To Negotiate or Not, That is the Question: An Interview with Fight Director Mark Schryver

Although performing is a huge dimension of the stage combatant’s role, an audience member sees merely an end result of a long process. Several months prior to the performance, a Stage Combatant must respond to “ a fight call” and then negotiate a contract. Without a contract in place, many things could go wrong. So how, as an artist, do you negotiate for the best deal?

To shed some light on this matter, this month I chose to interview someone who has been in the business for a long time. Mark Schryver has been working as a Stage Combatant and Fight Director for over 20 years. However, his theatrical background dates back even further to his middle school years. His long experience in the industry has exposed him to many forms of negotiation.

 He told me “The weird thing about being an actor is that you are self employed and therefore also the owner of a small business.  You are the CEO, CFO, Chair Marketing Officer, Janitor, President, Vice President, Executive Treasure, as well as the ‘product’. Your job is to sell yourself.”(Personal Communication) Because of this, as an artist, you are constantly negotiating on your own behalf.  He continues with this thought saying,  “Part of show business is straight up business.  Part of business is the act of negotiating.” (Personal Communication)

In addition, Mark says, “the subtlest of negotiations, can be the most critical.” (Personal Communication) We talked about how one of the ways to make sure you get the best deal is to beware of dirty tactics. “There are many hundred different logic fallacies that people will attempt to throw at you.”(Personal Communication) There are many different people out there and, unfortunately, some of those people will try to be manipulative for self-gain. In order to achieve a favorable outcome, you must be ready to face such tactics head on during the negotiation. Mark suggests, “Don’t let the coy take hold. Don’t play the game to see if you can win. The best way to combat any improper tactic is to say ‘here’s what you’re doing, here’s why it’s wrong and you’re going to have to stop or we cannot continue.’” (Personal Communication)

Another tactic to help get the most out of a negotiation is to separate the people from the problem. Often, when going into a negotiation, there are negative feelings towards the other person. But, if you want to settle in a way that makes everyone happy, you have to be able to focus on the essence of the problem itself.  Mark specifically stated that, “It’s not easy, but it’s required. If you don’t separate the person from the problem, you will end up hating everyone, or make everyone hate you, or all of the above.”(Personal Communication)

If such items as these are handled well, the negotiation will be resolved with a mutually beneficial outcome.  In fact, as a Fight Director and Fight Choreographer, it’s imperative to insure that everyone in the production is happy. Mark points out that, “as director and choreographer, that no one realizes that’s what you’re doing but that is really your job...You need the actors to feel good about what they’re doing because that benefits the scene.”(Personal Communication)  If you have unhappy performers, they are less likely to put their passion into their stage action. The result of this would be that the quality of the entire production would be negatively affected. That being said, the Fight Director will almost always have a particular vision in mind. Therefore, mutually beneficial outcomes are vital to Stage Combat and the performance as a whole.

At the close of the interview, I asked Mark if he had any tips or advice for a beginning negotiator. He replied that it is critical to be “an ameba” explaining that it is necessary to “figure out the communication style of the person with whom you are dealing and then deal with him or her in that style.  It is also important to be prepared with facts and ideas.” (Personal Communication) He went on to discuss how being fully prepared for each negotiation frees you to be able to answer any questions that might arise. This, in turn, reveals you as being transparent and honest. Lastly, he said, “Be open to all possibilities.”

As the negotiating process is so important to any young artist, it is vital to heed those who are more experienced. In this interview, we are enabled to understand the critical importance of negotiating skills as one strives toward success in performance endeavor.