Jennifer Christa Palmer (Katya) hails from Hatboro, Pennsylvania and earned her BA in Theatre from Penn State University. She was certified by the Society of American Fight Directors in 1993 and has continued her practice of stage combat steadily ever since. She has played numerous historical characters including the sixteenth century Irish pirate Grace O'Malley, Emily Bronte, (the author of "Wuthering Heights"), French actress Sarah Bernhardt, and the turn of the century children's author and illustrator, Beatrix Potter.
Her favorite roles include Martha May Whovier in Grinchmas at Universal, the title role in "The Perils of Emily Stunt Show" directed by John Davis, and a drunk Elizabeth Swann at Bill & Ted 2006.
She currently resides in Orlando, FL and can be seen at Pirate's Dinner Adventure, at Universal Orlando and at the Disney MGM Studios. JCP opened "Fear Factor Live" at Universal Studios Florida in the role of Producer, and at Disney, can be seen as one of the Citizens of Hollywood. She plays multiple roles at Sleuths Mystery Dinner Shows and also appeared in Orlando Fringe 2003 with Joe's NYC Bar (in Wonderland). For the Orlando Fringe 2004, she joined the ensemble of Shakesprovisation. She is blessed to have worked with Mayhem Productions, sword fighting at many special events, including Summerfest at the Gaylord Palms Resort and the Pirate and Princess Party at WDW Magic Kingdom.
Ryan H. Gigliotti (Leonardo) is originally from Wilmington, Delaware. He started performing at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Festival in 1991 and has been at it ever since. The two met there in 1992 and performed in the professional acting company until 1997. Ryan is motivated by a love of history, improvisational and interactive theatre, swords and sword fighting, and making people laugh. His favorite interactive roles include science fiction author H.G. Wells, the original "Nutcracker" author E.T.A. Hoffmann and Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan. However, Tigernan, the Irish pirate, undertaker Abel Dymm, and theatre critic Statler were favorites with the ladies. His role as Scab defies description. See Ryan early in his career as a Queen's Guard, and as a henchman in Richard III. Ryan also returned to the Tennessee Renaissance Festival in 2003 as both the fighting highwayman John Goiter and will again return this May as Entertainment Director. He is currently performing in Orlando, Florida as Antonio (the yellow pirate) at Pirates' Dinner Adventure, at Sleuths Mystery Dinner Shows, and with Skull and Bones Swordfighting.
To the Hilt's Top 5 Most Asked Questions
Yes, we really get asked these questions. So you don't have to as well...
Q. Is that sword real?
A. Yes.
Q. Can I have it?
A. No.
Q. Will you cut off my friend's head?
A. No.
Q. Do you really talk like that?
A. Do you?
Q.Where do you get your swords?
A. Finally, an intelligent question! Our one meter broadswords (or, "One Meter of Iron Death", if you prefer) are made by Starfire. The blade is, in fact, one meter in length and they have the bevelled edge. The red fight cloak is a full circle and was made by JCP. The diamond schlagers we are currently using were custom made by Dennis Graves, a swordcutler in Colorado. The quarterstaves come from all over; most martial arts suppliers sell them. Ours our 6 ' without the tapered end. One of our regular schlagers was made by LaForge in Manheim, Pennsylvania, the other is a pretty old Rod Casteel. Ryan tosses with a diamond schlager custom made by Captain Thorne's Armory in South Florida. The set of full-size rapiers (the Italian swept hilt and the Pappenheimer held in most of our photos) were custom made by Lewis Shaw of Vulcan's Forge in Baltimore, Maryland. If you are doing research for stage combat weapons, also check out Arms & Armor and The Armoury of American Fencer's Supply.
Trivial To the Hilt Facts
Everybody loves trivia. If this shows up on a game show, we'll know you're cool.
Jennifer designs and builds all of Katya and Leonardo's wardrobe. Most of Leonardo's color choices were made under duress.
The huge 6' x 6' banner that adorns To the Hilt stages wasmade by Todd Espeland (Arlecchino of the Daring Devilinis). At the Tennessee show, in years gone by, both TTH and the Devilinis shared a stage. (Their banners did, too.)
The diamond schlagers made by Dennis L. Graves that are currently in use in the TTH shows were custom made as "engagement swords" in June 1999.
As of this writing, Leonardo's choice of "Suzy" has actually been named Suzy (or a derivitive thereof) a total of eleven times since the show began in 1997.
If To the Hilt had corporate sponsors, they would be: Remington (Rem Oil - we soak our swords in it nightly), Nike (look at Leonardo's old boots really closely), Nerf (Leonardo uses the Nerf crossbow whenever plungers are not readily available), WD40 & 3M green scubbies (for sword cleaning), and any food product containing broccoli & cheese.
Katya's thigh high boots were made by John Shrader, bootmaker. Her favorite bodices were made by Emily Taggart of the Philadelphia's Ladies Finery Company, Journeyman Leather and the Max 2 bodices by Moresca.
friend's head?
