A passion for theatre and business

Over the course of his career, University of Saskatchewan (USask) graduate Daniel Ford Beavis (BFA’00) has regularly fought on stage, broken bottles, jumped from great heights, and set people on fire.

It’s all in a day’s work for the Saskatchewan-based actor, film producer, theatre fight director, and stunt performer, who began sharing his knowledge and expertise in this area after graduating from USask with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 2000.

“Everything we do is calculated risk,” said Beavis, a skydiver and martial artist, in a 2018 CBC interview. “We are trying to tell a story and put on a show and do it safely.”

Born and raised in Saskatoon, Beavis graduated from Evan Hardy Collegiate before enrolling in USask’s College of Arts and Science. While he didn’t study theatre in high school, studying drama was something he wanted to try as a university student.

“After I took my very first acting class from Dwayne Brenna (BA’77, MA’83, PhD) in the drama department, I fell in love with drama,” Beavis said. “I immediately started switching all my classes around to accommodate the busy theatre schedule that we had at the time.”

Since graduating from USask, Beavis has taught stage fighting and stunt performing internationally and has worked on numerous films in Saskatchewan, including Rufus, 13 Eerie, Chained, Ferocious, Mercy, Cagefighter, and Cowboy Christmas. In addition, Beavis, who is an entrepreneur, husband, and the father of two daughters, has worked with various Saskatoon-based theatre companies, including 25th Street Theatre, Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, Persephone Theatre, Gordon Tootoosis Nīkānīwin Theatre, and La Troupe du Jour.

A proud USask alumnus, Beavis considers having the opportunity to teach stage combat to drama students in the College of Arts and Science to be one of his career highlights.

“When the drama department asked me to come back and be a sessional lecturer in stage combat a couple of times, it was the greatest honour I could’ve (received) as a graduate,” he said. “It felt so good to give back to a new batch of students and hopefully inspire them like the teachers inspired me.”

Beavis graduated from USask 25 years ago, making him one of this year’s Silver Grads. The Green&White recently asked him about his memories from university and his successful stage combat career.

G&W: What was the best part of studying drama at USask?

Beavis: The friends! I can’t describe how quickly you make friends when making theatre together (and) how quickly you can fall in love with performing a character—and also in love with the person playing the character. I met my wife, Clare Middleton (BFA’02), in the drama department.

The other great thing was that the professors would encourage (us) to create other theatre and productions. They wanted us to find our own way so that if you didn’t get cast in someone else’s play, you (could) just produce your own and then you can act or direct or whatever you want to do. They also encouraged us to get jobs in the industry while we were still in school. I was already working professionally in my chosen profession before I even had my undergraduate degree.

I still remember my first big fight-directing job at Greystone Theatre on campus and getting the actors to make the action look so realistic that it scared the audience during the play Dark Rapture. I now suspect that my joy will come from watching some of my students become some of the main fight directors around here.

G&W: What have you been doing since you graduated from USask?

Beavis: I am now a fight director for theatre, a stunt performer, and stunt coordinator for film as well as an actor. I produce movies right here in Saskatchewan and have had one of my busiest years this last year. I have been training future stunt performers for the 25 years since I’ve graduated and have worked on countless theatre and film productions since then. I’m celebrating 25 years with Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan this year as well. I run an international stage combat/stunt workshop called the Paddy Crean Workshop at the Banff Centre and have been training people at The International Stunt School in Seattle for many years. I also own and operate O’Shea’s Irish Pub in downtown Saskatoon as well as many other business endeavours. I got married and had two girls, Jane and Beth, who are both taking different types of arts camps this summer.

G&W: You are now a Silver Grad, celebrating 25 years since your graduation in 2000. What are some of your fondest memories from your time as a USask student?

Beavis: Back in those days, we did four mainstages (plays) and countless shows in the secondary stage, so it was a busy time! I don’t know how I managed to find time to see my family and go to work, but we would spend every night figuring out how to put on another show, or rehearsing for the ones we were already in. Then we would have cast parties, and everyone would continue to hang out all night. I remember studying to become a fight director and then having the director of one of the plays I was in ask me to fight direct the show. It was a huge honour to realize that I was on my way to becoming one of Saskatchewan’s first fight directors for theatre.

G&W: Why is it important to you to teach people how to fight on stage and for film?

Beavis: We need to make sure that theatre remains accessible to all audiences, which means that it needs to evolve with the times. The way that action happened on stage before fight directors came along was often made up on the spot by a fencer or someone with physical skills, but they didn’t understand the concepts of safety and storytelling that a fight director would come up with. We need people to be safe, first and foremost, but we also need them to tell the story that the writer and director want to tell, so it requires more than just technical know-how; it needs to have an artistic flair as well. And tastes have changed. Action movies of the 1980s turned into the Matrix style in the ’90s and further into the John Wick styles now.  We need to stay current and find a way to draw in new audiences. We can’t just have actors doing 1930s swashbuckling anymore; we need to captivate our audiences!

G&W: You are also an entrepreneur. What are your current businesses?

Beavis: I am one of the owners of O’Shea’s Irish Pub and I’ve loved being a part of the pub all these years. My brother and I and our other partner swung hammers and pounded nails and built it, over 23 years ago, with our own hands. I also am busy with a few other businesses, but O’Shea’s and drama are the ones I like the best. 

G&W: How did your USask education prepare you for entrepreneurship?

Beavis: The drama department taught me how to speak publicly and be clear with my thoughts as well as not being afraid to create your own path if none are available to you. I think that anyone who wants to get into business should take some drama classes to help with public speaking and how to be a part of a team. You quickly learn when making a play that it isn’t all about you, even if you are the star. You need to count on the lighting designers, the costume designers, the director, the props maker, etcetera. It isn’t a one-person show! 

G&W: What advice do you have for other USask students and young alumni who may want to follow in your footsteps?

Beavis: Don’t ever let anyone or anything stand in the way of your dreams. If you want it, you will get it—but you really need to want it. Don’t let temporary setbacks become permanent ones. And dream big. Then, if you only make it halfway before changing your dream, you’ll still be way ahead of the ones who didn’t even try or dreamed small.