2022 Associate Instructors
Sam-Claire Bieber
Sam-Claire Bieber is an actor, director, and movement artist currently based out of Lexington, KY. She holds a BA in Theatre and English from the University of Kentucky where she was the Founder and President of Brat Pack Stage Combat. She has previously worked at The Lonestar Smash and National Stage Combat Workshop. Fight Direction credits include: University of Kentucky Opera, Star City Shakespeare, AthensWest Theatre, and Afterculture Theatre. Her next proudest achievement is her impression of a crow.
Montgomery Davis
Montgomery (Monty) Davis (They/She) is an actor and violence/intimacy choreographer based in Atlanta GA and the southeast. When not working as an artist themselves they work as a teaching artist. Their main goals are to help facilitate and create safe spaces for collaborative and transformative work; especially with young marginalized artists. They are a current advanced actor combatant with the SAFD and a level 3 student with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators. Some of their recent credits include “The Moors” (Pumphouse Players), “Fun Home” (Emory), “She Kills Monsters” (Decatur High School) as a choreographer and The role of Banquo in “Macbeth 60” at the Shakespeare Tavern. They are so excited to be getting to come back up north and see some of the people who started their journey into this work, and can’t wait to welcome others into it.
Tom Ringberg
Tom Ringberg is Stunt Coordinator, Fight Choreographer, and an Advanced Actor Combatant with Society of American Fight Directors in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Tom specializes in fight choreography and is a weapons specialist and firearms instructor. Tom's recent work is on the set of Sanctified, in North Dakota coordinating and choreographing multiple firearm shoot outs. As well as working as History Channel ‘I Was There’ working as the Stunt Coordinator and armorer for the series. Tom also works as Firearms instructor at The Modern Sportsman, teaching the fundamentals of firearm safety. As Fight Choreographer Tom has worked with the Minnesota Opera choreographing multiple scenes of violence for various productions such as: The Fix, Rigoletto, Dead Man Walking, and assisted Fight Choreographer and fight Captain for Silent Night. As well as other Theatre companies around the Twin Cities area. Tom teaches at Art in Arms as an Associate Instructor with SAFD Fight Director Mike Lubke. Teaching a variety of classes such as: Whip, Fighting for Film, Along with assisting in teaching Skill and Proficiency classes. Tom also teaches at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatre for the youth summer camp.
Matthew Smith
M. Smith Fraser is an Actor, Teacher, and Fight Choreographer based in the Twin Cities. Working with both Dueling Arts International and the Society of American Fight Directors he has honed his craft throughout the midwest. Matt holds a Bachelor of Arts in Theater from the University of Minnesota Duluth and a Masters in Acting from Wayne State University In Detroit Michigan. When not acting, he enjoys training in Viking Martial Arts, eating mochi ice cream, and snuggling cats!
Mason Tyer