CHARLESTON – A Kanawha County man says a skater portraying Maui from the animated film “Moana” hit him with a boat during a 2020 Disney on Ice performance.
Chester Calhoun originally filed his complaint in Kanawha Circuit Court against Feld Entertainment Inc. and the John Doe performer portraying Maui. Feld, which is based in Florida, later had the case removed to federal court.
According to the complaint, Calhoun was working March 7, 2020, at the Feld-produced Disney On Ice show at the Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center. Calhoun was a laborer employed by International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 271 Labor Center LLC. He was assigned to work backstage near the black curtains which shield the backstage from the audience.
During the “Moana” act of the show, the man portraying Maui drove or road a boat across the ice. After the act, the man drove the boat behind the stage.
“As Maui was exiting the boat, he fell causing the boat to accelerate through the black curtains and crashed into Calhoun,” the complaint states.
Calhoun says Feld and the man portraying Maui owed him a duty of reasonable care, which he says they breached. He accuses the defendants of negligence.
Calhoun says he suffered severe and permanent injuries, had to undergo surgery and will incur physical pain and suffering in the future. He says he’s also suffered severe emotional injuries and distress, mental anguish, annoyance and inconvenience.
He seeks compensatory damages, pre- and post-judgment interest and other relief.
In its answer, Feld denies the allegations.
Calhoun is being represented by Stephen E. Hastings and Raj A. Shah of Hendrickson & Long in Charleston. Feld is being represented by Charles R. Bailey and Samuel M. Bloom of Bailey & Wyant in Charleston. The case has been assigned to District Judge Irene Berger.
U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia case number 2:21-cv-00455
