Daniel Hoevels, 30, slumped over with blood pouring from his neck while the audience broke into applause at the "special effect". Police are investigating whether the knife was a mistake or a murder plot. They are questioning the rest of the cast, and backstage hands with access to props; they will also carry out DNA tests.
27 comments:
That is gross. And terrifying. Maybe he should have checked his props before the show...(was that insensitive?) If this was a murder plot, it is a fairly sinister one. I do have to wonder if it could have been the props departments fault though. When we get busy, things slip away from us. Usually it is not a matter of life an death, but if the wrong thing gets away I suppose it could be. I would be interested to hear more details on this story as it progresses. I'm not sure what I would do if this happened during a show that I was working on. I'm glad he survived, and would also be interested in hearing his thoughts on the matter once he recovers enough to talk about it.
Wow. This sounds like something out of a movie. Jealous rival? Murder plot carried out on stage? I'm confused as to a couple of things. How did the actor not feel the sharpness and just stop cutting? So many details are confusing- why was the price tag still on? Was the props shop really not paying that much attention? The article suggests that the props people forgot to blunt the blade- if so, why didn't this happen at previous performances, or rehearsals? I really would like to know how this happened, and why.
I have definitely read this article before, and have never heard any of the follow-up about it. Aside from the obviously compelling story about who was responsible for switching the knife, it is obvious that there was a severe safety protocol breach within the production the night that this incident occurred. This serves as a sobering reminder that weapons, even ones as simple as a knife, are not to be taken lightly when used in a theatrical context. When a weapon needs to physically come into contact with an actor, there should be numerous safety checks put in place to ensure that an incident like this does not happen again.
This article within itself could be it's own play. Starting with the wrong knife being brought on stage and turning into a murder mystery of sorts, was it the jealous understudy or the angry stagehand? It seems unlikely that the props shop would not take the price tag off the knife and forget to blunt it at the same time. Why would they forget to blunt the knife before this performance but for the other shows they were prepared and the knife was blunted. I'm curious to see what actually happened and who placed the real knife.
Huh. I didn't know that things like this happened in real life. Judging by the lack of follow up articles, it was deemed an accident, but that begs the question as to how this happened. I wish the article had more information. It stretches credulity that the props people simply forgot to dull the blade, as I would assume that the same knife was used in later rehearsals, and in any prior performances.
This article is just slightly terrifying. To think about what could have happened to get a real knife into the actors hands is also terrifying. It could have either been a very stupid mistake, or a very deliberate plan, but what I don't understand, is how the actor didn't realize he was holding a different knife then before, or that the knife "still had a price tag on it." I think that this article is terribly interesting, but I would like to read another article after the fact to see what happened. I cannot find any however. I can't help but wonder if this was a hoax.
This article made me terrified. This kind of story seems to be appearing only in the movie...As I was reading, I was thinking what if I was one of the audiences and realized that it was a real blood. It would be horrific. I am worrying that the actor will have an aftereffect or some kind of phobia due to this accident. Whether this could have been a mistake or a total intention, this should never happen again in theatre where people have trust and respect for each other. If it was just a mistake due to forget to blunt the blade, it is still bad because because of one's reckless act, one could have died. If it was a plot based on one's jealousy, I think that is horrible thought. I can see how a lot of people are mentioning how the actor did not realize that it was a different knife, but I think when an actor is really in to acting, it will be hard to think whether he or she has a different knife or not. Also, he or she would have a trust in the crew who have prepared the props for him or her. I really want to applause for the actor's professionalism on deciding to come back for acting even though he got an injury. I hope that the theater figures out about truth soon.
This is just like a murder mystery movie. Its something that comes up in the back of your mind when dealing with prop weapons, "What if the prop was switched with the real thing?" But its not supposed to actually happen! Good actors really get into the scene and use props like the real thing so they might not even notice the prop is real until it was too late. You'd think that the victim would have checked his props at some point.
I remember reading this article a while back. It's such a scary thing to read such a thing. I'm really glad the actor wasn't horrifically injured and will soon make a recovery. I also must applaud the actor for getting right back up and continuing the show. That's really bold and not many would do this. However, it's freaky to not know how this sort of accident happened. There are so many factors that could be the reasoning. If it wasn't a dulled blade, it was the prop shops fault and should be very careful in dulling down knives. However, they said it was new with a price tag so it seems more of an intentional incident. No matter what, things like this need to be avoided. Stage management should be check each prop to make sure that everything is how it should be and not assuming that all will be ok.
