A stunning special effect

[Steppenwolf]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7777086.stm

[jack_the_knife]

I heard about this. Apparently the price tag was even still attached to the knife...

[Despanan]

It's more likely a publicity stunt or a suicide attempt than an actual attack. In my experience, when you're working on a show, you're pretty familiar with your props. You'd most likely notice if the knife was different, especially if it was a live blade.

Then again, I don't know the circumstances, so maybe this guy didn't have time to figure it out, or maybe he was just a dumbass.

[Felreaper]

Originally Posted by Despanan

It's more likely a publicity stunt or a suicide attempt than an actual attack. In my experience, when you're working on a show, you're pretty familiar with your props. You'd most likely notice if the knife was different, especially if it was a live blade.

Then again, I don't know the circumstances, so maybe this guy didn't have time to figure it out, or maybe he was just a dumbass.

I'd have to agree, I too have done some acting (with knives, blunt of course) and it would be rather obvious if someone replaced my prop with a serious knife! I have a feeling it will turn out that he was attempting public suicide.

[Eclipsing the Son]

Uh yeah. Hi. Worked in acting too and actually continue to work with actors on a pretty regular basis. If you're performing for an audience, with lights in your face, in character, you don't take the time to check if your props are all what you usually use.

I find it hard to imagine myself picking up every prop and turning it over in my hand, checking it out, with the audience watching, mid-scene. If he's just picking it up and killing himself in the scene it could have very easily been overlooked. You would more likely be too caught up in your scene to notice and if you did notice the change in props, you would probably just consider it a fluke and not really think much of it.

Take into mind that in the scene, he's picking up a knife and realistically dragging it over his throat. If it were sharp enough he'd probably barely feel it.

Though I'm sure public suicide is the first thing that comes to desperateman's mind every time he thinks of his long gone glory days in theater, I doubt this was an attempt at public suicide.

How familiar was Brandon Lee and his fellow actors to the gun that killed him? Are you going to join the bandwagon of people whom claim that was intentional too?

[Corpsey]

Uh yeah. Hi. Worked in acting too and actually continue to work with actors on a pretty regular basis. If you're performing for an audience, with lights in your face, in character, you don't take the time to check if your props are all what you usually use.

I find it hard to imagine myself picking up every prop and turning it over in my hand, checking it out, with the audience watching, mid-scene. If he's just picking it up and killing himself in the scene it could have very easily been overlooked. You would more likely be too caught up in your scene to notice and if you did notice the change in props, you would probably just consider it a fluke and not really think much of it.

I was thinking along the same lines. I remember the process of back-stage preset, and even if it wasn't preset on stage, chances are nobody would have looked twice at it.

Once when I was discussing what could go wrong on stage with a friend of mine, he brought up this story of a man who got injured during a sword-fighting stunt who ignored it and kept performing, only to fall down dead in mid-sentence. Might be a tall story but i think he was trying to use it to provoke some sort of passion for more actors to be dedicated to their characters.

[crucifix]

public suicide attempt.

[Eclipsing the Son]

Yeah. That's why he was back performing the same play the very next night.

Because he hates his life and wants to die.

If you believe that you probably have some issues of your own.

[Eclipsing the Son]

The audience is said to have applauded what they thought was a stunning special effect, and only realised something was wrong when the actor staggered off stage to receive treatment.

If he was attempting suicide, I think he would have laid there and let himself bleed out on stage. I don't think he would have gone offstage looking for help.

[Bat Attack]

Originally Posted by Eclipsing the Son

Yeah. That's why he was back performing the same play the very next night.

Because he hates his life and wants to die.

If you believe that you probably have some issues of your own.

Originally Posted by Eclipsing the Son

If he was attempting suicide, I think he would have laid there and let himself bleed out on stage. I don't think he would have gone offstage looking for help.

Yes that’s exactly what I was thinking. It could have been a genuine accident but someone switching the props without him realising seems like the most likely cause. “Publicity stunt” is a more unlikely possibility.

[gothicusmaximus]

Originally Posted by Despanan

It's more likely a publicity stunt or a suicide attempt than an actual attack. In my experience, when you're working on a show, you're pretty familiar with your props. You'd most likely notice if the knife was different, especially if it was a live blade.

Then again, I don't know the circumstances, so maybe this guy didn't have time to figure it out, or maybe he was just a dumbass.

Holy shit, Despanan, I want to direct a play with you in it, because every one of the many actors with whom I've worked just counted on the props to be where they needed to be at any given time.
I find that most actors have enough to worry about, or at least believe themselves to have enough to worry about, without needing to become intimately familiar with the unique texture of their prop knife's handle, or to inspect said knife before every show just to make sure isn't not real this time. Stagehands do exist for a reason.

