Instructor. Black belt achieved May 2015. UNC Chapel Hill Professional Actor Training Program MFA Candidate 2017 Acting: Ray Dooley, Julia Gibson Suzuki & Viewpoints: Maria Enriquez Clown: Zachary Michael Fine Voice & Speech: John Patrick Juggling, Mask Work: Craig Turner Master Classes: Faye Simpson, Scott Miller SUNY Cortland (12/1999) BA in History/Secondary Social Studies with Student Teaching Practicum; minor in Theatre Performance Member/Chapter President of the Gamma Epsilon chapter of Alpha Psi Omega, the national dramatics Honor Society (Responsibilities included budgeting for student productions, selection of season titles, running weekly meetings) American Academy of Dramatic Art (summer 1998) Summer Training intensive with emphasis on Meisner Technique Acting: Kent Paul Movement: Liz Shipman Voice & Speech: Paige Clements Singing: John Bayliss References:                    

Jim Warren, Artistic Director American Shakespeare Center (540) 885-5588 Sara Holdren, Freelance Director/Artistic Director, Tiltyard Theater (434) 825-4788 Jeremy L. West, Director of Theatre Programs Stuart Hall (570) 238-2522 Lia Wallace, Director of College Prep & ASC Theatre Camp (267) 974-2273