A pair of hands tighten around the victim’s throat while he gasps and chokes. Someone pulls her fist back for a punch, and when it connects, the sound echoes throughout the room. Images of violence can be compelling and horrifying, and on Thursday, Oct. 5th and Saturday, Oct. 7th, the Bothwell auditorium was filled to the brim with violent acts. But they were just that: acts. The strangled victim was released with a laugh; the person punching never made contact with a face. Zev Steinberg is a nationally recognized stage combat coach who is fight directing Blackburn College’s production of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, and he was teaching Blackburn students how to fake a fight convincingly.
Saturday’s workshop
Steinberg’s teachings centered around using “magic tricks” to tell a story; in cases of stage violence, those magic tricks make the audience believe that someone has been harmed without actually hurting anyone. Safety is paramount to these events; even an act that looks totally violent has to be controlled and done in such a way that is actually harmless. On Thursday, Oct. 5th, Steinberg’s lesson was a private one for theater professor Carolyn Conover’s Acting One class, and centered on violence that involved a point of contact such as strangling and hair-pulling. On Saturday, the session was open to the entirety of campus, and focus was on aggression that wasn’t as centered in constant contact: punches, slaps and shoves. Junior graphic design major Stefanie Everett, who attended the Saturday workshop, found the lessons to be compelling and exciting, but wished more people had attended. She said, “It’s a great opportunity more people should try and take advantage of.”
Steinberg has been interested in stage combat since he attended a workshop on the subject as a student at the University of Illinois in Champaign. Through the years he continued to take classes on the subject to expand his repertoire, eventually becoming certified with the Society of American Fight directors. He acknowledged that being a fight director is difficult but rewarding work. “The job of fight director often gets overshadowed by the role of teacher,” he said. “I spend so much time just teaching the techniques I sometimes don’t really get to direct anything.” But his favorite part makes it all worth it: “When actors get so comfortable in the choreography they can start making character decisions to add to it… it’s a great ‘ah-ha!’ moment and I love to see it.”
Saturday’s workshop
Steinberg encouraged actors who may be struggling with stage combat to simply practice, and to practice a lot. “The easiest way to get over any struggles or awkwardness with stage combat is to just do it. Repetition. I can teach you technically how to play the piano… that doesn’t mean you’ll be concert ready right off the bat.”
*The author is enrolled in Acting One and participated in both workshops.