It has been an eventful couple of days here in the goodliest land under the cope of Heaven.
Night before last we worked through Act II. I worked on the timing of keeling over face first into the sand. Ah, Art!
I haven’t been in the Final March sequence which ends the show since I played Old Tom back in the 90s. We worked it several times and the emotion of the scene with the music swelling at the end with Our Heroes posing while the flag flutters above the chapel is getting to me. I’m such an old softie.
We were all gathered up under the breezeway after running it one last time and got the call to come back down to the stage. I moved out of the shelter in the middle of a crowd of Colonists. Suddenly a girl, an Actor Tech, started to have a seizure. She fell down on the concrete divide in the house. Other Colonists scattered, calling for Stage Management. I am not a physician and wouldn’t dream of diagnosing her ailment, but it appeared to be a grand mal epileptic seizure. I knelt and used my hands as a cushion so that she wouldn’t hit her head on the concrete. Several people knelt with me. Terry Snead (Governor White) ran up. He’s a trained EMT. We were doing the correct thing – not restraining her, just keeping her head safe. After a few minutes she calmed and appeared to focus and be aware. A Colonist was on the phone with 911.
We thought she was past the crisis when she began another seizure. Someone passed a rolled up sweatshirt to me to cushion her head and I withdrew my hands.
I don’t want to draw this story out – the ambulance pulled right up to the front gate of the theater and the EMTs took over. I watched for awhile. There was nothing I could do. I made my way out through the ring of people surrounding her. I struck my props and went home.
She was transported to the hospital in Chesapeake
She will be remembered.
Oh my goodness. Thank you for letting us know, Don. After having my own share of them late last year, one of them stopping my heart/breathing, I know how frightening they can be for all involved. I will keep her in my thoughts and prayers as well as the rest of you as you continue to tell the tale and do the pageant. God bless.
ReplyDeleteUpdate: She has made a posting on Facebook stating that she is getting way too much rest and nutrition in the hospital and can't wait to get better and rejoin the company.
ReplyDeleteThat's wonderful news! Is she coming back to the show? It's been 30 years ( OMG !!) since Le and I did The Show . . . and alot of procedures and health knowledge has probably changed since then. IF she does return, perhaps she could have a "Colonist" (non-dancer, non-Choir, etc.) be at her side at all times (at least onstage). If she's an Actor/Tech, she may not be a "giggly girl" (tech people have a sense of humor, but "giggly" is not usually a description.) We all have seen girls/women who seem to constantly be shoulder to shoulder chatting over something. At least for awhile, maybe she could have "a best friend" (either real or someone who wants to act it) stand next to her and they could be on stage pretending to be whispering about what's happening.
ReplyDelete-Mary Hook