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

[WOSQ]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:07pm

While the first scene of A Moon For The Misbegotten was unfolding, another drama was happening house left, front mezz, about row B last Saturday night, April 7th.

First the ushers came and got two people out of their seats and it looked like people were in the wrong seats. But ushers kept going down to the front mezz and returning and some other audience members were moving over to the center of the 'other drama' like they could have been medical professionals.

After about 10 minutes some burly NYC firefighters showed up in complete fireman drag: hats, rubber coats, boots, everything but the ax.

Two of these guys hefted the person out of his seat and carried him (at that point I could see it was a man) out of the mezz and presumably out of the theatre. They were not rushing and no medics were present.

This all happened before Jamie Tyrone's first entrance. The show was not stopped.

Anyone else there or hear any buzz?

As Cindy Adams says every day, "Only in New York".

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:09pm

Yikes!

[defyingravity11]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:10pm

Something like this happened during the opening number of the Color Purple, but he was having a heart attack.

[HBG]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:21pm

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.

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

[shesamarshmallow]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:23pm

People fall asleep at shows all the time - I can't imagine even THINKING to check someone's pulse without very good evidence that I'd have to. It's not the ushers' fault.

[dancingthrulife04]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:25pm

That's scary.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:26pm

"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."

I'm not judging you, but this is one of my favorite things I've ever seen on these boards.

Well, in defense of the ushers, who on earth would think someone would just die in the front row? And I'm kind of amazed the show wasn't stopped. Wasn't all the commotion distracting to the actors as well? I'm only assuming they can see and hear what's up there.

[HBG]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:26pm

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.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:27pm

You try telling Spacey to shut up, SG.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:28pm

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

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:32pm

Yup! Thats what happened. I was there that night and eventually the man was carried out by the NYFD. I wrote a letter to the general house manager of the theater detailing how I felt they should have called an intermission as the manner in which it was handled was extremly distracting and I practically missed the first act. The actors (Best and Meane (?) were perplexed and delivered all of their lines to the mezz as they were starring up there the whole time. It was very poorly handled. It was the worst theater going experience of my life.

[HBG]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:32pm

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.

[Heybeenfood]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:34pm

A similar thing occurred when I saw "The Rivals" at LCT. An old man in the loge was being carried out of the theater. I was really disturbed and all of my attention towards the show was lost. I never found out what actually happened.

[SorryGrateful]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:37pm

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.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:38pm

A smilar incident happed when I was in high school. All of a sudden a man stood up and shouted "Stop, stop the show!" then violently shook an elderly woman and asked her, loudly, "Ma'am, are you okay?" "Someone, call an ambulence." She awoke before paramedics arrived - she had epilepsy but apparently hadn't had a seizure in years and was at the theatre alone.

They should have stopped the show.

[yankee_fan907]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:41pm

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.

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:42pm

Well, my whole reasoning behind writing the letter is that especially with a drama such as "Moon.." it's crucial to hear every single word. I also feel like if it had happened in the orchestra, they would have been more inclined to call an intermission.

[kooky]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:45pm

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

[jordangirl]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:47pm

Yikes. That's just...scary.

But great that the man is ok.

Updated On: 4/9/07 at 02:47 PM

[GYPSY1527]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:47pm

Thats wonderful news. Thanks for the update.

[Heybeenfood]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:48pm

Were many critics in the audience?

[Heybeenfood]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:48pm

Were many critics in the audience?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:50pm

I love Fireman drag.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:55pm

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!!!"

[Michael Bennett]

Posted: 4/9/07 at 2:59pm

Protocol when this happens (and it does happen surprisingly often) is to stop the show. Very odd decision from the house manager to keep going...Maybe he's scared of the wrath of Kevin Spacey