Theatre Superstitions

[ruinexplorer]

I know a lot of Wiccans and the so called incantations don't sound like any I've come across anywhere but in fiction.

Slight highjack:

The Wiccans you know probably know little of the history of Wicca (similar to many Christians and others who know little about the history of their own respective faith). It is a reconstruction religion that is based on the ideals of original druidism and other nature worship religions of the Celtic people, but has no direct ties to those people and definitely not witches. Read the Wiki article on the origins of Wicca and some of the questions of its origins. Also, you can see here where Silver RavenWolf (a practicing Wiccan) states that Wicca of today doesn't even represent the practices of 30 years ago, let alone 1,000 years ago. So, it is of no suprise to me that the "spells" don't sound like anything except something out of fiction. :^)

 

[misterm]

I really wish our small auditorium we use for a theatre would allow me to plug in a ghost light. But I'm too afraid that I'd open it up on Monday for rehearsals and it'd be gone. I think our ghosts live in the lighting since our board has never worked. In high school, the ghost of a former director would show up late at night. We could only see the glowing of his cigarette up in the balcony in his former seat. Kinda creepy, especially when you're there late at night and know that no one is up there.
My favorite "word-that-is-not-to-be-said" story is from a monologue show we did last year. A senior actor decided to make everyone mad and say it in green room. Opening night, tech guy unplugged a light in a scene change and an actor had to start in the dark. The next night, the curse offender forgot his monologue (about a die-hard Star Trek fan) halfway through, looked down, muttered "f***", shot the audience a vulcan salute with a "Live long and prosper," and left the stage. No one has even uttered it since.

 

[ReiRei]

I really wish our small auditorium we use for a theatre would allow me to plug in a ghost light. But I'm too afraid that I'd open it up on Monday for rehearsals and it'd be gone. I think our ghosts live in the lighting since our board has never worked. In high school, the ghost of a former director would show up late at night. We could only see the glowing of his cigarette up in the balcony in his former seat. Kinda creepy, especially when you're there late at night and know that no one is up there.
My favorite "word-that-is-not-to-be-said" story is from a monologue show we did last year. A senior actor decided to make everyone mad and say it in green room. Opening night, tech guy unplugged a light in a scene change and an actor had to start in the dark. The next night, the curse offender forgot his monologue (about a die-hard Star Trek fan) halfway through, looked down, muttered "f***", shot the audience a vulcan salute with a "Live long and prosper," and left the stage. No one has even uttered it since.

Why would your ghost light disappear?

And about your Macbeth story... did anyone beat the guy up who unplugged the light? Because that's one of the biggest things that bothers me about this curse. I've seen angry actors and even a couple techs try to screw people up because they've said it. I try not to say it in front of people and when I do I say the little counter curse from Hamlet (thank you rchu3149, it's come in handy because now I don't have to be dizzy and look somewhat silly). Anyways, it's fine if people get all, "oh no you said that M word! Shame upon thee!" but when it interferes with someone's performance, that's a line that should never be crossed...

It's also super irritating when people say to piss off other people. I've learned my lesson, so I don't like to step on anyones toes.

By the way misterm, I hope you don't take this as me bagging on you or anything. You just had a good example story for me to run off of.

 

[TechnicalAngel]

~*~*~SPECIAL TRADITIONS/SUPERSTITIONS~*~*~

Usually ever theatre has special traditions or superstitions that the crews or actors follow. Im curious to know if any other theaters have these strange customs. Please post a few then describe how they came to be.

With our high school I can name a few.

Never go up to the grid without petting the crocodile head on the ladder (it protects you). This started because of the "Grid Master Ghost," up there. Strange clanking is always heard going on...even when you know someone is not up there. I hate being in the Auditorium alone, weird noises seem to echo from wall to wall. Plus with 14 hundred seats...it looks like figures are all staring at you when there is no one sitting there! My what the human mind can do to scare you *shivers*

Obviously my theatre strongly believes in the "Macbeth" superstition.

After every show our cast and crew go to Sam Diego's for food (they hate us too haha)

We rave inside one of the sleeves off stage after the last show had ended. The room is covered up with black felt so its nice and dark. We use the fog machine, the strobe light, the black lights and a random ipod with sandstorm on it. The actors just dont understand~




now its your turn~

 

[misterm]

Why would your ghost light disappear?

And about your Macbeth story... did anyone beat the guy up who unplugged the light?

Our ghost light would disappear because the theatre is not on site at the school, but at the Board of Education and maintenance has a bad habit of going in there and messing things up. The auditorium gets rented out for conferences and stuff as well, so we often have to load scenery and thrust stages out at the last minute, then load back in before the show. I don't trust leaving anything in there, not even spike tape on the floor, much less equipment.

No one beat the techie up. It was simply a mistake, not on purpose. He felt bad enough and we still give him grief about it. Unfortunately, he is no longer with us. Alternative school called him away from us.

 

[misterm]

I just remembered one we like to abide by. Not so much a superstition as a rule we abide by. Because we don't have a full time tech crew, our actors are required to participate in set construction and such. The rule we follow is: No singing or playing music from the musical we are currently working on during set construction!

 

[Peyton]

So whats the conventions on saying "MacBeth" if it's in the title of the play that is going on?
This summer a theatre that I'm going to be working at is putting on "A Midsummer Night's MacBeth." So I'm just wondering.

 

[WestlakeTech]

I just remembered one we like to abide by. Not so much a superstition as a rule we abide by. Because we don't have a full time tech crew, our actors are required to participate in set construction and such. The rule we follow is: No singing or playing music from the musical we are currently working on during set construction!

AAAAAAAAMMMMEEEEEENNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!

You will all be singing those songs for the ensuing weeks anyway. And they're usually songs nobody likes anyway, or they just get old fast. I had flashbacks to Luck Be A Lady this morning while getting ready for school... Guys and Dolls was TWO MONTHS ago...


........ MACBETH!!......

 

[misterm]

Yeah, we've finally stopped hearing "Little Shop" all over the school.
One thing I like to do as a tradition/encouragement is to post quotes about theatre around the backstage area and dressing room for the students to see as they're about to go on.

 

[ReiRei]

Yeah, we've finally stopped hearing "Little Shop" all over the school.
One thing I like to do as a tradition/encouragement is to post quotes about theatre around the backstage area and dressing room for the students to see as they're about to go on.

Ha! Every time anyone says, "Downtown" Skid row plays in my head. In fact, I just caught myself singing it. Every now and then I hear myself humming the Dentist song. That was over a year ago. No matter how hard you try, you can't escape musicals.

 

[renegadeblack]

I've not heard of that remedy before, and I LIKE IT...
I also strongly believe in the curse....


Ahhh I've heard that one too, but I don't put any stock in it... I know a lot of Wiccans and the so called incantations don't sound like any I've come across anywhere but in fiction.

Totally agreed. I watch "A Haunting" on Discovery Channel and get greatly angered. I have yet to see Wicca be properly portrayed just about anywhere. It saddens me really. We aren't evil!

 

[ship]

For me over the years walking under a ladder while on stage was fine and an exception to the nomal rule. Anyone else here this exception, know what's behind it and or follow that rule?

 

[Grommet]

The ladder belief is that the gates to hell are all triangle shaped. Going under a ladder symbolized passing through to hell...

i do not believe in superstitions. i go through ladders all the time.

I have no routine to follow that will make the day good.

I do my job to the best of my abilities to keep everyone safe and create a good show.

If you believe in superstitions then you will be so absorbed in them you will end up acting them out.

"oh crap you said Macbeth! I said Macbeth! Twice! We're all going to die!"

 

[WestlakeTech]

The ladder belief is that the gates to hell are all triangle shaped. Going under a ladder symbolized passing through to hell...

i do not believe in superstitions. i go through ladders all the time.

I have no routine to follow that will make the day good.

I do my job to the best of my abilities to keep everyone safe and create a good show.

If you believe in superstitions then you will be so absorbed in them you will end up acting them out.

"oh crap you said Macbeth! I said Macbeth! Twice! We're all going to die!"

AMEN!!! I sometimes make it a point to say Macbeth on shows just to freak out all the superstitious people. Actually said it on a show I SMed a few months ago. The show only got better with each passing day.

 

[ship]

Seperate but Karma... one should never be so counter to superstition that it might bite you if you get known for speaking against it and by happenstance you get known for disbelief in superstition happening.

Not superstitious but observant perhaps in why such concepts were presented with at times valid reasons and respectful of that in perhaps even throwing salt over my shoulder at times for Pan should I spill the shaker. If I pass under a ladder, perhaps a bit more caution in doing so that's important when I cannot go around.

Calling MacBeth on stage... that's harsh and Why do you feel this important to expell as mythos as opposed to just having a good show without added worries? Noting happened besides the point, it's a tradition and something that should not be messed with.

 

[WestlakeTech]

Never exactly called it onstage. In the general theater though, yes I did. Thing was, we were in Hell Week. (Bear in mind, this is high school theater; a short run, with rehearsals starting at about 5pm.) Our facility was under construction, so we were using that of another local high school. I was Stage Managing a show that loaded in and had it's first rehearsal on Tuesday. Our first performance was Friday. Thursday was the first time we ran the show the entire way through and it had its fair share of problems (not the least of which were the directors, Tech and other).

So I said Macbeth (repeatedly) as a challenge to myself and the others; an act of faith that we could still pull off a fantastic show, despite plenty of problems. We had 3 shows that weekend. Each one was better than the last.

 

[nobl13]

Fun story, our old stage manager's mother actually told her "break a leg" at one of her first shows with the company. When they were leaving that night, she was pushed down the stairs in front of the theatre and.... broke her leg.

We don't use that phrasing at our theatre any more.

Ha! Every time anyone says, "Downtown" Skid row plays in my head. In fact, I just caught myself singing it. Every now and then I hear myself humming the Dentist song. That was over a year ago. No matter how hard you try, you can't escape musicals.

Oh god. Every time I hear that song, I start hearing spotlight cues in my head.

 

[HornsOverIthaca]

One tidbit I heard was that Shakespeare used the words of actual witches when he wrote Macbeth. When they found out about him doing so they cursed the play. I didn't know there were active witches in 16th century England but I'm no authority on them.

I've heard the whistling causing rigging confusion before, but I've also heard that when gaslights were blown out the gas would whistle as it was expelled. You wouldn't want someone to not turn off the gas thinking that it was just a person whistling away. However not many people continuously whistle a single tone for very long.

 

[CSCTech]

Ha! Every time anyone says, "Downtown" Skid row plays in my head. In fact, I just caught myself singing it. Every now and then I hear myself humming the Dentist song. That was over a year ago. No matter how hard you try, you can't escape musicals.

Are you speaking of Bedside Manor? "I'm a skidrow maaan ooh Im a skidrow man.."

 

[BigBC68]

I didn't believe in the Macbeth curse until I was helping my old highschool with a show, and during intermission someone said Macbeth. During the second act of that show, a flat got caught in grand and ripped it. Also, before intermission of the next show, the rope came untied from one of the carriers, and we had to re-rig it during intermission.