A man in his late 30s is dead after an accident occurred in a scene change during a performance of the opera Sadko in Moscow over the weekend.

The Bolshoi Theatre says in a statement that Yevgeny Kulesh died when a backdrop crushed him. The man was an extra in the performance.

Video online of the incident shows a piece of scenery descending and the performance continuing with the chorus and orchestra until an actor begins waving his hands and calling for a stop. Some performers left the stage while others went to the piece of scenery to help the man before the curtain closes.

The Bolshoi confirmed the passing of the actor in a tweet, saying, "The leadership of the Bolshoi Theater and the staff of the mimic ensemble with regret report the tragic death of our artist Evgeniy Sergeevich Kulesha."

"We express our deep condolences to family and friends," the prestigious theatre says in the tweet. The theatre says in an online statement that it is assisting investigators in the matter.

The New York Times reports that in 2013 a violinist died in the theatre when they fell into the orchestra pit.