We operate under the philosophy that, “Life, as in art, is a contest of generosity.” This belief lays the foundation for approaching stage combat as a magnanimous balance of safety and truth. To achieve safety we put our students’ and performers’ wellbeing as our number one concern. To acquire believability our work addresses several areas of study: precision of techniques; form and repetition; knowledge of history and weapon styles; acting skills and tactical application and choreography.

Aaron is the Founder and Grand High PooBah of the Fake Fighting Company. He is also the Mid America Regional Rep and a Certified Teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors. Aaron has received honors of Advanced Gold with Recommendation from the British Academy of Dramatic Combat where he studied in multiple weapon styles.  Aaron has completed the Society of American Fight Directors Theatrical Firearm Safety Course three times and received a Beginning Theatrical Combatant status in Broadsword, from Dueling Arts International.  In addition to his training in Tai Chi he is a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do.

Aaron has created fights for The Ordway Center for Performing Arts, The Minnesota Opera, the Guthrie Theater, The Children’s Theatre Company’s Theatre Arts Training Senior and Junior Intensive, Commonweal Theatre Company, Park Square Theatre, Theatre in the Round, Theatre Pro Rata, Red Bird Theatre, Skylark Opera, Theatre 301, Lyric Arts Company of Anoka, Six Elements Theatre Company, the University of Minnesota, Concordia University of St. Paul, Macalester College, Gustavus Adolphus College, UW Marathon County, the Saint Paul Conservatory for  Performing Artists, Visitation School/VISTA Productions, Apple Valley High School, the Main Street School of Performing Arts, as well as many other schools in the area.

Aaron has also served as Stunt Coordinator and Stunt Double for the film Profile of a Killer.  He was also a precision stunt driver for the movie Thin Ice. Other film credits include Mallrats, Memorial Day, Totally Sadie and Art.

Aaron has taught for the Saint Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists, the University of Minnesota, Concordia University of St. Paul, North Hennepin Community College, Minnesota State University Moorhead, Winona State University, Cretin-Derham Hall Theatre Department, The Guthrie Theatre, The Children’s Theatre Company, Lyric Arts Company of Anoka, Park Square Theatre, the Minnesota Thespian Festival, the Society of American Fight Directors Regional Workshops as well as other schools and institutions.

Aaron is a proud recipient of a 2008 City of Chicago Community Arts Assistance Program Grant, as well as a 2012 and 2017 Minnesota State Arts Board’s Artists Initiative Grant and the 2014 Metropolitan Arts Council’s Next Step Fund. In addition, Aaron has received the Central Illinois Stage Combat Workshop’s Nobel Blade Award and the National Stage Combat Workshop’s Award for Outstanding Performance.

As an actor Aaron has worked with Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Park Square Theatre, Thirst Theater, Illusion Theater, the Children’s Theatre Company, Minnesota Opera, Berkeley Repertory, the Court Theatre, Idaho Shakespeare Festival, among many others.  Aaron is also co-creator of An Evening of Experimental Repertory, an exploration in how the principles of Jazz can be used in creating new works of theatre.  He is a graduate of the Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre and the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

Stage Combat is...

Stage combat is a “contest of generosity”. This has been our founder’s guiding principle and our foundation based on our discoveries while teaching, directing and performing in the theatre and film industry. Stage combat fuses storytelling, compassion and the illusion of violence while minimizing the risks to performers and the audience. While an actor may be asked to punch another actor or to cut his throat, it is imperative that they take care of each other, to be aware and sensitive to each other’s boundaries, and to put their partner’s welfare in front of their own. It is these principles that make stage combat a magnanimous balance of safety and believability.