Article September 23, 2019 Issue

How can we feel safe?

Mara Purl

“Be careful of the missing corner on that last step tonight,” I warned my costar during a recent theater production.

Luminescent tape that normally would have marked the absent triangle of that step’s edge had been removed during repairs. My colleague heeded the warning, but I somehow failed to. En route to my first entrance, I felt my foot bend at an awkward angle when it found no supporting corner.

The injury seemed serious, but I had no time for yelps, ice, or even to take weight off the foot. I had to simply go forward with the performance. During intermission, I didn’t remove my shoe, because I was worried that the foot was too swollen to replace the shoe before Act II started. I did, however, sit quietly to take stock of the situation.

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