Actor Superstitions

Before I go into the most common superstitions that can be found in a theatre, I want to say something. A play is something that absolutely cannot be done alone. There are a lot of people( actors, stage crew, build crew) that are on the stage almost every day of production. When that much is happening in such an enclosed space, people get hurt and even die. This leads to speculations and even superstitions. Many of the following have no confirmed origins and the stories vary from storyteller to storyteller. I did some research, both in books and on the internet, and have come up with a solid list and some short explanations for each. Some of these I have never heard before and others, well, you know.

Number 1: Break A Leg!
This is a more common superstition that has cameos in different TV shows and movies. The theory is that to say "Good Luck" to an actor automatically leads to a bad performance. The origins on this are unclear, but it has stood the test of time and is still going strong today.

Number 2: Ghosts
There are a lot of ghostly topics in the realm of theatrics. Having a lot of people, well, overly dramatic actors, in a small space means a lot of energy building up, both negative and positive. This can lead to changes in attitude, temperature, and even memory. This is often blamed on ghosts. Many theatres have a personal ghost, but the most famous ghost is Thespis, the apparent first actor ever. He apparently still haunts every actor ever.
There is also the Ghost Light. It is said that ghosts, especially ghosts of actors, do not like a dark stage and that a light should be left on at all times. (The story my stage professor told us was that the stage crew was tired of drunk and horny actors destroying the sets, so they lit a light so they could find their ways out.)

Number 3: Speaking of Ghosts... The Scottish Play
Shakespeare's play "MacBeth" is considered bad luck for some reason. The tales of the origin of the bad luck vary from death to witchcraft, all of which are added in abundance into the play. One must never say the name inside the theatre or else they are kicked outside where they are to spin around three times, spit, curse, and then knock to be let back inside. Personally, I had never heard of the spinning and spitting part and no matter where I looked, I couldn't find the origin, but there you go.

Number 4: Whistling
The origins for the myth that whistling backstage is bad luck actually has some basis in fact. When the ancient directors decided to use curtains instead of the more expensive, heavier, and more dangerous marble or granite slabs to make a more flexible stage they learned that they were not so good at tying them up or counter balancing or any of that stuff, but instead of giving up, they hired sailors. While the seamen were up in the batons, they would whistle messages and code to each other, like they would on a ship. It stands to reason that anyone else whistling on the stage would confuse the situation and could end up hurt or hurting others.

Number 5: A Bad Dress Rehearsal = A Good Performance
Now, I have personally seen this happen time after time. Still, it is not really a taboo, but more of a mental state. A psychologist might tell you that a performer might be more aware of mistakes during a dress rehearsal, where they are in full makeup, lights, and costume than if they were in an average rehearsal and then they would take their mistakes and then fix them in the performance.

Number 6: Specific Theatres
Generally any specific theatres have their own spooks and bumps in the night. Gary the Guy who fell through the Ceiling, or the Phantom of the Opera. Everyone has something.

Number 7: A Theatre is 'Dark', not 'Closed'
It is said that the spirits do not like the concept of a closed theatre. Or maybe that they like it too much. Instead, it is 'Dark'. That's right, when you leave for the night and text the building owner, you say the stage is dark and the doors are locked.

Number 8: Others

• yellow = bad
• blue = bad unless countered with silver
• peacock feathers = no
• real flowers = not on stage 
• Same goes for money
• real food is just fine.
• three lit candles is bad luck (and generally a bad idea)
• green is no good
• NEVER say the last line of the play in front of an empty house

 These are the basic superstitions found back stage. There are dozens more and then the ones used by each performer. Try not to let skepticism show and try to follow them because it is just safer that way. Have fun!

Sarah K