After last night's preview performance of The Music Man being plagued by microphone issues and someone saying the M-word or that Scottish play pre-show (see this thread http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/theatre-history/9320-theatre-superstitions-6.html if you don't know) I'm wondering if what you have had go wrong after saying or hearing it.
M-Word Happenings
- Thread starterzmb
- Start date
bishopthomas
Well-Known Member
If it's the same "m-word" that I'm thinking of... Someone said it when I was touring in an RV. The RV broke down forcing us to rent a mini van and box truck. I ended up being FOH/driver for a couple of weeks across the midwest and Canada and got an average of 3 hours of sleep each night. Several other small things happened that tour as well, but that was the main outcome of the "m-word."
The following tour a member of the opening act said it in my presence and I broke my leg that night...
The following tour a member of the opening act said it in my presence and I broke my leg that night...
Somebody said it jokingly before a show last year that resulted in missed cues, lamp failures, and the midtraveler jamming at the second to last scene, a jam so bad that it would be a month before the thing could move again.
Personally, I don't believe that the word has any legitimate effect, but I refain from saying it out of respect toward fellow actors/technicians who do think that it affects the show.
Personally, I don't believe that the word has any legitimate effect, but I refain from saying it out of respect toward fellow actors/technicians who do think that it affects the show.
Had a student flyman who used the word all the time during one show I was LDing in university. Got a call one Sunday morning saying there had been a fire in the SL wing on Saturday. Had to drop in EVERY light off the rig, disassembled and cleaned the smokified (it's a word . . .) optics, rehung and refocussed for the show on Tuesday. **sigh**
MarshallPope
Well-Known Member
Our worst accident blamed on the Scottish Play was a wooden telephone stand that was knocked into the pit during a production of Gianni Schicchi, just barely missing the 1st Violinist, landing instead on his music stand. Come to think of it, there was also a glass lamp broken during that show.
I don't necessarily believe that it will bring about mass disaster, but I refrain from saying it out of respect for Theatre and the traditions that make it what it is. Same reason that I will not walk under a ladder on/backstage, won't say good luck, wouldn't whistle if I could in the first place, etc.
I don't necessarily believe that it will bring about mass disaster, but I refrain from saying it out of respect for Theatre and the traditions that make it what it is. Same reason that I will not walk under a ladder on/backstage, won't say good luck, wouldn't whistle if I could in the first place, etc.
More has been happening on our performance run. Two days after the M-word was said a followspot operator dropped his beltpack on the diamond plate steel above the audience during a blackout. Guess how loud that is...
Everyone backstage also heard it and we missed a light cue while laughing at him.
Everyone backstage also heard it and we missed a light cue while laughing at him.
