ROBB HUNTER; FIGHT DIRECTOR
DIRECTOR/FIGHT DIRECTOR; Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers
CERTIFIED TEACHER; Society of American Fight Directors
PERFORMER; SAG, AFTRA, AEA
What is a Fight Director?
A Fight Director is a movement specialist trained to choreograph and direct incidents of staged violence. Most have additional training in the martial arts, dance, fencing, stunts, gymnastics, or other specialties that focus on perfecting the physical instrument. Their expertise can prove to be an invaluable asset to any production in which physicality is a vital component.
The best Fight Directors have mastered several diverse specialties and have training and experience in most, if not all, theatrical performance areas including acting, directing, dance, improvisation, voice, and mime, as well as stage combat. Dedication to their craft finds them constantly seeking new opportunities to expand and improve their abilities. Their eye for realism, theatricality and the delicate balance between the two can make even violence a thing of beauty.
My work as a Fight Director is continually informed and enriched by my training and experience as a professional actor (SAG, AFTRA, and AEA). Before choreographing my first show I had nearly a decade of theatrical experience both Off and Off-Off Broadway, at Lincoln Center, in regional theatres, summer stock theatres, and on tour as well as several television shows including Spin City and Whoopi...classical, contemporary, musicals, you name it.
I have likewise had the good fortune to direct violence in a multitude of styles and locations including outdoor Shakespeare in NYC, Italian operas in Brooklyn, large scale musicals in multimillion dollar theatres, and intimate contemporary dramas in the round. But one driving need that is present in every production, no matter what the venue or style, is “to tell the story,” a goal I always keep in sight.
Résumé in Brief
(For complete CV click here)
Training and Education
M.F.A. in Theatre Pedagogy, Virginia Commonwealth University
Acting/Directing Focus
B.A. in Theatre Performance, Minor in Dance, Radford University
Stanislavsky Based
Certified Teacher, Society of American Fight Directors
Selected Production Experience, Fight Direction
| DC Area Productions | Theatre | Director |
| Stick Fly | Arena Stage | Kenny Leon |
| Bus Stop | Olney Theatre | Austin Pendleton |
| The Alchemist | The Shakespeare Theatre | Michael Kahn |
| The Millionairess | Olney Theatre | John Going |
| Hamlet (assistant FD to David Leong @ CB) | The Shakespeare Theatre | Alexander Burns |
| The Heavens are Hung in Black | Ford’s Theatre | Stephen Rayne |
| In the Heart of America | Rep Stage | Kasi Campbell |
| A Little Night Music | CENTERSTAGE | Mark Lamos |
| True West | Bay Theatre | Lois Evans |
| Fool for Love | Spooky Action Theatre | Kasi Campbell |
| Macbeth | Baltimore Shakespeare Theatre | Tony Tsendeas |
| The Heidi Chronicles | Arena Stage | Tazewell Thompson |
| Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune | Arena Stage | David Muse |
| Noises Off | Arena Stage | Jonathan Munby |
| 13 Rue de L’Amour | Olney Theatre | John Going |
| Oliver! | Olney Theatre | Brad Watkins |
| Carousel | Olney Theatre | Brad Watkins |
| Dark Rapture | Spooky Action Theatre | Paul Takacs |
| View from a Bridge (asst. to David Leong | Arena Stage | Daniel Aukin |
| Death of a Salesman (asst. to David Leong) | Arena Stage | Timothy Bond |
| Deathtrap | Bay Theatre | James Phillips |
| Nothing Sacred | Firebelly Productions | Robb Hunter |
| One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest | Firebelly Productions | Kathi Gollwitzer |
| To Kill a Mockingbird | Firebelly Productions | Kathi Gollwitzer |
| Les Liaisons Dangereuses | Actors Theatre of Washington | L. Mikeska Gardner |
| New York/Regional Productions | ||
| Love Child (New York Premiere) | Theatre Harlem | James Pringle |
| Cyrano | Chekhov Theatre Ensemble | Floyd Rumohr |
| A Soldier’s Play | Black Spectrum Theatre | Carl Clay |
| Otello | Regina Opera | Linda Lehr |
| Carmen | Regina Opera | Linda Lehr |
| I Pagliacci | Regina Opera | Linda Lehr |
| Henry VI, part I | Artemis and the Wild Things | Linda Lehr |
| The Winter’s Tale (2002 oobr award winner) | The Bard’s Wench | Alexandra Ornitz |
| Hamlet | Castle Shakespeare Repertory | Stan Barber |
| Romeo and Juliet | Castle Shakespeare Repertory | Stan Barber |
| Macbeth | Castle Shakespeare Repertory | Stan Barber |
| Complete Works of William Shakespeare | Castle Shakespeare Repertory | Stan Barber |
| Shakespeare Faire (R&J) | New Perspectives Theatre | Melody Brooks |
| The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe | Charlotte Children’s Theatre | Alan Poindexter |
The Word on the Street
"...visually stunning battle scenes, using a variety of rather nasty looking weapons of individual destruction..."
Broadway World.com
("Macbeth" 2007, Baltimore Shakespeare Festival)
“The performers execute the numerous pratfalls with alarming authenticity and are always in control...”
Washington Times
(“Noises Off” 2006, Arena Stage)
"The sword fights are brutal and dangerous-looking, especially the final one between Macbeth and MacDuff (Robb Hunter)... And indeed, there's a delightful surplus of blood in this production...”
Baltimore City Paper
("Macbeth" 2007, Baltimore Shakespeare Festival)
“It is one of a hundred superb decisions on [director] Campbell’s part, including superbly choreographed movement (Robb Hunter does the fight choreography).”
DC Theatre Scene
(“Fool for Love” 2008, Spooky Action Theatre)
“Fight director, Robb Hunter, really made the action scenes quite credible - which was difficult considering how physical the scenes were.”
DC Theatre Scene
(“True West” 2008, Bay Theatre)
“The production under Robb Hunter making his Potomac Region directorial debut is a diverting and entertaining evening of substantial theater blending a light comic touch with undercurrents of tragedy which, after all, is the hallmark of Russian literature.”
Potomac Stages
(“Nothing Sacred” 2007, Firebelly Productions)
“Robb Hunter is making his local debut as a director, but it is certainly not the first time his name has shown up in the programs of local theatergoers. It's just that, until now, the credit has been "Fight Direction" or "Fight Choreography" rather than "Director." As you might expect from someone who has been on the choreographic side of productions before, Hunter brings an eye for use of the stage space to this mounting.”
Connection Newspapers
(“Nothing Sacred” 2007, Firebelly Productions)
"I have to tell you - the fights are amazing...the designers were absolutely rocked back in their seats in shock at the strangling scene. Thanks – it is going to be a great production.”
Tupper Stevens, Stage Manager
(“Deathtrap” 2006, Bay Theatre)
“Robb, when I interviewed you for the job of fight director, I had a feeling you were good. Then…I knew. Every day after that, watching your combat, has been a marvel.”
James Pringle, Artistic Director
(“Love Child” 2003, New York Premiere, Harlem Theatre Company)