Here There Be Dragons

Markus Harris has been a professional fight choreographer and equestrian stunt performer since 1987 and has performed in dozens of stage productions and scores of outdoor theatrical shows during the course of his career. Specializing in equestrian stuntwork and mounted combat at all levels and with all forms of historical weaponry, during the past sixteen years he has written, directed and choreographed equestrian stunt/combat shows at countless outdoor venues throughout the United States, acting as Horsemaster for no less than four theatrical joust companies.

        With two thousand equestrian combat performances and well over a thousand armored jousts to his credit, he currently holds the career record for most Hanlon-Lees six-man simultaneous jousts: twenty-nine. In his joust career he has served as squire, actor/combatant, equestrian stunt performer, Assistant Director, Director, Artistic Director, scriptwriter, fight choreographer, joust trainer, horse trainer, and special effects show consultant. During that time he has trained close to a score of other professional jousters, several of whom have since gone on to found their own theatrical jousting companies.

        He has been a playwright, screenwriter, technical director and special effects show coordinator for various commercial projects and themed events, including regional interactive and experiential theater. As a professional stage combat instructor, he has taught workshops both professionally and at the collegiate level.

        He is also active in other media, serving as a professional historical warfare consultant for several notable fantasy authors, has advised the designers of both fantasy RPGs and computer games, and is himself an occasional contributing writer to Renaissance Magazine.

        His first novel, Games of Blood & Steel, is in final revisions. In addition, he is currently researching a new non-fiction book, Flesh In Armor: A History of the Art and Science of Tournament Equestrian Combat.

PERFORMANCE CREDITS:

* Arizona Renaissance Faire: 1993

* Bristol Renaissance Faire: 1988, 1991

* Colorado Renaissance Faire: 1989,1990,1991,1993,1994,1996,1997,1998,1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004

* Excalibur Fantasy Faire: 2004

* Florida Renaissance Festival: 1996

* Greater Pittsburgh Renaissance Faire: 1999

* Kansas City Renaissance Festival: 2004

* King Richard's Faire, Kenosha: 1987

* King Richard's Faire, Carver: 1987,1988,1991,1995

* Michigan Renaissance Festival: 1988, 2002

* Oklahoma Renaissance Faire: 2004

* Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire: 1992,1993,1994,1996,1997,1998,1999

During his career he has performed jousts in such diverse surroundings as Boston Common, Mile High Stadium in Denver, historic Bushnell Park in Hartford, The Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs, Noble Horse Equestrian Center in Chicago, the Denver Polo Grounds, Cozy Point Ranch in Aspen, the Arapahoe Park Racetrack in Aurora, and at numerous private functions in several states.

His credits include hundreds of school demonstrations, television and radio interviews, and commercial appearances.

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