Italian actor clings to life after on-stage hanging scene goes wrong
- 8 years ago
PISA, ITALY — An Italian actor is in a coma after participating in a hanging scene that went wrong.
Raphael Schumacher, 27, was appearing in an experimental theater production, "Mirages," at the Teatro Lux in the historic center of Pisa on Jan. 30. He was performing in the theater's courtyard. The scene called for Schumacher's character to be hanged with a covering over his head. During the performance, an audience member, a female medical graduate, noticed that the rope around his neck was so tight it was actually killing him.
The woman saw him trembling and realized something was wrong. She rushed to him and loosened the noose with the help of another audience member. The actor was taken to the hospital shortly after.
Schumacher is currently in a coma and underwent procedures to determine if he will be declared brain dead Thursday, Feb. 4.
Police have launched an investigation and have said they are looking to verify if proper safety precautions were taken. Rumors spread that police were exploring the idea that Schumacher was purposely trying to take his own life, a notion his mother reportedly rejected.
Directors of the play told Italian newspaper "Il Giorno" that Schumacher changed the script at the last minute. "The original monologue included a fake gunshot but he eventually decided for the hanging — without telling us," they said.
In the scene, Schumacher recited a monologue expressing the existential angst of a 15-year-old, who ends up placing his head in a noose to depict suicide by hanging.
"Mirages" is a six-scene play with each scene occurring in different areas of the theater.
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Raphael Schumacher, 27, was appearing in an experimental theater production, "Mirages," at the Teatro Lux in the historic center of Pisa on Jan. 30. He was performing in the theater's courtyard. The scene called for Schumacher's character to be hanged with a covering over his head. During the performance, an audience member, a female medical graduate, noticed that the rope around his neck was so tight it was actually killing him.
The woman saw him trembling and realized something was wrong. She rushed to him and loosened the noose with the help of another audience member. The actor was taken to the hospital shortly after.
Schumacher is currently in a coma and underwent procedures to determine if he will be declared brain dead Thursday, Feb. 4.
Police have launched an investigation and have said they are looking to verify if proper safety precautions were taken. Rumors spread that police were exploring the idea that Schumacher was purposely trying to take his own life, a notion his mother reportedly rejected.
Directors of the play told Italian newspaper "Il Giorno" that Schumacher changed the script at the last minute. "The original monologue included a fake gunshot but he eventually decided for the hanging — without telling us," they said.
In the scene, Schumacher recited a monologue expressing the existential angst of a 15-year-old, who ends up placing his head in a noose to depict suicide by hanging.
"Mirages" is a six-scene play with each scene occurring in different areas of the theater.
-------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to TomoNews, where we animate the most entertaining news on the internets. Come here for an animated look at viral headlines, US news, celebrity gossip, salacious scandals, dumb criminals and much more! Subscribe now for daily news animations that will knock your socks off.
Visit our official website for all the latest, uncensored videos: http://us.tomonews.net
Check out our Android app: http://bit.ly/1rddhCj
Check out our iOS app: http://bit.ly/1gO3z1f
Get top stories delivered to your inbox everyday: http://bit.ly/tomo-newsletter
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Twitter @tomonewsus http://www.twitter.com/TomoNewsUS
Google+ http://plus.google.com/+TomoNewsUS/
Instagram @tomonewsus http://instagram.com/tomonewsus