Nicole Magnusson (She/Her/Hers)
AAC, Teaching Artist, Fight Director
Nicole is an actor, director, teaching artist, and fight director hailing from the suburbs of Chicago. She holds a Bachelors in Theatre Arts: Directing from Illinois State University. Nicole has been studying the art of staged violence with the Society of American Fight Directors and Dueling Arts International since 2008 and has had the great honor of assisting instructors Paul Dennhardt and John Tovar at the university level, along with many other world-class instructors at a workshop level.
Nicole spent several summers directing “By the Sword”, an award winning environmental theater fight troupe at the Bristol Renaissance Faire. Recent fight projects include Splash Hatch on the E Going Down at Next Act Theater, Romeo et Juliette with the Florentine Opera, and remounting the comedy swordfighting Shakespeare show They Fight with To the Point, where she is a founding member. Favorite previous works include Goodbye Dick, Much Ado About Nothing, Macbeth, And Then it Faster Rock’d, and Les Liasons Dangeruses.
Currently, Nicole is living in Milwaukee where she teaches stage combat with her long time colleague and mentor Christopher Elst. She is focused on bringing development and training opportunities to Southeastern WI and the Greater MKE area.
Skill Proficiency History
| Date | Weapon | Location | Grade |
|---|
MKE Fight Family Staff Jan 2025
| Jan 13, 2025 | Quarterstaff | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Recommended Pass |
Summer Two-handed Sword SPT MKE
| Aug 13, 2024 | Broadsword | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Recommended Pass |
| Aug 13, 2024 | Small Sword | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Recommended Pass |
MKE Winter Knife SPT / SPR
| Dec 30, 2023 | Knife | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Recommended Pass |
| Dec 30, 2023 | Rapier and Dagger | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Recommended Pass |
UWP S&S August 2023
| Aug 12, 2023 | Broadsword and Shield | Kenosha, Wisconsin | Recommended Pass |
| Aug 12, 2023 | Quarterstaff | Kenosha, Wisconsin | Recommended Pass |
ZAO MKE Single Sword March 2023
| Mar 18, 2023 | Single Sword | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Recommended Pass |
MKE Fight Family Unarmed SPT 2022
| Dec 19, 2022 | Unarmed | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Recommended Pass |
Independence Day SPRs
| Jul 3, 2021 | Small Sword | Greenfield, Wisconsin | Recommended Pass |
| Jul 3, 2021 | Broadsword | Greenfield, Wisconsin | Recommended Pass |
Great Lakers Spring/Summer 2021
| Jun 27, 2021 | Broadsword and Shield | Chatfield, Minnesota | Recommended Pass |
| Jun 27, 2021 | Knife | Chatfield, Minnesota | Basic Pass |
Milwaukee Freelance SPT - Rapier and Dagger
| Feb 9, 2020 | Rapier and Dagger | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | Basic Pass |
SPT / R October
| Oct 21, 2017 | Rapier and Dagger | Kenosha, Wisconsin | Recommended Pass |
| Oct 21, 2017 | Knife | Kenosha, Wisconsin | Recommended Pass |
SPR
| May 7, 2017 | Broadsword | Evanston, Illinois | Recommended Pass |
| May 7, 2017 | Unarmed | Evanston, Illinois | Recommended Pass |
MACE - Movement and Combat Education
| Jan 5, 2013 | Knife | Saint Charles, Illinois | Recommended Pass |
| Jan 4, 2013 | Quarterstaff | Saint Charles, Illinois | Recommended Pass |
| Jan 6, 2012 | Unarmed | Saint Charles, Illinois | Recommended Pass |
Private Classes
| Dec 17, 2011 | Broadsword | St. Charles, Illinois | Recommended Pass |
| Dec 17, 2011 | Small Sword | St. Charles, Illinois | Recommended Pass |
College of DuPage
| Dec 5, 2011 | Rapier and Dagger | Glen Ellyn, Illinois | Recommended Pass |
Illinois State University
| Dec 17, 2010 | Single Sword | Normal, Illinois | Recommended Pass |
| Dec 17, 2010 | Rapier and Dagger | Normal, Illinois | Recommended Pass |
Illinois State University
| Dec 9, 2009 | Unarmed | Normal, Illinois | Recommended Pass |
| Dec 12, 2008 | Small Sword | Normal, Oklahoma | Basic Pass |
Noble Fool Theatricals
| Jul 18, 2009 | Knife | St. Charles, Illinois | Recommended Pass |
Swordlady - Cincinnati
| Jul 3, 2008 | Single Sword | Cincinnati, Ohio | Basic Pass |
| Jul 3, 2008 | Quarterstaff | Cincinnati, Ohio | Basic Pass |