The Dunkin' Donuts Center, Providence, R.I., was the scene of an accident May 3 that left nine performers injured.
It’s been a long week for Dunkin Donuts Center General Manager Larry Lepore, after a horrific accident during a Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus show at his Providence, RI., venue left nine performers injured and led to the cancellation of four shows
“I think we did extremely well and a lot of patrons didn’t know the extent of the accident because of the way it was handled,” said Lepore, who described the injuries he witnessed as “catastrophic” and “incredibly disturbing.”
Three aerialists remain in serious condition following the accident, with one in fair condition. Three others have asked that their medical conditions no longer be released, according to company spokesperson Stephen Payne. They were among those injured on May 3 when a clip at the top of a rigging apparatus snapped, sending performers with the “human chandelier” stunt crashing to the ground.
Lepore said he and members of his staff were still “traumatized” by the severity of the injuries noting that when EMTs and staffers first rushed to aid the fallen performers, “they were unsure if the performers had survived the accident” only to find them “conscious and living, but severely injured. It was traumatizing for a lot of people.”
Thankfully, three EMTS were already stationed at the arena as a precaution along with three firefighters. An additional duo of EMTs stationed at the adjacent convention center were able to respond to the accident.
Lepore said he wasn’t on-site at the SMG-managed arena when the accident happened, but was able to get to the building in about 20 minutes. The show was part of an 11 a.m. performance, the first of three shows slated for that day.
The remainder of the show was canceled and the 4,000 patrons in attendance were evacuated from the building. Fire crews and emergency response teams began to make their way to the building — a fire lane was kept open for access in and out of the arena, but the severity of the accident caused a giant traffic jam in the emergency lane.
“At one point we had 11 emergency vehicles and fire apparatuses trying to either get in or out of the building,” blocked by circus equipment, backstage areas and even the elephant pin. Lepore said that while emergency crews were trying to maneuver around all the obstacles, his team was trying to clear room for people to get in and out.
“We eventually went in with forklifts to move equipment out of the way” and unclog exits, Lepore said. “It was a joint effort by both the arena staff and the circus team.”
As for the remaining four shows, Feld decided to cancel the remaining performances for that evening, and OSHA essentially canceled the remaining two shows when it issued an order that no rigging could be used in the performance until a complete inspection had been undertaken.
“As soon as the final show was canceled, I went to my finance department and made sure we had enough cash on hand to start issuing refunds,” he said. “There were a lot of walk-up sales, but fortunately we were able to use the cash we had brought in from parking to issue those refunds.”
Lepore said many in the crowd were polite and patient about receiving their refunds, noting, “they were very gracious. Some people probably thought the performers lost their lives and many told us to do whatever we had to, to take care of them.”
Company spokesperson Stephen Payne said the hospitalized performers have asked for privacy, and Feld Entertainment will not be releasing information or ongoing updates on their conditions.
“From the bottom of our hearts, all of us at Feld Entertainment want to thank you for the overwhelming care and positive energy you’ve focused on our circus family in the days following the unfortunate accident,” read a statement attributed to Kenneth Feld and his daughters Nicole, Alana and Juliette, and addressed to the residents of Providence.
“We are deeply touched by the kind thoughts that have been shared,” the statement read. “We deeply appreciate your continued thoughts, prayers and support, and we look forward to bringing Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey back to Providence next year and for many years to come.”
The circus has performed at the arena for over 40 years. The accident is currently under investigation by state and federal officials.
The circus reopened on Thursday at the XL Centre in Hartford, Conn., without the aerial act involved in the accident.
Interviewed for this article: Larry Lepore, (401) 331-0700