The Company:

Mike Lubke (He/Him) is a co-founding member of Six Elements, and has been the resident fight director for his entire tenure. In addition to performing on occasion, he is the creator of the annual (now independent) Human Combat Chess show, and spends the other half of the year playing jack-of-all-trades to help the season go. He was central to bringing the Brawl of America to 6E as an ongoing project and has been vital in driving the company’s focus towards stage combat and intimacy direction.

Outside of Six Elements, Mike works regularly as an award-winning fight director/choreographer for stage and screen. He is the founder of Art In Arms LLC, a stage combat choreography and training enterprise that has grown to one of the premier private studios in the country.

Mike graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2009 with a BA in Theatre Arts and is Certified Teacher/Fight Director with the Society of American Fight Directors. He has served as their Fight Director Representative on their governing body since 2022. He spends what free time he has gaming (of both the computer and tabletop varieties) and immersing himself in a variety of things involving fighting and/or swords. It's kind of a unifying theme.

Stephanie "George" Miller (They/Them) has been working in the theatre community in Minneapolis since 2003. George has worked with both small and large companies and in 2010 they co-founded Six Elements Theatre. Since then, they have fulfilled many roles for Six Elements including stage management for Twelfth Night, The Pillowman, Valhalla, Zastrozzi, and Human Combat Chess 2011, 2012, & 2013.

George graduated in 2010 from the University of Minnesota with a BA in Theatre Arts. In addition to theatre, George enjoys playing the guitar, board games, and planning which crazy skills to introduce their son to first (sword fighting is currently winning).

Jess Passaro (They/She) joined the 6E company in 2020, and is a maker (director/artist), a performer (actor/singer/dancer), a spouse, a cat parent, and a writer/ voracious reader. They have performed locally with; Uprising Theatre Co, Festival Theatre, Six Elements, Walking Shadow, Cardinal Theatricals, CLIMB Theatre, and in MN Fringe shows: with Tromp'L'oeil, SPOG Theatre, and SAVAALI. Jess is not actually magical but did appear in MN's LGBTQIA web series Legacy as the Goddess Artemis. She has also performed at/ with; Sundog Theater, Snug Harbor Theater, SI Shakespearean Theatre, Kill-Her Entertainment, and The Studio Theater in NYC, Signature Theatre and Shenandoah Summer Music Theatre in Virginia, and The Way-Off Broadway Theater in Maryland.

Jess has a BFA in Music Theatre from Shenandoah University, and they have served the theater world in a multitude of capacities including; Business Manager: CLIMB Theatre, Business Affairs Manager/ Associate Producer: Cardinal Theatricals, Director: Eden Prairie Players, Growing Stage Theatre Co., SI Shakespearean Theatre; Vocal Director: Merrill Arts Center; Assistant Director & Assistant Stage Manager: Pluto Productions/ The New End Theatre @The Grace and The Kings Head Theatres, London; Stage Manager: Actors Theatre of Snug Harbor, Sundog Theatre, Kill-Her Entertainment, OLSS Theatre, SI Shakespearean Theatre; Run Crew: St. Louis Rep. Jess also makes wearable art for humans at unhingedartistry.com.

Mason Tyer (He/Him) is a Certified Teacher, Theatrical Firearms Safety Instructor, and current Secretary for the Society of American Fight Directors. He has taught stage combat for The Guthrie, Children's Theatre Company, North Hennepin Community College, Art in Arms, and Open Gate Movement Arts.

Mason's work with Six Elements before joining includes acting in She Kills Monsters, Childe Roland to the Dark Tower Came, and assisting in Human Combat Chess 2017. As a member, he's assisted in producing The Hound of Chulainn, Human Combat Chess 2018, John Blade, Mastercuts, and Monte Cristo. Mason is also one of the coordinators for Brawl of America, Six Element’s regional stage combat workshop as sanctioned by the Society of American Fight Directors.

As a violence and intimacy director, he has worked with Journey North Opera Company, Fake Fighting Company, Combat Chess United, Ashland Productions, Expressions Community Theatre, Merrill Community Arts, and numerous high schools and community groups. Mason is also a stunt performer and coordinator for music videos and short films in Minnesota.

Link: Mason's Minnesota Playlist artist profile

Sifryn Oberon (They/Them) is a performer, musician, and clown. A farm kid turned performer, they grew up singing and performing for audiences of dairy cows.
(It was said these performances were very moo-ving).

They have worked in numerous theatres in Minneapolis & Duluth, performing opera, musical theatre, street theatre, improv, children's theatre, and more. They also work as a teaching artist & vocal director.

Lance Krohn (He/Him) is an actor and stage combatant. He graduated from Hamline University in Theatre Arts and is an alumni of the National Theatre Institute.

Since 2018, he has studied stage combat and stunt work with Art in Arms, where he is currently a staff member. Lance is also a certified Advanced Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors.

He looks forward to continuing to work with 6 Elements after being involved in several projects with the company and is excited to be one of it's members!

H Ashley (They/Them) is an intimacy director, fight choreographer, stage manager, and occasional performer based in Minneapolis, MN. With a dance and movement background dating back to when they were 3 years old, H has been training in stage combat since 2016 and in intimacy since 2018. They draw upon their 25+ years of performance experience and current focus on trauma-informed work to create spaces where actors feel safe and empowered to tell dangerous stories. H has a magical mix of artistic sensibilities and spreadsheet skills, bridging the gap between art and organization. Their +2 ape index and well-tuned emotional instincts allow them to hold just about any room.

Companies they have worked with include Zephyr Theatre, Theater in the Round, Yellow Tree Theater, Theatre Unbound, Ashland Alumni Productions, Melancholics Anonymous, Six Elements (company member), Combat Chess United, and Red Dice Collective.

Aaron Ruder (He/Him)

Merit Burgett (They/Them)

Six Elements Board of Directors:

Eli Halterman- Interim President

David P. Schneider - Board Secretary

Willson Borchert - Board Treasurer

Jess Passaro - Company Representative