The Sword Spectacular Weekend
A chance to cross swords with the stars of Highlander: The Series

Article and Photographs by Genise Graham

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Sword Spectacular Weekend, the first event of its kind geared towards swashbucklers-at-heart, featured stars and guest-stars of Highlander: The Series. At this innovative entertainment weekend, fans enjoyed an intimate, personal setting for learning stage combat from their favorite actors. At the heart of Sword Spectacular Weekend (or "SSW") was Anthony De Longis, who appeared in "Duende," one of the most popular episodes of Highlander: The Series. In the episode, De Longis' character fought Duncan MacLeod in an ancient Spanish court fighting grid known as the Mysterious Circle.

Among the guests were actors Stan Kirsch (Richie Ryan) and Jim Byrnes (Joe Dawson) of Highlander: the Series. Bill Panzer, producer of the series, was present on one night of the Weekend. The event included sword demonstrations as well as classes at the Beginner, Intermediate, and Advanced levels. The classes were taught by De Longis. F. Braun McAsh (Fight Director for Highlander: the Series) demonstrated various historical and cultural techniques he tapped to create the fighting style of Duncan MacLeod, the Highlander.

Although SSW was not an official Highlander convention, the more than two hundred attendees included a large number of dedicated Highlander fans. For many, this was their first exposure to swordplay. The opportunity to learn directly from those who had brought swordplay and action to life on the small screen was both exciting and educational.

Meet the Guests

Photo: Left Anthony De Longis - the host of Sword Spectacular Weekend. His guest appearance in the episode "Duende" of Highlander: The Series opened the eyes of viewers worldwide to an early Spanish Court-Dueling system known as the Mysterious Circle. The memorable fight scenes (similar to the fighting system used in The Mask of Zorro) carved an indelible image in the history of the series, as Anthony's character fought opposite Duncan MacLeod (Adrian Paul) the Highlander. De Longis' impressive list of professional credentials spans Film, Television, and Theatre. He has worked both in front of and behind the camera with some of the biggest names in Entertainment, including Tom Cruise, Ron Howard, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tim Burton, Patrick Swayze, Richard Chamberlain, and Charlton Heston.

Photo: Left A fight choreographer with over sixteen years of stage combat experience, Chapin teaches stage combat classes with Anthony De Longis at the famed Inosanto Academy. He is a frequent guest at Highlander conventions. His newest project is coordinating a pilot for a new series called Privateers. De Longis and Chapin had just finished directing and producing the Living Chessgame project. This included several of their students, and was seen at the Dragonvale, Long Beach and Ojai Renaissance Festivals. Upcoming class projects include an action/adventure cable access series, which is still in development. The film Chapin coordinated last year, Lancelot, Guardian of Time, (which features Marc Singer fighting an enchanted CG flying sword) is currently being shown on HBO. In his spare time, Bob also starred in the MCA/Universal film Ring of Steel.

Chapin's other starring roles include Dragon Fury I & II, Night of the Hyena, Guardian, and Sinbad: The Battle of the Dark Knights.

Photo: Left Stan Kirsch - Stan has developed quite a following among Highlander fans. His portrayal of Richie Ryan of Highlander: The Series touched the hearts of viewers. Stan's credits have included a wide variety of projects for television, movies and the stage, including Shark in a Bottle, The Sky's On Fire, JAG, Home Song, and an appearance on the hit comedy series Friends. That particular episode of Friends garnered a viewing audience of approximately 30 million viewers. Most recently, Stan has worked with the Van Patten family in a big screen comedy production, The Flunky, playing the title role. Following his work on that film, Stan played the lead role in a short film entitled The Thirteenth Reason, written and directed by new talent, C.J. Cox. Stan is a popular guest at Highlander conventions and gatherings, charming fans with his wit and humor.

Photo: Left Jim Byrnes - "Joe Dawson" in Highlander: The Series. Jim Byrnes is a very busy man these days. He continues to add to his long list of credits in TV, movies, the stage, and music. Jim is an accomplished musician, best known for his special renditions of the Blues. His work in that area was recognized in 1995 when he won the Juno Award for his album, That River. Jim's acting credits span more than a decade with major roles in TV series and movies such as Wiseguy in 1987, The Commish, The Hat Squad, Harmony Cats, Dirty Works, Omen 4, The Hitchhiker, and, most recently, the TV series, The Net. Working non-stop, Jim is filming Cliffhangers, a new TV series co-starring Joe Lando that will be premiering in January 2000 on the Fox Family channel. But that isn't enough for the energetic Mr. Byrnes.

Byrnes will reprise his role of Joe Dawson in the fourth Highlander movie that began filming in Romania on October 18. Jim can be seen weekly, in Canada, on The Jim Byrnes Blues Show. For lovers of Jim Byrnes' style of the Blues, all but the finishing touches are completed on Jim's new CD. Unfortunately, the label and release date are unknown at this time.

Photo: Left F. Braun McAsh - Fight Director for Highlander: The Series. F. Braun McAsh has been a professional fight director and actor for 20 years. He has appeared in over 100 stage plays and 20 different TV series and feature films. His credits as a fight director include the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, the Shaw Festival, the Canadian Opera Co., and many of Canada's regional theaters. McAsh's credentials in the area of stage combat are impeccable. He studied under Hungarian Olympic coach Istvan Danosi, and later studied fight direction with Paddy Crean (Errol Flynn's stunt double) and with many of the most prominent British fight masters. His studies have taken him to the great museums of England and Europe, including the Tower of London and more than a dozen private castle collections.

His combat training began in the military and was expanded to include Japanese, Chinese and Korean martial arts. As Sword Master and Fight Director for Highlander: The Series from its second through sixth seasons, McAsh earned the respect and admiration of the cast, crew, and fans with his bold presentations of swordplay. He incorporated a variety of styles that complimented the skills of the various cast members and highlighted the demanding storylines.

McAsh has been named the SwordMaster for the fourth Highlander movie.

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