Sarah Guyard-Guillot, 31, a mother of two who had spent more than 22 years as an acrobatic performer, was pronounced dead at 11:43 p.m. Saturday night at the city's University Medical Center.
The Sun quoted audience members who said that Guyard-Guillot fell during the show's dramatic final battle scene, in which many of the artists are suspended from wires along the massive, vertical stage.
2 comments:
I have never heard of such an incident happening during a Cirque Du Soleil production. Because of the high risks most of the performers take, the suspense of whether or not something will go wrong is a driving force that keeps the show moving forward. It keeps the audience members who don't have a great appreciation for the shows' artistic qualities involved in the show. I personally have a high respect for the show and its creative aspects so the suspense is just an added stimulus. Now that every audience and performers worst nightmare has come true, I can hardly believe it. It's such a tragedy.
When this happened a few years ago I remember hearing about it in the news. Any death such as this is devastating, and having it happen to such a dedicated and caring mother is more tragic. Live theatre has the wonderful job of entertaining audiences and creating magical and immersive environments; and that is what makes this even more heartbreaking. While reading this article I was also reminded of the importance of safety in our field. Cirque is known for prioritizing their performers safety, so this death came as quite a shock. I am glad to be studying in a field where amazing theatre such as Cirque shows exist, but I also realize that as a technician I have a responsibility to always accommodate performers needs and prioritize safety first. Again, the death of such a devoted artist was a tragic event and my heart goes out to her family and children.
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