This seems to crazy to be real. It seems preposterous that this would happen in real life. didn't the actor notice the blade was real when he picked it up. If not then, did he not realize the blade was sharp when he felt it touch his skin. I feel like it would have be reflex to pull the blade away when he noticed the searing in his neck. Also I feel like is it more likely that is was some attempt by another actor who wanted the part rather than a props assistant who forgot to blunt the knife. That seems like to big of a screw up to be real. Then again, this whole article seems to insane to be real. I hope the actor is alright.
Actor safety is important, and it's tragic when something like this happens. Usually, I say something like we are in a business that prides its self on endangering people more than anyone else. But this...this is really weird. I can't think of any reason other than sabotage. Also, the fact that the audience cheered at the "effect"...that's something out of a movie. Sounds like a dramatic villain to me. How intriguing...Sherlock Holmes anyone? But actually, it's devastating that this happened, and it shows how important it is to keep track of props, specifically weapons. Also, Macbeth, anyone?
It seems so unlikely that anything like this would ever happen, and fact that it did is really scary. There is a list of people who should have been able to prevent this (the actor, the props department, the stage manager, any stage hands who handle the knife at any point...) and the fact that no one did is really weird (also, wouldn't someone of at least noticed the price tag). The idea of someone switching a fake knife for the real one to kill the lead and take his place seems ridiculous and very murder mystery to me, but at the same time the fact that the props crew forgot to blunt the blade seems even more unlikely. This is a horrible story, but I'm glad that the actor is okay. I have a feeling that he may now be in the habit of checking that night every night before performances.
This is insane, why wasn't the knife checked before the it was put on stage!? Isn't one of the main concerns with props, costumes, rigging...EVERYTHING about the actors' safety!?! How could this have happened?! I want to know who did it, who switched the knife? If it was a new knife that wasn't blunted then who ever is in charge of props needs to be put on charges because it is his job, his responsibility to make sure that the props are safe for the show. You can't just buy a new knife and say "I'm gonna blunt it but for now just put it on the table with the props we're using tonight." ARE YOU STUPID?! A person's life could have been taken because some moron doesn't know how to properly do his job! Thank goodness the man is still alive and is still willing to act away but even that makes the whole situation very iffy. He could have died, he was very close to it, and since he's fine, he just wants to continue with the show? Maybe it was a real suicide and as he was bleeding he realized that he didn't want to die and so when he got the second chance, he just wanted to keep on living. Makes you wonder...
I still want to know what genius didn't take off the price tag on the knife...
This seriously sounds like the plot of a bad daytime soap opera, not to say that it isn't a serious issue. Keeping actors safe is important, especially if weapons are involved and actions like fake throat slitting. I would think that there would have been more safety precautions and checks to ensure that this wouldn't happen. But that also makes me think that foul play must have been involved. I would be interested in finding out what the aftermath of this is and if they ever actually figured out what happened.
I'm wondering how much of this story is journalistic embellishment, and how much of it was actually that intriguing. I read a follow up article to this one that says the guy got two stitches, so, while it shouldn't have happened, he should have checked, etc, this article is certainly written to maximize the drama factor. I'm sure the police had to investigate all threads of inquiry, one of which is obviously a murder attempt, but really, that would be the most dumb murder plot ever. I'm sure tickets were sold out for the rest of the run though!
Wow. This is straight up movie shit. How does this even happen?! This is incredibly disturbing and Im not sure how this happens. I dont remember if it was the first show or not, I dont think that it is, But if it wasn't then why would they have added a new knife? It seems a little weird for me. It definitely seems like it is something that should be explored by cops. Because that knife would've had to have been touched by at least 3 people who would've been working with the older knife for a while. Someone should've noticed that something was wrong. Which leads me o believe that it would've been done on purpose. I feel as though theres no way someone should've noticed something.
This sounds straight out of a theatre movie like Moulin Rouge or Shakespeare in Love or something. I feel like this is something that is fathomable and that could've happened before there were lots of safety measures in theatres but today it is so weird and a little scary to read about. I guess that it just goes to show how dangerous a theatre can be and at the same time show how aware people need to be.
This is horrific and yet also really inspiring in some ways. It's terrible that someone, either on accident or purpose gave him a knife with which he could actually harm or kill himself. The fact that he is returning to the play is totally miraculous. His dedication is not to be swayed by a near death injury, and I find that to be, though somewhat foolish, nonetheless admirable. One thing that I find particularly disturbing though is the audience's reaction. The mention that they were cheering (though stated at "realistic effects") at the suicide of a character makes me uncomfortable. No matter how hated a character is, applause should not be a response to their death, especially one at their own hands.
