2026 tEACHING staff

Scot Mann

Scot J. Mann (he/him) is an internationally recognized and award winning Fight Master, certified through the Society of American Fight Directors and the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat. He most recently choreographed swordplay, stunts and gunplay for the multi-million dollar production of Pirates Voyage in Myrtle Beach, S.C. He and his wife, Kelly co-choreographed the world premier of Stephen King's original muscial, "Ghost Brothers of Darkling County", directed by Susan Booth at the Alliance Theatre. As a director, he received a Meritorious Achievement Award for his direction of Scapin, by the Kennedy Center/American College Theatre Festival in 2005. Scot has choreographed, performed and coached theatrical violence with such companies as The Steppenwolf Theatre, The Alliance Theatre, Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Theatrical Outfit, Georgia Shakespeare Festival, and The North Carolina School of the Arts. He has also served as an instructor for the British Academy of Stage and Screen Combat in London, and Stage Combat Deutschland in Freiberg, Germany. As an actor, Scot has appeared with the Georgia Shakespeare Festival, New American Theater, New American Shakespeare Theatre, Atlanta Opera, motion capture talent for digital media, and various voice-over recordings for radio, T.V. and the Internet. Scot appeared as a stunt-player and served as tactical choreographer and gun wrangler for the newly released movie, Eyeborgs, as well as on-set Swordmaster and stunt double for the “Bollywood” epic, Drona. Scot is an alumnus of the MFA/PAT program at The Alabama Shakespeare Festival and holds a BA in Communications and Theatre from Mercer University, where he currently serves as Director of Theatre.

Andrew Rathgeber

Andrew Rathgeber (he/him) has been working as a Chicago-based actor, fight/intimacy director, stunt performer, motion-capture and voice-over artist for over a decade. He is a fully recommended Advanced Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors, where he also serves as an elected member representative on the Board of Directors.  As the company Fight/Intimacy Director at Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, Andrew has choreographed nine productions and toured on seven more as an actor. Andrew teaches stunts and stage combat around Chicago, as well as at regional workshops and clinics around the country.

Chicago Credits: Lyric Opera, Chicago Shakespeare, Oak Park Festival Theatre, Remy Bumppo, Raven Theater, side project theatre co., Commission Theatre Co., The House,  and Haven Theatre. He is a proud member of the American Guild of Musical Artists.

Select Regional Credits: American Players, Forward Theater, Montana InSite Theatre, Bozeman Actors Theatre, Tippet Rise Art Center, and Oklahoma Shakespeare in the Parks.

Training: Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Royal Conservatory of Scotland, University of Oklahoma, Tohkon Judo Academy, and Chicago Aikikai.

David Reed

David Reed (he/him) is a director, educator, and stage movement professional currently serving as an Assistant Professor at the University of Arkansas. He has directed, choreographed, and trained professional and collegiate actors across the country, most recently working with New Stage Theatre, Theatre Squared, Orlando Rep, Theatre West End, and the Southern Appalachian Historical Association. David is an Associate member of Stage Directors and Choreographers, a Certified Teacher and Fight Director with the Society of American Fight Directors and a Certified Intimacy Director with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators.

DARRELL RUSHTON

Darrell Rushton (he/him) is a Fight Director, Certified Teacher and Theatrical Firearms Instructor with the Society of American Fight Directors, and a member since 2000. He is also a member of the Society of Directors and Choreographers, Actors Equity Association and SAG/AFTRA.

He received his MFA from Virginia Commonwealth University and has also been a guest artist at Oklahoma University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Rider University, Shenandoah Conservatory, and West Virginia University, and has taught at regional Stage Combat Workshops around the country as well as the National Stage Combat Workshop.

TV and Film appearances include Raising Heroes in NYC and Shot in the Heart directed by Agnieszka Holland for HBO Productions.in the DC/Baltimore area. Regional Theatre appearances include The Woman in Black, Hairspray, Jekyll and Hyde, Bye, Bye, Birdie, Taming of the Shrew and Brigadoon.

At Frostburg State University, Darrell teaches Directing, Acting, Stage Combat, Physical Comedy and Musical Theatre History, and was the director for PUFFS in the fall of 2024.

Recent Directing credits include directing The Taming of the Shrew at the Cumberland Theatre, and Fight Director for A Few Good Men, Evil Dead, the Musical, and The Play that Goes Wrong, all at The Cumberland Theatre.

Emily Norris

Emily Norris (she/her) is a Fight Director, Teaching Artist, and Actress based out of Central Kentucky. She originally comes from Lexington, Kentucky where she earned her Bachelor's of Arts in Theatre from the University of Kentucky. Emily has acted, taught, and fight directed all over Lexington and the surrounding areas. She then moved to Louisiana and earned her Master's of Arts in Theatre from Louisiana Tech University and worked in the area for two years. She holds the rank of Advanced Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors and is certified in 8 different stage combat weapons disciplines.

Lana Whittington

Lana (she/her, they/them) has been studying with Fight Directors Canada since 2015 and is currently in their mentorship program for a teaching certification. They are a fight director and intimacy designer for Chicago theatres as well as a theatre and dance teacher at Sarah Hall Theatre Company. Lana has also been teaching classes with her stage combat group Bold Works Combat for the past six years. Past credits include: Six Men Dressed Like Joseph Stalin at A Red Orchid Theatre and Distrikt of Lake Michigun at Stage Left Theatre.

Logan Sapp

Logan Bret Sapp (he/him/they) is a fight/movement choreographer and trained clown based out of the Southeast United States. Logan hails from Owensboro, Kentucky. He received his Bachelors of Science in Theatre from Murray State University and his Masters of Arts in Theatre from Louisiana Tech University. Logan has been blessed with his career sharing his love of Theatre and Stage Combat all over the country. He is an Advanced Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors, where he continues to train to become a Certified Teacher. He thanks his family and loved ones for their continue support in his pursuit to share his art with the world.

Diana Spiropoulos

Diana Spiropoulos (she/they) is a theatre artist with specializations in Directing and Violence Design. They hold an MFA in Directing from the University of South Dakota and the Rank of Advanced Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors. Though, with a technical theatre background, she is a generalist at heart, but their curiosity leads them to study many different and niche topics. When not studying Stage Combat or operating Ronin Theatricals, LLC, it is easy to find them reading various plays, listening to musicals, and brainstorming ideas for their next project.