We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Brittany Holdahl Donahue. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Brittany below.
Brittany, so good to have you with us today. We’ve got so much planned, so let’s jump right into it. We live in such a diverse world, and in many ways the world is getting better and more understanding but it’s far from perfect. There are so many times where folks find themselves in rooms or situations where they are the only ones that look like them – that might mean being the only woman of color in the room or the only person who grew up in a certain environment etc. Can you talk to us about how you’ve managed to thrive even in situations where you were the only one in the room?
By listening and asking questions if that room is full of BIPOC, disabled, LGBTQIA+, or other marginalized people. If those are the guests in that room, I should be THE LAST person talking. One of my philosophies as an arts executive has been, “Listen or you’ll miss out on everything cool and die mad about it.” Marginalized voices have done the emotional labor in providing anecdotal and empirical research; even if what they say is hard to swallow, it has been spoonfed to you with kindness. The least you can do in gratitude for that gift is listen instead of wait for your turn to talk. Take a step back so that they can be amplified. Different from me is beautiful and exciting. I’m grateful to be immersed in diverse communities and see how I can use my privilege to stand for them. I don’t plan to die mad; I’m excited about this room and not missing out on everything (and everyone) who is cool in it. That mentality, I think, is effective and successful because it is collaborative rather than competitive or combatant.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
It’s great to be here! I’m the Executive Director and Co-Founder of Argent Combat.
Argent Combat is a Philadelphia-based organization of students, performers, choreographers, and instructors of Theatrical Violence and Stage Combat. We are dedicated to promoting safety and fostering the excellence and proficiency of action-oriented entertainment. In furtherance of these goals, Argent Combat routinely offers workshops and ongoing classes in a variety of disciplines all over Philadelphia, and members can be found attending Regional and National Workshops all over North America. Our Smallsword course begins on October 3rd at St. Mary’s on UPenn’s campus, and you’ll see many of us at the Philadelphia Stage Combat Workshop in November on Temple U’s campus.
Stage Combat refers to all acts of conflict, danger, and violence performed for entertainment. A slap to the face, a fall down some stairs, an epic fifteen-person battle with swords and axes – all of these are stage combat. More than just set moves, true stage combat uses violence to tell a story, just as dance choreography, set design, or costuming can.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The skills that helped me most are more elements of human nature than academic or intellectual (i.e. “marketable” in appearance) skills: Communication, collaboration, and resilience.
Communication because no one you work with is telepathic, so you need to express your intentions, needs, concerns, and boundaries.
Collaboration (as opposed to competition or combat) because we can only win the relay race if we create an equitable game plan for the least-experienced runner on our team; in turn, we become better by working with others.
And, by far the most beautiful and terrifying: Resilience. My resilience comes from the recognition that hope is not something gossamer and delicate; hope is freakishly persistent and scrappy.
A piece very close to my heart is the poem “Hope is not a bird, Emily, It’s a Sewer Rat” by Caitlin Seida, particularly this passage:
Hope is an ugly thing
With teeth and claws and
Patchy fur that’s seen some sh*t.
It’s what thrives in the discards
And survives in the ugliest parts of our world,
Able to find a way to go on
When nothing else can even find a way in.
It’s the gritty, nasty little carrier of such
diseases as
optimism, persistence,
Perseverance and joy,
Transmissible as it drags its tail across
your path
and
bites you in the a**.
I love that “sewer rat” because it has led me to beautiful experiences and incredible people. That gritty, devastating hope is something I pray I never lose.
As far as advice: Accept that these three things are terrifying but imperative to have in everything you do. That terror comes from vulnerability and to be vulnerable when you are trying to establish yourself as a leader is scary. The fact you need in your back pocket to temper this terror is that to be brave isn’t to be unafraid; bravery is to be afraid but to do the scary thing anyway.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
“Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain” by David Eagleman made an impact on me that has spanned over a decade. It’s an introduction to neuropsychology and navigates the depths of the subconscious brain. The overall understanding that our brains are multitudinous super-computers that function like a conflicted democracy engaged in civil war really shaped my understanding of myself and has helped me be more patient with others. I don’t want to give away too much as I highly recommend folks give it a read or check out David Eagleman’s NPR and PBS programs.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.argentcombat.com
- Instagram: @argentcombat
- Facebook: @argentcombat
- Twitter: @argentcombat
- Other: argentcombat.eventbrite.com linktr.ee/argentcombatmediakit
Image Credits
Photographers: Brittany Holdahl Donahue, Dan Horan, Ashley Smith
