From the Ghost Lights to the “M” word, I am here to give you all the top news on those “Oh No No’s” of the theatre.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am very superstitious; like I don’t step on cracks anymore because my mother actually broke her back. So what better to start off with than something that I hold near and dear like a four leaf clover.
#1: THE “M” WORD - Shakespeare’s Scottish Play
Just looking at the title you probably thought about The Beautiful Bard’s Macbeth. The title of this show, which just happens to be the leading player’s name, must never be uttered in the theatre while a production is being produced; especially on opening night!
Some actors even go as far as to avoid quoting lines from the show; mainly just any from the spooky all seeing witches. It is perfectly fine to say it while a production is not going on, or in the outside world; but I usually avoid it all together for my sake. But if you by mistake speak the unspeakable, you’re in luck! There is a counter curse. The unlucky soul who utters the name must leave the building, spin around three times, spit, swear, and then knock to be allowed back in.
You’re probably asking “Where did such a silly rule come from?” Well, according to Wikipedia (Best Source in the world right?), it is claimed the actor who played Lady Macbeth died during the first production and the Bard himself had to step in. So, I’d urge you not to slip up or be ready, because you must be careful in this line of business.
#2: It’s a No Go with “G.L.”
It is bad luck to wish an actor, stagehand, or anyone in theatre really, “good luck”. There are many ways around this. My High School had the ritual of saying “Fuck You,” and we shoke each others hands. This usually lead to some creative greetings involving gardening equipment. More commonly used is the phrase “Break a Leg”. I have no clue, and neither does Wikipedia, on where the exact origin of this superstition comes from.
#3: Gh- Gh- Ghost Lights!
Now, I have been in theatre for several years but didn’t understand this one until I made it to college. A ghost light is a single light left on stage while the theater is empty and dark. Now the practical reason these are used is so actors and stage technicians can walk the cluttered wings and stage without injury. But for those of us who walk on the side of caution there is a whole different meaning. There is a theory, in which I believe, that all theaters have at least one spooky specter walking it’s aisles; from broadway to high school auditoriums all over the globe. This light is used to give these ghosts the chance to perform so they don’t curse your theatre.
#4: Spooks on Stage!
Speaking of ghouls in the theater, there are several other things theaters have been caught doing for their spooky patrons. For example, and the only one I could find, the Palace Theatre in London keeps two seats in their balcony permanently bolted open for their theater ghosts.
#5: Everyone Can NOT Whistle in the Theater!
Seeming theatrical rigging has its origins in sailing rigging, it is considered bad luck for an actor to whistle on or off stage. Back in the early years of theatre, theatrical riggers would use coded whistles to communicate scene changes. Actors who would whistle could and would confuse them into incorrectly changing scenes, leading to injury and potential death. Though most theaters don’t use this method due to technology, the principle still sticks today.
So what kind of superstitions does your School/Theater Group have? Any weird ghost stories? Send/Submit them to me! Well that’s all folks.
