Third Actor Injured in Spider-Man

Please don’t break a leg, again. During a preview performance of the Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Natalie Mendoza, who plays the villainess Arachne, suffered a concussion after a rope holding stage equipment struck her in the head. Mendoza was strongly advised by her doctor to take rest but still performed later in the week. A doctor hired by the production company said it was fine if the actress performs, but that her choreography would need to be altered. The production is one of the most complex performances to hit the stage. The play includes several aerial sequences and stunts. Mendoza’s injury is just another one to add to the list since earlier in the fall, a dancer injured his wrists while attempting a flying stunt and an actor also hurt his feet performing the same stunt. The Actors’ Equity union and the New York State Labor Department are investigating Mendoza’s accident, especially since her character requires several flying tricks during the play.