Theatre Prop Sparks Bomb Scare
When theatre folk talk about a bomb, they usually mean “Moose Murders” or “Carrie: The Musical.” Not the other night, though. The Guardian reports: ‘Ethan Fishbane (pictured), 23, had finished performances of his solo show “American Suicide Bomber Association” and discarded the key prop in the process of moving out of his apartment, only for the building’s attendant to call police when he discovered it the following night. The casual disposal triggered a city-wide response, with members of the New York Police Department’s bomb squad, emergency service unit and Sixth Precinct, as well as police from elsewhere in the state, rushing to the scene. The terrorism task force and arson squad were also on standby.
“I didn’t think. I just threw this prop bomb away,” Fishbane told the New York Post. “I didn’t think twice about it, because, literally, it’s two blocks of clay … a calculator that’s cut in half, and some wires from a Gameboy.”
He continued: “Detectives and police were covering Bedford Street. They were cutting open garbage bags. The whole street was kind of littered.
“They came to knock on my door. At first, I didn’t know what they were talking about. [But then] I was like: ‘Oh, my God, I think that’s my prop. I think that’s mine.'”
Fishbane’s play, written when he was studying at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, takes place during a conference with actors discussing suicide bombs, but offers a surprise when an audience plant stands up claiming to be armed with explosives.
“I felt the response was wholly appropriate,” said Fishbane. “Even if it’s just a prop for a theatre piece, they were on top of it.”‘
