On Wednesday, Broadway performer Jodie Comer abruptly left the stage after claiming she was having trouble breathing because of wildfire smoke.
After Comer's replacement took the stage to finish the matinee performance, Comer's solo performance, Prima Facie, continued.
New York City has recently been covered in smoke from Canadian wildfires.
On Wednesday, residents were advised to stay inside or wear N95 masks outside, so a performance of Hamilton and several sporting events were postponed.
A Prima Facie spokesperson told The Hollywood Reporter that the performance was cut short about 10 minutes into the performance because Jodie Comer was having trouble breathing because of the bad air quality in New York City brought on by smoke from the Canadian wildfires.
The Killing Eve actress was replaced by understudy Dani Arlington in the role of Tessa, finishing the roughly 100-minute performance and receiving enthusiastic applause, a witness told Deadline.
After about three minutes of Comer's performance, the audience member told Deadline, Comer coughed and said, "I can't breathe this air," to a stage manager.
Comer was reportedly assisted off the stage by a production team member, according to reports on social media and in Variety.
By the time it was revealed that the actress would not take the stage again that afternoon, some audience members had reportedly left their seats, and many had asked for replacement tickets for upcoming performances or refunds.
One spectator posted on Twitter, "We came to see Jodie Comer. She opened the show. Had to halt due to the air quality. We should now see the understudy. We traveled and spent a lot of money to see Jodie; what is the policy on refunds or exchanges? ".
Since its premiere in April, Comer's show, which is from Liverpool in the UK, has garnered raving reviews.
In Prima Facie, she portrays a lawyer who defends those who have been accused of sexual assault before coming under attack herself from a fellow attorney.
Comer has received a lot of praise for her work in the play; in addition to being nominated for best actress at this Sunday's Tony Awards, she has also already won an Olivier Award.
The British actor, who has also starred in The Last Duel and Free Guy, will continue to portray the part on Broadway through July 2nd.
In New York, smoke from Canada has turned the sky orange and caused health advisories in some areas of Canada and the northeastern United States.
Citizens in New York were advised to limit outdoor activity after the Environment Protection Agency declared the city's air to be "unhealthy.".
In addition, the Vineyard Theatre postponed its performance of This Land Was Made on Wednesday night.
In order to prioritize the health and safety of our audience members, performers, and staff, the off-Broadway theater announced the cancellation.
Canada has evacuated some of its interior. Chibougamau, the biggest town in northern Quebec, has lost about 7,500 residents, and Mistissini, a Cree community, has lost about 4,000.
According to meteorologist Zach Taylor of the US National Weather Service, the weather pattern caused smoke to be funneled into the US.
After rain this weekend and early next week, he predicted, the air should start to clear up. He also added that putting out the fires would provide additional relief.
