Leadership

President, Founding Member

Adam Konowe began learning stage combat more than two decades ago when he served as an assistant director and minor actor in a Reston, Virginia production of “that Scottish play which goes unnamed.” He emerged unharmed, but hooked on stage combat. As a founding member of the Noble Blades, Adam has studied numerous weapon styles under a variety of fight masters, fight directors and certified teachers from the Society of American Fight Directors. Beginning in 1995 and continuing through the mid-2000s, he passed a series of SAFD skills proficiency tests and renewals, topping out at five disciplines (unarmed combat, broadsword, rapier and dagger, small sword and quarterstaff). Along the way, Adam has choreographed the fights for more than 20 professional, community and educational-level productions, as well as conducted stage combat workshops throughout the Washington, D.C. area and as far afield as England and New Zealand. Beyond stage combat, Adam is also an award-winning director and lighting designer. He holds multiple “real world” jobs to subsidize his addiction to theatre.

Vice President

Karen Schlumpf is a recognized Actor/Combatant, proficient in eight weapon styles by the Society of American Fight Directors. Her acting experience has included Isobel Bridie in An Experiment with an Air Pump (RCP), Maria Rainer in The Sound of Music (SP), Julia in Two Gentlemen of Verona (RCP), Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible (SP), and Det. Sgt. Troughton in Run for Your Wife (RCP). Karen on occasion also sits in the director’s chair. She has directed several productions including Laughing Stock (RCP), Forever Plaid (RCP), A Midsummer’s Night Dream (SP) and Murder in the News (SP).

Managing Director

Ian Claar is a fight choreographer, intimacy choreographer, lighting designer, and teaching artist based in Northern Virginia. He has been actively involved in the performing arts community for the past 17 years throughout Virginia’s educational, community, regional theatres. He has studied the art of stage combat since 2013, and continues to train, choreograph and educate. In addition to being part of the Noble Blades leadership, he has a degree in Design and Technical Theatre from Christopher Newport University, is an Advanced Actor/Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors, a 2024 Fight Director Workshop Candidate, and is a proud member of I.A.T.S.E., Local 22 and Associate Member of SDC.

Fight directions include A Midsummer Night’s Dream [NextStop Theatre], The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged) [StageCoach Theatre], Einstein’s Wife [ExPats Theater DC], She Kills Monsters [DCI Dragon Theatre], and The Game’s Afoot [Reston Players] (WATCH Award Winner for outstanding Stage Combat Choreography).

Photo Credit: FightGuy Photography

Armourer, Treasurer

Kaitlyn De Litta is excited to explore her passion for safety, stage combat, and stage weaponry with the Noble Blades, while bringing her experience as a props artisan and stage manager to the troupe. Raised as a Loudoun County local, Kaitlyn began her theatrical career with the theatre department at Woodgrove High School, but didn’t realize theatre was her passion until working on ‘The 39 Steps’ with Run Rabbit Run Theatre in 2013. It was then that she decided to pursue live entertainment as a career, and graduated in 2018 with a BFA in Theatre Design and Production with an emphasis in Stage Management from Shenandoah Conservatory in Winchester, Va. After graduation, Kaitlyn began working as the over-hire Props Runner at Signature Theatre, and has since accepted the position full time. Between shows at Signature, Kaitlyn has been able to work at multiple venues in the DC area, and has various production credits from Studio Theatre, Synetic Theatre, DC Capital Fringe Festival, Georgetown Preparatory School, and Adventure Theatre. She is also proud to be a new member of IATSE Local 22. Her debut with Reston Community Players came when she served as the Weapons Master on ‘The Game’s Afoot’ in February 2020. Kaitlyn hopes that her position on the board of directors lends unique perspective and experience to a noble and exciting mission.

