2010 Carnage Staff
2010 Teaching Assistants
Alec Barbour - Advanced Actor Combatant
Alec Barbour is a New York City based Actor, Combatant, and Playwright. He has done choreography for the Wit's End Players productions of The Fantasticks (protip: do not make your first attempt at fight choreography a four-way swordfight that has to be in time with music) and Sweeney Todd, in which he played Matt and Anthony, respectively. He choreographed Macbeth at the Roxy Regional Theatre in Tennessee, and is currently working on The Metamorphosis at the Hackley School in Tarrytown, New York. He recently finished writing a stage adaptation of Dracula, and is currently looking for producers . . .
Melissa Bennett - Advanced Actor Combatant
Melissa Bennett (aka Melba) is an Advanced Actor Combatant who has been training with the SAFD since 2001. She is currently enjoying being a theatre gypsy in Cincinnati, OH, teaching workshops and choreographing shows. Most recently, she choreographed Macbeth for the School for Creative and Performing Arts and Cyrano: Rehearsed for New Edgecliff. When there's not a sword in her hand, she can be found with a paintbrush or drill gun wherever there's a set to be built. In years past, Melba has TA'd at Winter Wonderland in Chicago and the Cincinnati workshop formerly known as *March Madness,* and is very happy Mr. Speck has allowed her to join the Carnage team for the first time.
Craig Lawrence - Advanced Actor Combatant
Craig Lawrence is a stage combat instructor from the Washington DC area and is excited to have been invited to the Carnage workshop for a third time. He's made it his mission in life to master and teach every fictional fighting style he can get his hands on, and he is thrilled that Mr. Speck continues to entertain this madness. An Advanced Actor/combatant for several years now, he relishes every chance he gets to travel and teach his craft, having taught at workshops in New York, Virginia Beach, Chicago and Seattle. When not immersed in the fight world, he spends his time collecting weapons, watching action movies and photographing action sequences (...oh...wait a second...). Follow Craig's adventures at www.fightguycl.weebly.com.
Alex Miller - Advanced Actor Combatant
Mr. Miller is currently an Assistant Professor in the Theatre and Dance Department at Millikin University. As a professional actor, director, and fight choreographer, he continues to work in theatres from coast to coast. Mr. Miller’s numerous regional credits include: Antonio in The Merchant of Venice, Trinculo in The Tempest, Bernard in Arcadia, and Duke Senior in As You Like It, and Charlie in The Foreigner. As a superhero, he lives in and defends Decatur, IL with his lovely wife Angie, son Aidan, and cute dog Grace. During his down time, he enjoys putting sugar back into sugar packets and sparking the debate on who is/was the greater actor - Corey Haim or Corey Feldman.
Amie Root - Advanced Actor Combatant
Amie Root is an Actor, Fighter, Friend and Waitress. She enjoys puddle jumping, star gazing, and discovering the coolest (not always most efficient) way to kill a person all underscored by a Howard Shore Lord of the Rings Soundtrack. However, her absolute favorite activity is teaching stage combat surrounded and supported by her tremendously talented friends and coworkers. She also has an affinity toward sword play with pool noodles, and an abundance of tomfoolery to give. She is excited and prepared to go on many an adventure crossing blades this year in the land of corn; the previous two years have not let her down.
Jason Tipsword - Advanced Actor Combatant
Jason Tipsword is a fight guy/ action-nerd living in Iowa City. He began his training with the Society in 2001, and attended the National Workshop in 2003-2005. He has worked with many regional and community theaters in eastern Iowa as well as touring. Jason's stage combat interests focus around unarmed groundwork, mass battle choreo, and applications of modern police/military tactics with theatrical firearms work. When not being theatrical, he enjoys In-line hockey, airsoft, and his xbox. Jason is very excited to see all his old Carnage friends and make some new ones.
Claire Yearman - Advanced Actor Combatant
Claire is an Advanced Actor Combatant with the SAFD. She began her training with DC Wright at Western Illinois University where she completed her MFA in acting. This July she was an intern at the National Stage Combat Workshop in Winston-Salem NC. She has been a teaching assistant and teacher at March Madness 2009 & 2010 in Cincinnati and has been a teaching assistant to John Tovar at College of Dupage, Noble Fool Theatricals and Elgin Community College. She has had the pleasure of choreographing fights for Red Tape Theatre, Dominican University, Oakton Community College, Harper College, Elgin Community College and Steel Beam Theatre. She is an adjunct professor at College of DuPage, instructor at Metropolis Performing Arts Center and an assistant coordinator of the Winter Wonderland Workshop. Claire is also an actor. Some of her favorite roles have been Anne is Murdering Marlowe, Claire in Proof, and Alice Beane in Titanic.