Knives, swords and shields are among the weapons that students in the Johnny Carson School of Theater and Film will get to use this weekend at the annual Lincoln Assassination Workshop.
Held by the Society of American Fight Directors, the workshop is designed to teach student actors safe and effective depictions of violence for stage and screen.
The workshop is hosted April 5-6 by UNL’s Johnny Carson School of Theatre and Film.
Nearly 30 different sessions will be offered for students. Topics include fighting for the stage and screen, gun safety and police tactics, said Patrick Stayer, a junior theater performance major. Each workshop lasts about one hour and they offer sessions for a range of experience levels.
Professionals from across the country will attend to teach sessions. Three of those instructors are UNL’s certified stage combat instructors, Ian Borden, Harris Smith and Paul Steger.
“UNL actually has more certified teachers than any other school in the country,” Stayer said.
Borden said he is expecting around 30 students to participate in the workshop, which is free for UNL theatre and film students.
Registration will remain open until the morning of April 5. Non-Carson School students are invited to participate for $100 for the entire weekend. Most workshops would normally cost $300-$400, Stayer said.
“You get to work with experienced professionals,” he said. “I think it’s fantastic.”
