WINTER WONDERLAND WORKSHOP COORDINATORS

JOHN TOVAR (Coordinator) – John is an actor, fight choreographer, an SAFD Certified Teacher and currently serves as their Vice-President. He holds a Bachelors degree in performance from Illinois State University, where he was the recipient of the prestigious Jean Scharfenberg Acting Award. John has taught stage combat at DePaul University, Illinois State University, Ball State University, The Actor’s Gymnasium, and was a Guest Artist at Roosevelt University. He has also taught at The Winter Wonderland Workshop (where he is the Coordinator), Seattle Sockeye, Rumble in the Rockies, Havoc in the Heartland, and the North Carolina School of the Arts Summer Session: Introduction to Stage Combat. Currently, John teaches theatre courses at the College of DuPage and stage combat at Elgin Community College. Selected productions that John has choreographed include Accomplice and Ruthless: The Musical (Noble Fool Theatricals), Temporary Help and Communicating Doors (Buffalo Theatre Ensemble), Robin Hood and The Glory of Living (College of DuPage), Bat Boy: The Musical (Ball State University), and Cyrano de Bergerac (Independent Players). Selected roles include Dr. Caius in The Merry Wives of Windsor (Illinois Shakespeare Festival), Ronald in The Altruists (Mary-Arrchie Theatre Co.), Gerstein in Ghetto (Famous Door Theatre Co.), Dr. Astrov in Uncle Vanya and James in That Championship Season (Independent Players). John resides in St. Charles with his wonderful wife, Colleen.

GREG POLJACIK (Asst. Coordinator) - Greg received his training from a burly fight guru named Gregg Lloyd at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, VA (that's in the very southeast corner right by Virginia Beach, a bunch of warships and a very large shipbuilding crane). In the four years he has been in Chicago he has choreographed over 25 shows with a wide range of theatre companies. He has been a teaching assistant at March Madness 2009 in Cincinnati, as well as assistant to Neil Massey at Roosevelt University, and is the founder of Fight Jam Chicago, a free monthly stage combat workshop (www.fightjamchicago.com). Greg also makes swords with Neil at Rogue Steel...that's right, swords.

DC WRIGHT (Asst. Coordinator) – D.C. Wright has been directing fights and teaching stage combat to others for over twelve years. Recent professional credits include the Off-Broadway production of The Blowin' of Baile Gall at the Donaghy Theatre in the Irish Arts Center, Of Mice and Men and Romeo and Juliet at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre, and Macbeth, Henry VIII, and Twelfth Night at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival. He has also been busy at in academic circles as well directing fights for Communicating Doors, The Monument, Henry IV pt.1, and Zastrozzi at Western Illinois University, as well as Romeo and Juliet for the University of Kansas. D.C. also helped direct and performed in two wild west stunt shows for an amusement park in Taiwan. D.C. has taught combat classes at institutions around the country including Brigham Young University, University of Utah, Boston University, Emerson College, Ball State University, Western Illinois University, Colorado College, and Dixie College, as well as at several local, regional, and national workshops including the SAFD’s NSCW, Winter Wonderland, Rumble in the Rockies, Boston Tea Party, Las Vegas Winter Workshop, and the Eureka College Combat Workshop. D.C. holds a Master of Fine Arts from the Boston University’s School of Theater Arts Professional Theatre Training Program, and a BA in Theatre from Brigham Young University. D.C. is an Associate Professor at Western Illinois University where he is the Head of Movement/Stage Combat. D.C. has a beautiful wife, Heather, two of the cutest girls you have ever seen, and a brand new baby boy, born with a sword in his hand.

CLAIRE YEARMAN (Asst. Coordinator) – 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. She has been a teaching assistant and teacher at March Madness 2009 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 Dominican University, Oakton Community College, Harper College, Elgin Community College and Steel Beam Theatre. Additionally, she is an adjunct professor at College of DuPage and the operations associate for Noble Fool Theatricals. Claire is also an actor. Some of her favorite roles have been Anne is Murdering Marlowe, Claire in Proof, and Alice Beane in Titanic.

ADAM MILLER-BATTEAU (Asst. Coordinator) – Adam is an actor, director, and fight director residing in Chicago. He is a graduate from the University of Michigan where he received a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Theater Performance and got the opportunity to study stage combat with Erik Fredricksen. Adam is a  recognized Advanced Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors and has choreographed over 20 shows since college.  Previous favorite credits include Mud People(Mary-Arrchie Theater Co.), Romeo & Juliet (Purple Bench Productions), As You Like It(Shakespeare in the Arb), Glory of Living (Basement Arts), and Playing for Time (University Productions – Grand Opening of the Arthur Miller Theater).

CHRISTOPHER ELST (Webmaster) - Christopher Elst spends whatever time he has left after programming websites (for Milwaukee-based GS Design) acting and performing stage combat. He is an Advanced Actor Combatant with the SAFD, as well as having training in Tae Kwon Do and Krav Maga. He choreographs and instructs all different skill levels and ages across the greater Milwaukee area, and hopes to bring a stronger SAFD presence to the Dairy State.