Samantha Kaufman
Intimacy Director | Fight Director | Teacher | Actor
Samantha Kaufman (she/her/hers) is an actor and movement director, specializing in fight direction, intimacy direction, and circus theatre. She is based in the Midwest region and travels to perform in and fight/intimacy/movement direct productions across the nation. She is fiercely passionate about advocacy for artists and spreading consent practices through theatre and circus communities. She couldn’t be prouder of the opportunities to empower artists with this work.
A Jeff Award Nominated Fight Choreographer. A Babes with Blades Theatre Ensemble Member. Samantha is a certified Intimacy Director with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators. She was also a certified Intimacy Director with Intimacy Director’s International. Samantha is an Advanced Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors and an Intermediate Actor Combatant with Fight Directors Canada. Samantha has also trained and taught with Deutschland Stage Combat. She is a teaching assistant for SAFD Fight Master Chuck Coyl.
Samantha has taught Intimacy across the nation at schools such as Ohio Northern University, Jacksonville University, Indiana University, University of Indianapolis, University of Findlay, Ball State University, University of Wyoming, Columbus State University, and Eastfield College. And at organizations such as Neutral Chaos in NYC, Riot Act Inc in Wyoming, Bloomington Academy of Film and Theatre, Ohio Shakespeare Festival, Cleveland Play House, Texas Intensive Stage Combat Workshop, and the Flying V Theatre Company in DC.
Regionally Samantha has worked with theatres such as Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and Cleveland Play House, among others. In Chicago, she has worked with theatres such as Lookingglass Theatre, Steep Theatre, Babes with Blades Theatre Company, and Idle Muse.
Samantha won a Regional Broadway award for Best Actress in a Play for her work as Mercutio in "Romeo and Juliet" with Florida Shakespeare Theatre. She was also nominated for a Jeff Award for Fight Direction in 2019 for the Babes With Blades Theatre Company's production of "The Lady Demands Satisfaction."
Samantha has an MFA from Florida Atlantic University and a BFA from University of Wyoming. She attended the Actors Gymnasium’s 9-month Professional Circus Training Program, trained with Movement Theatre Studio in NYC, and has completed Module One of Great Lakes Michael Chekhov Consortium’s training.
A Jeff Award Nominated Fight Choreographer. A Babes with Blades Theatre Ensemble Member. Samantha is a certified Intimacy Director with Intimacy Directors and Coordinators. She was also a certified Intimacy Director with Intimacy Director’s International. Samantha is an Advanced Actor Combatant with the Society of American Fight Directors and an Intermediate Actor Combatant with Fight Directors Canada. Samantha has also trained and taught with Deutschland Stage Combat. She is a teaching assistant for SAFD Fight Master Chuck Coyl.
Samantha has taught Intimacy across the nation at schools such as Ohio Northern University, Jacksonville University, Indiana University, University of Indianapolis, University of Findlay, Ball State University, University of Wyoming, Columbus State University, and Eastfield College. And at organizations such as Neutral Chaos in NYC, Riot Act Inc in Wyoming, Bloomington Academy of Film and Theatre, Ohio Shakespeare Festival, Cleveland Play House, Texas Intensive Stage Combat Workshop, and the Flying V Theatre Company in DC.
Regionally Samantha has worked with theatres such as Milwaukee Repertory Theatre, The Repertory Theatre of St. Louis, and Cleveland Play House, among others. In Chicago, she has worked with theatres such as Lookingglass Theatre, Steep Theatre, Babes with Blades Theatre Company, and Idle Muse.
Samantha won a Regional Broadway award for Best Actress in a Play for her work as Mercutio in "Romeo and Juliet" with Florida Shakespeare Theatre. She was also nominated for a Jeff Award for Fight Direction in 2019 for the Babes With Blades Theatre Company's production of "The Lady Demands Satisfaction."
Samantha has an MFA from Florida Atlantic University and a BFA from University of Wyoming. She attended the Actors Gymnasium’s 9-month Professional Circus Training Program, trained with Movement Theatre Studio in NYC, and has completed Module One of Great Lakes Michael Chekhov Consortium’s training.