Stage Hand Falls to his death at the Winter Garden

[gafftaper]

A 54 year old male stage hand fell to his death this morning while working at the Winter Garden Theatre in New York. We don't really know any details. This article says he fell 50 feet from "Scaffolding" and makes it sound like he was working alone and suggests he may not have been in full PPE. An article in the Hollywood Reporter says he fell from a "ladder", Broadway World says he fell from a "fly floor above the stage"... you know how these things go the details are always confusing and put into layman terms. His identity is being withheld until they are able to contact the family, but sadly I'm sure someone around here will know him. Be careful out there and say a prayer for his family.

 

[Van]

Wow, that post article is rather Grisly. I think a friend of mine works there. Isn't Winter Garden where a kid got beaned with a mule block stanchion a couple years ago?

Why in the world was he "Taking down props from Beetlejuice" when Musicman does not open till December 20 at the earliest?

 

[gafftaper]

Wow, that post article is rather Grisly. I think a friend of mine works there. Isn't Winter Garden where a kid got beaned with a mule block stanchion a couple years ago?

Yeah the quote from the co-worker who found him is horrible. Poor guy.

Hug your loved ones and never lean out a little more to reach that thing without a harness.

 

[ScottT]

sn't Winter Garden where a kid got beaned with a mule block stanchion a couple years ago?

That was the Golden. And it was around a year ago...

 

[Van]

That was the Golden. And it was around a year ago...

Ah, Ok, I had the 'G' stuck in my head then my friend works there, or rather, she did.

 

[josh88]

The times has a bit more information now. Guy apparently fell from a ladder on the fly floor or loading bridge. Was not associated with Beetlejuice or music man, but was performing maintenance on something as an employee of the Schubert organization.

Stagehand Falls to His Death at the Winter Garden Theater (Published 2020)

The 54-year-old man fell from a ladder above the stage at the theater that most recently hosted “Beetlejuice.”

www.nytimes.com

 

[Allana]

Its so weird when the media translates theater-lingo into everyone-speak but with quotations which means they still clearly don't know what they are talking about.
"restoration" = restore (maintenance is similar but probably a stretch)
presuming fly floor = grid

Unless some of you people call it a fly floor...?

 

[Allana]

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[TimMc]

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[Jay Ashworth]

"""
Dear Brothers & Sisters,

As most of you know, our membership recently lost one of its finest, Brother Peter Wright, in a tragic accident this past Thursday at the Winter Garden Theater. Our Union is in its darkest days with his passing and the grief for many is unbearable. Our brothers and sisters of Local One all offer our deepest prayers and sincerest condolences to Peter’s wife Marcie, their sons Ken and Matt, and the entire Wright family during this extremely difficult time.

I urge all our members who were fortunate enough to know Peter, to remember him most for how he lived, rather than how he passed. Your life was truly enriched if you were Peter’s friend, and you knew firsthand of his warmth and his infectious smile. Peter Wright had a work ethic that was nothing short of exemplary, was extremely talented and skilled in his craft, and he was one of the finest riggers/flyman in our industry. Peter was loved and respected by so many of his Union brothers and sisters, as well as the employers he proudly served. This, his love and his caring for his family, plus so much more is what our Union family will always remember about Brother Peter Wright.

We grieve together now as a Union and we make sure Peter’s family is well provided for. Our membership needs to also offer our love and support to our members who worked at the theater that day, because they are all greatly suffering now. I offer a respectful plea, that any Local One member who is having trouble coping with all that is happening now, to please contact the Actors Fund directly, at (212) 221-7300 or contact Secretary Bob Score, myself or any Union officer about seeking and receiving appropriate counseling.

Those who need help, “must get help”.

Offer your love and support to each other Local One, and may god bless our dear brother Peter and his family.

Very truly yours,
Jim

James J. Claffey Jr.
President
Local One I.A.T.S.E.

 

[gafftaper]

sigh... and there is the notice that we all read, the bottom drops out of your heart, and you think, "That could have just as easily had my name on it". It doesn't matter how it happened. We lost someone, who was doing something we have all done at one point or another, and now his family is left with an empty chair at the table. Be safe out there my brothers and sisters.

 

[Kristi R-C]

I interpreted fly-floor as a raised floor for operating the flys, not the grid. AKA "mid-rail"

There, but for the grace of God, go I and a thousand folks I know and love.

 

[Ted jones]

I remember when one of the Texas Scenic guys lost his life falling off a catwalk about 15/20 years ago. It was a rare day when all of our installers (rigging) happened to come into the shop at the end of the day. I gathered them out in the shop and told them about it. I knew the guy's father but not the son who died. The father is one of the true gentlemen of stage rigging and I have considered him a friend ever since another true gentleman in our industry introduced us. We are lucky that we have some truly good guys in rigging.

What I told our guys is "We lost of our own today." They may be a competitor, but they do exactly what we do. And he did what we have all done when he needed to reach something. We have to always work at staying alive and unharmed. It turned into about an hour talk.

It was awful news that day. It was awful three days ago when I read about Pete Wright. I feel for all of local One and the family and friends. We're supposed to die of old age.

T

 

[What Rigger?]

Uncle Bill took a moment during today's online class session to remind us all that the zone where it's that thing that takes just a second, and is no big deal is where people die. Beyond that, he would not speculate, of course. But the reminder, even during the shutdown, is a good one.