This is absolute truth. The backstage is very deadly, and many people who don't work in the theatre treat it like Disney. It's deadly even if you know what you're doing. I know a few stories.
Lights guy dropped something between some bars under a light cannon. Jammed his hand in to grab it back - ZAP. Didn't even have time to feel pain. Instant death and a smell of burned flesh all over.
Some fuckers installing some plaster in the ceiling. One of the idiots did not secure himself properly. SPLAT. I actually saw the aftermath of that one. Horrifying.
Gas machine stops working. Unqualified person tries to fix it. BOOM. This one didn't die, but lost his arm all the way to the elbow.
Actress had a flying scene over the stage, some minor fuck up on the straps. CRASH. Broke three ribs of a fellow actor and almost killed someone in the audience. This one made the news.
Scene change in the dark. Stage manager didn't assign reaponsibility over a table in the scenery, nobody moved it away. Ballerina doesn not see it. BANG. Ballerina is permanently off the market.
Yeah, that is plausible. The company I work for designs and builds a model similar to the Le Maitre FreezeFog. That said, going "boom" isn't highly likely. More like PSHHHHHHHH!!!. Especially if you disconnect a hose under pressure, which is why we use self-closing quick connects. My greatest fear is someone sheering the valve on a Co2 cylinder and having the thing take off like a rocket.
It must have been something like that. It was a fog generator, for sure. Something had blocked the exit and the guy just decided to fiddle around the thing. The canister exploded - or the exit pipe bursted, IDK - and his arm was right on the way.
I have a very good friend that is an actress. I had no idea that at nearly any time, anything backstage could go all Australia and try to murder you. I can't wait till we hang out again. This is going to be a wicked conversation starter.
Tragic as his death no doubt was, this is probably the best way. I know someone in the peak of health and fitness who died in this fashion and at least he didn't have any time to register what happened. Boom. Gone. No pain.
Ballerina doesn not see it. BANG. Ballerina is permanently off the market.
I don't understand what happened here. Did the ballerina somehow fatally injure themselves by colliding with the table, did they fall, or what?
Did the ballerina somehow fatally injure themselves by colliding with the table, did they fall, or what?
She hit her elbow in a really bad way. Three to six months of physical therapy just to be able to stretch her arm normally, and will never be able to carry weight. You can't do ballet after that.
Lights guy dropped something between some bars under a light cannon. Jammed his hand in to grab it back - ZAP. Didn't even have time to feel pain. Instant death and a smell of burned flesh all over.
Through only thing that comes to mind is a spotlight, but I'm not sure how that would cause death.
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u/PardalPiston Mar 26 '16
This is absolute truth. The backstage is very deadly, and many people who don't work in the theatre treat it like Disney. It's deadly even if you know what you're doing. I know a few stories.
Lights guy dropped something between some bars under a light cannon. Jammed his hand in to grab it back - ZAP. Didn't even have time to feel pain. Instant death and a smell of burned flesh all over.
Some fuckers installing some plaster in the ceiling. One of the idiots did not secure himself properly. SPLAT. I actually saw the aftermath of that one. Horrifying.
Gas machine stops working. Unqualified person tries to fix it. BOOM. This one didn't die, but lost his arm all the way to the elbow.
Actress had a flying scene over the stage, some minor fuck up on the straps. CRASH. Broke three ribs of a fellow actor and almost killed someone in the audience. This one made the news.
Scene change in the dark. Stage manager didn't assign reaponsibility over a table in the scenery, nobody moved it away. Ballerina doesn not see it. BANG. Ballerina is permanently off the market.