Mark Bedell

Fight Director/Fight Teacher
Mark was born and raised in Maine, with the small exception of the four years he spent in a Military High School in Virginia.  Upon graduating, he immediately went into professional theatre and made a name for himself as a physical actor.  He ran local and semi-national touring companies such as the Children's Theatre of Maine, the Krackerjack Theatre Co. Paragon Stage Co. The Driftwood Players, Clown Players and more; all the while constantly expanding his knowledge of staged combat, physical comedy, weapons and their use and military history.  All told, Mark trained under the finest Fight Directors and Fight Coordinators that either coast have to offer.  In 2002 after having starred in and Stunt Coordinating a feature in Boston, along with several other independent films, a television pilot, dozens of television commercials and one TLC docu-drama, Mark left for LA where he became a sought after Stuntman, Stunt Coordinator, Fight Coordinator, Weapons Coordinator and Effects Artist.  While falling down stairs backwards on a Sci-fi Channel film he met a beautiful Art Director named Jaclyn... in late 2006, They moved back to Mark's home state and the Maine Academy of Staged Combat was born.

 

Jaclyn Marshall

Education Director

Jaclyn comes to us from Missouri by way of Los Angeles.   After graduating from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville with a degree in Theatre, Jaclyn worked as a theatre teacher and a theatre Director for many companies throughout the mid-west.  In 2002 she headed off to Los Angeles to make her way in the film industry.  She became an award winning Production Designer, Art Director and a sought after On-Set Dresser.   In 2004, while working on a film for the Sci-fi Channel she met a stuntman who impressed her.  In late 2006 Jaclyn and that stuntman moved to Maine; and the Maine Academy of Staged Combat was born.  Once in Maine Jaclyn became a theatre teacher at Waynflete School in Portland; eventually becoming the Head of Waynflete's After School Program and directing the first ever Waynflete After School theatre production, a musical version of Charlotte's Web.  She also headed up and Directed the YES! Program for the Maine Beacon and did theatre residencies in the schools for the Traveling Children's Theatre.  For MASC, Jaclyn continually comes up with education angles for staged combat.  She organizes all registration information and paperwork and she handles bookings for school residencies and Fight Director gigs.  This coming August, 2008 her last name will be changing to Bedell!