4/7 Evening: Did someone die in the Front Mezz at the Atkinson? This isn't a joke.

Yikes!

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I was there and sitting less than 10 rows back from this man. What happened was that the people sitting next to this man noticed him hunched over in his seat and ran and got an usher. For at least 10 minutes various ushers came and sat next to this man and tried shaking him but got no response. Then it seemed after 10 or so minutes they decided to check his pulse. He had none, at which point one of the ushers frantically called 911 and within minutes the fire department (less than half a block away) was there and carried the man into the lobby, where they performed CPR on him. The ushers "said" that they managed to get a pulse and then rushed him to the hospital. I somehow doubt this. I feel that the ushers were ill prepared for this situation and waited WAY too long to check this man's pulse. Also, they were trying so hard not to disrupt the show that they put this man's life in jeopardy. They should have stopped the show but they didn't. As a result, a man may be dead and I missed at least 20 minutes of the show due to all the commotion, as did just about everyone else in the mezz. The man didn't appear to be with anyone.

The ushers really need to be better trained to deal with situations like this. I understand that they may have panicked (though there were at least 5 different ushers dealing with this situation...you would think one at least would have common sense) but it doesn't take a genius to immediately call 911 and check for breathing and a pulse, and maybe even ask if there was a doctor in the house that could tend to the man until the paramedics got there. I think that their poor response may have cost this man his life...or at the very least it can't be said that everything possible was done to try to save this man's life.

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Updated On: 4/9/07 at 02:21 PM

That's scary.

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This man was hunched over completely in his seat and was shaken rather violently. He didn't move but instead slumped even more in his seat. For the next 10 minutes this man sat there hunched over, practically falling out of his seat, which various ushers took turns sitting next to him and shaking him. I think after a minute or so of shaking someone it's safe to assume that the person is not sleeping and maybe it might be a good idea to check if he is breathing...especially when the person is elderly.

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I'll tell you to shut up! I love Spacey.

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And to SorryGrateful - Please don't take what I said as me being angry or complaining that I missed part of the show. I was just pointing out that the ushers were trying so hard not to disrupt the show (at this poor man's detriment) and their efforts were counterproductive as it was way more distracting having them running back and forth and watching this poor man hunched over in his seat. I'm not sure if the actors knew what was going on or not, but regardless they should've stopped the show, at least in my opinion.

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Oh, I wasn't, HBG! That's why I said I wasn't judging you. I just think, taken alone, those lines are funny.

GYPSY1527, I'm glad you wrote a letter. That's really ridiculous that a short intermission wasn't called. I can't believe they just went on with the show! I understand the whole the-show-must-go-on thing, but not when there's an audience member dying. At least it was at the beginning of the show. If it were later, someone might be tempted to say, "The show was so bad, it actually killed someone!"

I want to go in a theatre. That would be wonderful.

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As cliched as "Is there a doctor in the house?" is, that is exactly the way the situation should have been handled. The show could have been stopped and then restarted, considering it was near the beginning and many people in the mezzanine must have been distracted. The actors would have put on a better performance and everyone would be able to see the show with it's illusion intact.

Wow, what a drama - - however I do know first hand - - no one died.
Thank goodness--- all's well for the man I understand.

Thats wonderful news. Thanks for the update.

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Were many critics in the audience?

HBF, now I'm laughing, picturing the house manager lecturing the staff before opening the house:

"This is a press performance, so I don't care if someone DIES IN THE FRONT ROW, you DO NOT STOP THE SHOW!!!"

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