Secretary

Katie is honored to be serving on the board of the Noble Blades. She was introduced to the world of stage combat by Brad Waller at age 16. Since that time she has studied with multiple fight masters, teachers and at multiple workshops, working to become a better practitioner of this art form. Workshops include Winter Wonderland, The Cheesesteak, Beach Bash and Tourist Trap, as well in Banff, Canada with the International Order of the Sword and the Pen. Instructors include Robb Hunter, Patrick Kelly, Richard Ryan, Ian Roe, Tonia Sina, Siobhan Richardson and Casey Kaleba. Katie has also spent time training with the DC Stunt Coalition and with Joseph Myers of Dueling Artists International. Local choreography and teaching includes Sterling Community Players, Paul VI Catholic High School and FCPS Institute for the Arts. She has also spent 5 seasons performing at the Maryland Renaissance Festival and 6 seasons at the Virginia Renaissance Faire as the assistant fight master.

Board Member

Mallory Shear is a DC based Fight & Intimacy Choreographer, Performer and Teaching Artist. Select Fight and Intimacy Choreography credits at Arena Stage, Olney Theatre, Chesapeake Shakespeare Company, Keegan Theatre, We Happy Few, Studio Theatre Acting Conservatory, Iron Crow Theatre, Baltimore Shakespeare Factory, and The Strand Theatre. With over two decades of teaching experience, they have taught and choreographed at learning institutions such as American University, St. Mary's College of Maryland, McDaniel College, The Madeira School, Holton Arms, The Landon School, and Howard Community College, among many others. They are a Resident Teaching Artist with Signature Theatre, and also teach with The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Baltimore Shakespeare Factory, Adventure Theatre, and Imagination Stage. Select Performance Credits: Washington National Opera, Shakespeare Theatre of New Jersey, Adventure Theatre, Live Action Theatre, Baltimore Shakespeare Factory, The Strand Theatre, Horwitz Performing Arts Center, Maryland Renaissance Festival, et al. They were the recipient of The Kennedy Center ACTF Certificate for Excellence in Fight Choreography in 2019. They are an Advanced Actor Combatant with the SAFD, an Intermediate Actor Combatant with FDC, and did their stunt training in the UK and Ireland. Mallory has had the immense honor of teaching at many regional stage combat workshops, serving as Head TA at The Summer Sling, and Assistant Coordinator/Head TA at the VA Beach Bash. Mallory is a proud associate member of SDC, a board member of The Noble Blades and Owner/Founder of ShearCombat, LLC.

Senior Adviser

Robb Hunter is a fight master and theatrical firearms instructor for the Society of American Fight Directors, as well as a long-time member of AEA, SAG/AFTRA and the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society. Robb is also honored to serve on the Governing Body as fight director representative. Professionally, he is an award-winning movement and fight director and has choreographed violence/movement for many D.C. theatres including The Shakespeare Theatre, Arena Stage, Center Stage, Washington National Opera, Woolly Mammoth Theatre, Ford’s Theatre, The Studio Theatre, Olney Theatre, The Baltimore Shakespeare Festival, Rep Stage, and Washington Shakespeare Company, among others. Robb holds an MFA in theatre pedagogy from the Virginia Commonwealth University and is currently the combat instructor for the Shakespeare Theatre’s one-year intensive MFA program, the Academy for Classical Acting. He is also an artist in residence at American University where he choreographs, directs and has taught movement, mime, stage combat, acting and various sections of theatre history. In addition, he teaches stage combat for McDaniel College, the MFA program at Catholic University and he is a teaching artist for The Shakespeare Theatre and for the Acting Conservatory at The Studio Theatre. When he is not teaching or directing violence he is “enabling” it through his theatrical weapons rental company, Preferred Arms, Inc., which supplies swords, knives and assault rifles to theatres and universities nationwide (www.preferredarms.com). Before becoming a professional fight director, Robb was an actor in New York and was fortunate enough to have spent an amazing three years working with Michael J. Fox as his stand-in and stunt double and a season annoying Whoopi Goldberg with his horrible Persian accent.