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Impaled - a mortal wound? The Hack and Slash Theatre Company was formed in 1992 by John Davis and Spencer Humm with the mission of bringing outstanding swashbuckling action and fresh, edgy comedy to live theatre audiences all over. Since then, Hack and Slash have performed over 3,000 shows in fifteen countries, released DVD’s and created original stage productions which have played to sold out crowds and raised tens of thousands of dollars for their charities like the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, The Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund and the U.S.O. Through the company’s work, touring with the U.S.O., they have recently adopted an orphanage in Djibouti, Africa.

Hack and Slash has performed as headliners at Renaissance Festivals all over the U.S. and Canada including festivals in Maryland, Georgia, Texas, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Ontario, Virginia, Florida and Ohio. Hack and Slash have made hundreds of national and regional television and radio appearances including NPR, the Discovery Channel, numerous news programs, talk shows, commercials and a video game which sold over a million copies. There is currently a television series in development for the Canadian market based on the Hack and Slash character Barry Croaker.

Hack and Slash believe in the power of laughter to support stress relief and conflict resolution. The Hack and Slash Theatre Company has made six tours to entertain the deployed troops since 9-11. These tours are the subject of their award-winning comedy-documentary, Operation Swashbuckle.

Davis and Humm have collectively directed six Renaissance festivals and taught comedy and safe stage combat at dozens of major universities, colleges and professional training programs. Spencer Humm is a certified teacher with the Society of American Fight Directors and has been a featured instructor at workshops internationally. In the late nineties until 2006, John Davis ran the stunt coordination and production company Stunt Theatre Incorporated, which assisted large, live, outdoor productions in adding safe, high-impact action to their events.

Each year, Hack and Slash host special events such as the very popular Hack and Slash Christmas Special, the Musical!, an original, full-length version of Charles Dickens a Christmas Carol and the Action Hero Boot Camp which allows participants to experience the "action-hero-arts" of swordplay, Hollywood fist fights, bullwhip cracking, skydiving, action hero gunplay and more in a safe, fun environment.

Classic live Hack and Slash shows feature hilarious two-man, Shakespearean, comedy swordfighting, at once epitomizing the characters of the swashbuckling action hero and the hopeless but happy fool. Their shows pit them against one another in a non-stop, steel-ringing, joke cracking, hand-kissing, projectile-dodging, ale-swilling, collect-calling, sister-kissing extravaganza of raucous jackenapery! ("Honey, keep your sticky fingers off of my nice clean jackenaperies!") Shakespearean wit and banter, action swordplay and outrageous stunts ranging from whips and guns to crossbows and cabbages are the order of business as Sir Nigel Hack, "the richest most handsome knight in the realm, gentleman adventurer and god among men" and Slash Montant, "squire for hire, constant soldier, sometime poet, not nearly often enough lover and fashion-plate deity" weave their tangled web of deceit, trickery, violence and comedy upon one another; a web that the audience is sure to become ensnared by! (If you want to get metaphorical and end your sentence in a preposition and use italics on the word "and" several times before it's all over.)

What’s new in the future of the Hack and Slash Theatre Company?

The Company will soon begin touring it’s brand new theatre show, The Hack and Slash Shakespeare Massacre. The show will feature the best classic Hack and Slash comedy and action routines, as well as "Bear Baiting" and never before seen action sequences. The show’s plot will reveal their deep personal hatred of the man know to most as the immortal bard William Shakespeare. Also fully disclosed will be Hack and Slash’s history as Bill "Ooh aren’t I so very clever, your majesty" Shakespeare’s under-rated but immensely popular opening act. A DVD of this show will also be forthcoming.

The Hack and Slash Shakespeare Company will soon offer a modern and even crazier alternative to the typically historical period offerings of past productions with Danger Dogs, a high energy, irreverent action-danger-comedy romp which will include mixed media, modern costume and production styles, daring escapes, outrageous stunts and more!

Hack and Slash will soon release their greatly anticipated Christmas album which will include the original musical score by Disney and Cirque Du Soleil composer and lead singer Mai Rodriguez, brought to life in a full radio-play style musical production.

Hack and Slash are seeking venues and audiences of all kinds. To find out about bringing them to your event, visit the Bookings Page.