Any good theater superstitions?

Question

A while ago, on an episode of Jeopardy!, one of the answers dealt with Paul Giomatti saying or whistling something about "Macbeth" near a very superstitious Al Pacino. What's up with that? And are there any other superstitions? Just a curious writer...

Answer 1

Al Pacino is afraid of the ghost of Macbeth, for it killed his kitten.

Answer 2

There are many theatre superstitions. One of the most well-known one is that you never ever ever say Good Luck or the production is doomed to fail. You always say, "Break a leg." You never say "Macbeth" backstage, even if you are performing Macbeth. The first time you are allowed to say Macbeth is on opening night, and only onstage, not backstage.
This is because of many accidents that have happened backstage that are claimed to be related to Macbeth.
Also, there is always a small white light on backstage to keep ghosts away. It is called the ghostlight. A more accurate reason for the ghostlight is that without it, people often trip over themselves and objects and get hurt :-P

In addition to that, many companies have their own superstitions. In my high school, it was tradtion that EVERYONE had to eat a red twizzler backstage before the production.
Superstitions are just that-Superstitions. You shouldn't put stock into believing them, but it's more fun to follow them than to not follow them.

Answer 3

i do no longer think of there is any specific term different than "theatrical superstitions" yet a number of them are doozys. somebody pronounced above which you may desire to in no way say "Macbeth" in a theater. Actors additionally ward off quoting the traces of the witches in the play. traditionally, they think of this is because of the fact some actors believed the spells the witches chant could actually be real spells and curse the production, so as that they in simple terms say the traces while surely mandatory in the time of the production. some have self assurance that the actors who performed the witches in the 1st production have been real witches, so the call of the play is cursed. there's some theories approximately "injury a leg" however the only i've got heard extremely often in easily theater settings became into which you're wishing that that the actor could be this sort of fulfillment and bow so often that they could injury their leg. there's some different theories. yet another superstition is that, to ward off ghosts from interfering with performs, the theater could desire to be closed a minimum of one evening a week so as that the ghosts have a evening to accomplish. i could like to record all of them, yet there's a ton. i will incorporate a pair links that could desire to help. i don't be responsive to if there's a stable internet site that lists *all* superstitions, regrettably, yet those 2 are fairly collectively with lots of the basic ones.

Answer 4

If you are an actor, you should never whistle in or near a theater on opening night -- very bad luck. Macbeth is a cursed play. No one connected with a play must ever mention it during rehearsals or the run of the show. You may refer to it as the "Scottish Play," if you must. Never say "Good Luck" before a performance. That is bad luck. Best to say "Break a leg". Every theater has a ghost. Many actors have a special/personal ritual they perform before opening night to appease the ghost of the theater. I hope this helps!

Answer 5

All superstitions are taken seriously by theatre performers. Superstitions:
1. Never say "Good Luck" on opening night. It's bad luck. They say that the theatre gremlins do the opposite of what you say. (Apparently theatre gremlins are not the brightest lights on the Christmas tree.) You should always say "Break a leg!"
2. If you really want a good luck on Opening night, eat a red apple or carry a penny in your pocket.
3. If the dress rehearsal is a disaster, the opening night will be brilliant. (and vice versa)
4. Never put your shoes on any table, especially in your dressing room.
5. Never mention the title of Shakespeare's gory tragedy Macbeth inside a theatre. The play is widely believed to be cursed, and many strange and horrible things have been known to happen at performances, and to people who mention the title inside any playhouse. If you must refer to it, call it "The Scottish Play".
6. Many theatres have ghosts, according to resident theatre personnel who will tell you they’ve seen or heard uncanny visitors, and some insist that to ward off bad luck spirits there must always be a “ghost light” illuminating the stage when it is not in use. It is turned on as the actors and crews leave and burns all night. If the stage is dark, the superstition has it, ghosties can run free. (Or perhaps we leave a light on so they can perform. ;) It is practical too, of course, so no one will trip or stumble in the dark and maybe ruin the set, break some props, etc.
7. Whistling backstage is a taboo because it supposedly brings dire results. It is bad luck. This is akin to clapping backstage. One never claps backstage, goes this superstition, because it brings bad luck.
8. Some theatre folks believe it is bad luck to speak the last line of the play before opening night, because the play isn't "finished" until performed.
*I've always postponed blocking the curtain call until the very last moment, mostly because doing it says "we're finished" when we aren't. Also the way a curtain call is blocked indicate importance of various roles, and I dislike making that statement to the cast because it violates the idea of an ensemble.
9.The house manager must refuse to admit a person with a “comp” (free ticket) until after at least one paying patron has entered the auditorium. Doing otherwise, according to this superstition, dooms the production to failure.
10. Others believe it is bad luck to have a mirror on stage. Of course a mirror can be a technical nuisance because it will reflect light into the audience's eyes. But the mirror superstition should've been put to rest with the production of Chorus Line and its famous mirror scene.
11. Live, real flowers on stage are bad luck. Except during final curtain call?
12. A black cat usually is considered bad luck. Not in theatre, however, according to some theatre practitioners. They think it brings good luck.
13. There should be a Green Room. On opening night, quite often the Green Room is creatively decorated with images of the play in progress, flowers, festive streamers and banners, keepsake gifts from each actor to each actor, and supportive cards and telegrams.Theatrical lore insists that the Green Room must be a nice, attractive room--after all, it is special, the theatre's "living room," a show place, a gathering place for actors, and the only backstage space to which audiences are invited. The Green Room also is the place where audience members come after a production to embrace the cast.

There are some more, but I couldn't recall it right now.

TRIVIA: Theatre has two patron saints, both martyrs from the third century, who are invoked to protect actors from disaster.: St. Genesius and St. Vitus.

Answer 6

Macbeth or as its referred to 'the scottish play' is an actors greatest fear, they dread hearing it or they feel all will go wrong and usually does!!! why ? because if you're stressed worrying something will go wrong you can almost make it happen, u mught not be concentrating and trip or something!

Whistling is bad luck cos the lights in the big theatres used to be hung by sailors,riggers who worked on ships, they communicated instructions from the heights to each other by whistles.. if an ordinary person whistled it might be interpreted as a signal and mess up the job so on.

Its not liked by actors to say good luck

However heres something people sometimes dont know just as Shakespeares Macbeth was considered bad luck , his play 'A midsummer nights dream' is considered to be full of good luck, good magic and energy so on

Answer 7

Yes, Macbeth was always euphemistically referred to as"the Scottish Play" in theatrical circles. Saying the name was said to bring bad luck upon the play, the audience and the performers.
Another superstition is the saying "Break a leg" I guess that worked on the prinicple of reverse psychology whereby wishing a dancer or actor to break a leg could, in fact, bring a successful performance.

Answer 8

Never mention the Scottish play in a theater (Macbeth)
Also, there is always a light left burning, called the ghost light, supposedly to keep ghosts away, but in reality to keep people froom bumping into anything.

Answer 9

yep,
i can tell you where i head they came from as well. the whistling is because riggers used to be sailors and that's how they called thier cues to fly in or out. whistle, and something would fall on you! also, the ghost light is left onstage to make sure the ghosts can see after you leave the theater, and in really old spaces, if the seat is left down you don't put it up, someone sits there! there are a few others as well but these are my favorites.

Answer 10

Well also with 'Macbeth' it is considered to be bad luck if one says 'Macbeth' if they are in the play. The Simpsons give it a good show.