[Eclipsing the Son]

Originally Posted by Bat Attack

Yes that’s exactly what I was thinking. It could have been a genuine accident but someone switching the props without him realising seems like the most likely cause. “Publicity stunt” is a more unlikely possibility.

I think it's most likely that someone misplaced the prop knife and they put in a real one, expecting the actor to know to use the dull side of the knife. Probably an accident caused by a rushed, unorganized atmosphere and not enough communication. These things happen sometimes when it comes to props, but never quite so over the top.

I also want to concur with what gothicus said about being 'familiar' with the props. That's not really something expected of actors at all. That's something handled by set organizers and stage hands. There is no 'bring your own props to work' ethic behind acting.

[Saya]

Holy crap, glad he was okay enough to be on stage the next night. Sounds like one whoever was in charge of the props screwed up big time, good thing he was lucky enough not to hit an artery. For that reason I really doubt it was a publicity stunt, thats just way too risky.

Maybe they'll blame this on someone saying Macbeth?

[LaBelleDameSansMerci]

*claps hands over ears* IT"S THAT SCOTTISH PLAY!!! :P
I'm impressed that he was back to work the next day. I wonder if I could do that and go back to the studio next day.

[Sir. Helpmann]

Originally Posted by Despanan

In my experience, when you're working on a show, you're pretty familiar with your props. You'd most likely notice if the knife was different, especially if it was a live blade.

Then again, I don't know the circumstances, so maybe this guy didn't have time to figure it out, or maybe he was just a dumbass.

You may as well give up Despanan. Trying to convince us you're an actor is the same as you trying to convince us that we're on ignore - frankly you try too hard to convey, and it's always done in such a clumsy fashion which only a total pleb is capable of.

You tell the forum that you are an actor, and yet the only examples you seem to cite relate constantly to stuff you have done "while in college". Not much theatre work of late, is it Despanan?

And now this further insult to the acting proffesion, where you try and come up with some new-age bullshit regarding actors relationships with props. If you had even done a days worth of actual acting in your miserable life, you would know that an actor has far too much to think about than if the props are in the right place. Acting is akin to being in a trance, and it is the responsibility of stage management to ensure that everything is in it's right place - actors are negated from that responsibility, which you should know.

Of course you didn't, because you're not an actor. You're a mere ex-student from some obscure college without any talent. You picked acting because you lack the intelligence to do anything worthwhile with yourself and though "hey, that looks like an easy grade... I'll do that". At any given opportunity you have tried to put forward the case that you are an actor, right down to this latest thread. It seems that the moment anyone mentions anything about theatre you feel the need to jump in and use your limited acting skills to pretend to portray yourself as an established actor. To those of us who actually have genuine experience, you're akin to David Brent in the Office (uk version).

Now go back to you room, play with your toys and your costumes.... forget about acting.

[Malice In Wonderland]

Did you check all your props when you were in drama camp?

[Necrophagist]

No, but you certainly did.

[Joker_in_the_Pack]

Originally Posted by LaBelleDameSansMerci

*claps hands over ears* IT"S THAT SCOTTISH PLAY!!! :P
I'm impressed that he was back to work the next day. I wonder if I could do that and go back to the studio next day.

I was talking about Macbeth in a theatre once before a show, as I was reading it at the time. Someone told me to say "that Scottish play". I told them to piss off and continued talking about Macbeth. He started yelling at me about that idiotic superstition constantly. One firm punch, a bruised nose and a fall down the isle later, and he decided against pushing the issue any farther.

[Sir Canvas Corpsey]

One time back stage me and some friends thought we'd chant Macbeth before going on... the speakers blew out at the very end of the play at the huge climax, and there supposed to be big epic operatic music coming from the speakers, instead they played it through a CD player... >_>;;

[LaBelleDameSansMerci]

Originally Posted by Joker_in_the_Pack

I was talking about Macbeth in a theatre once before a show, as I was reading it at the time. Someone told me to say "that Scottish play". I told them to piss off and continued talking about Macbeth. He started yelling at me about that idiotic superstition constantly. One firm punch, a bruised nose and a fall down the isle later, and he decided against pushing the issue any farther.

Hahaha.. He must have been quite insistent. I was being silly, but :P
Nah, I use Macbeth all the time. I love that play.

[Mr. Filth]

Who else wants to see that play where Harry Potter fucks a horse?