Hmm. I'm not sure what I can say about this article that hasn't already been said. But this story begs the question, what is real and what is engaging when it comes to entertainment? The fact that a man almost killed himself onstage in front of a live audience and no one flinched is rather disturbing. Do we want violence to appear that real? Back in the days of the coliseum, this is was the standard. And nothing less. the fact that he so fervently returned to the show the next night is either a mix-up of priorities, or a publicity stunt. It's lucky that he survived, but what are the consequences for the establishment? Shouldn't someone be held accountable? It could have just as easily gone the other way...
Stage Management NIGHTMARE! I don't know how I would react to this. I mean, stop the show of course. But I mean, how could it have gotten to this point. The article was not to specific on the details leading up to the incident, but my first question was why was the ASM not in control of the prop weapon at all time. As an ASM your duty is to check all weapons at top of call and before they go on stage. In the terms of a knife, it is as simple as feeling the edge of the blade. At the end of the night the knife should have been locked up where only a few select people have access to it.
I'm going to have to agree with Jody on this one. What does it say about our society that we are so desensitized to gore and violence that we can't tell real violence from fake? I find it interesting that we see or reenact all kinds of terrible things in varying mediums for art and entertainment, and because it's "not real" it's okay. And we as viewers have a certain level of distance and disconnect from this content because we know subconsciously it's not real. But I wonder how many people reflect on this type of content and what would happen if that actually had happened. Do they go home after a show and eat dinner, watch some tv and go to sleep? Or is there any further engagement?
This is terrifying. Not necessarily that it happened, but that the crew let this happen. Personally, whenever I’ve had prop weapons on stage, I have 2 independent people inspect every weapon in the presence of a third person that doesn’t handle it (preferable the actor who would be using the item). This process happens at preshow and then the cabinet gets double locked until right before the prop is needed. When the prop is needed, it is retrieved by those two people, who then remain together in possession of the prop until it is handed to the appropriate performer. The performer is then encouraged to inspect the weapon immediately before entering the scene.
This method protects everybody involved. The third person that only watches the inspection is protected from any blame if the prop is misplaced or replace, as they do not handle it. The other two people are protected from blame should the prop become compromised, as they both had the other person to inspect the item with them. The cabinet is double locked, so both trained persons are required to be present when retrieving the item. The actor is encouraged to inspect the weapon before use, also taking ownership for his or her own safety.
In this particular case, perhaps this actor should have taken a little more initiative to verify the integrity of the prop for himself before using it onstage.
I cannot even imagine how this could have happened. Weapons are like one of the major things that the props department should be checking most closely. And if it wasnt a mistake, thats really scary that someone in the company switched out the fake knife with a real one. I personally am glad that the actor is alright but think hes insane for wanting to go back to the show. What if someone is actually trying to kill him!? This specific part actually reminds me of spiderman, when the stuntman fell, and then in the hospital all he was talking about was how much he wanted to go back to work.
Jeezum crow, this sounds like something from a HBO series. I hope this reminds everyone of how real our profession is and how dangerous it can be. However, I have to wonder why there would be a sharpened real knife on stage in the first place. I feel as though it very well could have been sanded dull especially if there were a potential for a mix up and an injury in the show. This makes me question the production as a whole rather than just the members of the run crew and actors.
This article literally gave me the chills reading it. That is terrifying, and like everybody has been saying sounds like it came straight out of a murder mystery TV show. First of all I'd like to say that I am very happy that the actor survived. This could've gone much worse had he ended his life. I'll also say that the title of this article definitely leads you to believe that it went worse for the actor. It seems odd that he did not notice that the knife was a different one and did not ask the props master what had happened. If i were up there I wouldn't just take any knife to my own throat without checking it every night. That being said we can't place blame on this actor who is more than likely traumatized from this tragic experience.
This is a horrible accident and I feel that all of the actors in Purnell should have to read this article to understand the importance of who is to work with the props in a show. No actor other then those that use a prop in a scene should ever touch the prop and only the run crew member assigned to the prop should ever touch it. This is why we have so many rules put in place with firearms on stage to minimize the potential for injury. Im still little confused though, they say this was a later performance and the prop was switched. But then it is stated its a brand new prop with a price tag and everything. I Personally am of the opinion though that which ever actor was to bring that knife onstage should have double checked it. But we won't know what the actual cause of the incident was until they release more information.
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