John Nelles given Henry Marshall Memorial Award
The College of Fight Masters is pleased to announce that they have given the Henry Marshall Memorial Award to John Nelles. The Henry Marshall Memorial Award is granted in recognition of Inspiration, Vision, and Excellence in the building and promotion of the art form and it’s history in a spirit of generosity, sharing and the nurturing of new talents. A recipient of the Henry Marshall is an example of outstanding human kindness, diplomacy, humanity for all and model citizenship. It is the highest honour granted to an individual at the national or international level by Fight Directors, Canada and is given only when warranted.
For over 40 years now, John Nelles has been exploring the Art and Craft of Stage Combat. He got hooked on it during a workshop with Sir David Suchet, who was in residence at the University of Iowa, during his undergraduate studies. When he returned to Iowa for his MFA, he studied with Michael Sokoloff, and got Certified with Distinction into the SAFD, and studied with Joseph Martinez, and others, where he also met “the Dean”, Paddy Crean. He was then tasked with developing and integrating a course for undergraduate Stage Combat, and also Fight Directing all the shows for the next two years at Iowa, including the new Iowa Shakespeare Festival.
After graduation, he headed north to join the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, in Canada, where he continued training with Paddy Crean, and met his dear friend J.P Fornier, who took him under his wing as an assistant. Soon after he joined and Certified with Distinction, and achieved Fight Instructor and Director status with Fight Directors Canada, studying with Paddy, JP, and Robert Seale, Jean Francois Gagnon, Gary Foo, and also taught at National workshops, and was Fight Director at the Shaw Festival for 5 seasons, and many other theatres in Toronto. He taught and developed Stage Combat at the George Brown Theatre School for 12 years, as well as workshops for the National Ballet of Canada’s Youth program, the Canadian Opera Company, Theatre Ontario, and served twice as an advisor to develop the Ontario Ministry of Labour Guidelines for Live Performance.
He has been a member of the Directors and Choreographer’s Committee for Canadian Actor’s Equity for some 30 years, and was instrumental in developing a specific contract for Fight Directors in professional Equity theatres, as well as decades as a Vice President and Union Liaison for FDC. For 12 years he served on ACTRA Toronto, and National Council, and has been on and chaired numerous committees there. He loves many aspects of the work, and also the support and friendship of many members, and his close colleagues: Simon Fon, and Daniel Levinson, along with many friends and students over the years. This honor was a complete surprise for which he is deeply touched and truly grateful.
