My friend Richard was badly injured Monday night.

Richard is one of the original Infernal Bridegroom people. He’s been, I think, in every Tamalalia, which is quite a distinction. Most recently, he’s been known and loved as a ballet-esque dancing anthropamorphized representation of Bacon in “Tamalalia 8: Tamarie Makes It Big” and the reprisal of the same number this summer in “Tamalalia X.” He’s also a landlord, and has been dabbling in property ownership for as long as I’ve known him. One of the properties for which he is responsible — via long-term lease, not ownership — is IBP’s home, the Axiom.

Rita hit the Axiom harder than most of Houston. The building itself did pretty well, but the patio was another story. The fence was destroyed, and trees were damaged, including one large tree essentially split in half. The IBP staff took care of most of the clean-up, but asked Richard to hire a pro to come take care of the big tree.

That’s when Richard, God love him, did something surprisingly dense. He went down to the Axiom alone, at night, with a ladder and a chainsaw, and using only the light from his car’s headlights, went to work. And slipped. And fell. Thank God the chainsaw lodged in the tree, but Richard fell off the ladder onto his hands, and ended up smashing the bones in his wrists and hands pretty damned thoroughly.

Alone and unable to get to his cell phone in his pocket, he somehow managed to drive to a hospital. I’m told he used his knees and ran every red light he could in an attempt to attract help via a traffic stop, but no dice. At the hospital, he couldn’t open his door, so he banged his head against his car window until someone came to help.

He’s had surgery already. He’s got a long recovery road ahead of him, obviously, and that’s where it gets ugly: Richard is self-employed, and has no health insurance.

IBP is rallying around him — he is one of our own, obviously — but none of us are rich. The Houston arts and performance community will, I’m sure, join this rally — I’m told that Fresharts and Diverseworks have already contacted their memberships, or will very soon. There will be a benefit show/concert/party in the very near future, once we know what the goal figure is; watch this space for information about when and where. If you feel moved to kick the poor guy a few bucks, though, don’t let lack of organization stop you: IBP is holding donations for him. Just send ’em to Richard Lyders Fund, c/o Infernal Bridegroom Productions, PO Box 131004, Houston, TX, 77219-1004.