Theatrical superstitions are superstitions particular to actors or the theatre.
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Shakespeare's play Macbeth is said to be cursed, so actors avoid saying its name (the euphemism "The Scottish Play" is used instead). Actors also avoid even quoting the lines from Macbeth before a performance, particularly the Witches' incantations. Outside of a theatre and after a performance the play can be spoken of openly . If an actor speaks the name Macbeth in a theatre prior to a performance, he or she is required to leave the theatre building, spin around three times, spit, curse, and then knock to be allowed back in.[1] There are several possible origins for this superstition. One is the assumption that the song of the Weird Sisters is an actual spell that will bring about evil spirits. Another is that there is more swordplay in it than most other Shakespeare plays, and the more swordplay must be rehearsed and performed, the more chances there are for someone to get injured. Yet another option is that the play is often run by theatres that are in debt and looking to increase patronage. Another superstition is the belief that the Globe Theatre was burned down during a performance of Macbeth, but it is revealed that this was actually during a performance of Henry VIII.
There is also a legend that the play itself was cursed because the first time it was ever performed, the actor playing Macbeth died shortly before or after the production (accounts vary). It is also said that the original production of the play used actual witches and witchcraft, and so the play is cursed.
Generally, it is considered bad luck to wish someone "good luck" in a theatre. Prior to performances, it is traditional for the cast to gather together to avert the bad luck by wishing each other bad luck or cursing - in English-speaking countries, the expression "break a leg" replaces the phrase "good luck". The exact origin of this expression is unknown, but some of the most popular theories are the Shakespearean Theory or Traditional Theory, and the Bowing Theory.[2] If someone does say "good luck", they must go out of the theatre, turn around 3 times, spit, curse, then knock on the door and ask to be readmitted to the theatre. The expression "break a leg" has spread outside of the theatre and is regularly used by non-actors toward actors and in non-theatrical situations.
In Australian theatrical circles saying "good luck" is also avoided, but the replacement is often "chookas!".[3]
In Portuguese and Spanish-speaking countries, before each performance, director and actors gather on the stage, join hands and scream "Muita Merda!"/"¡Mucha mierda!" ("A lot of shit!"). The term "A lot of shit" reputedly comes from the success of a play. Where historically people would arrive by carriage. Lots of people meant lots of carriages and horses, leaving "a lot of shit". Instead of saying "break a leg", those who want to wish good luck to the performers wish "mierda" to them. Similarly, in France and in Italy, actors say the word "Merde!" (French) / "Merda" (Italian) just before making an entrance. The French "Merde!" is also popular among ballet dancers across the world regardless of their mother tongue.
One ghost-related superstition is that the theatre should always be closed one night a week to give the ghosts a chance to perform their own plays. This is traditionally on Monday nights, conveniently giving actors a day off after weekend performances.
Theatres that have stood for more than a few decades tend to have lots of associated ghost stories, more than other public buildings of similar age.
One specific ghost, Thespis, holds a place of privilege in theatre lore. Historians used to believe that Thespis of ancient Athens (6th Century BCE) was the first person to speak lines as an individual actor on stage (hence the term "thespian" to refer to an individual actor). Any unexplainable mischief that befalls a production is likely to be blamed on Thespis, especially if it happens on November 23 (the date he supposedly uttered the first lines).
One should always leave a light burning in an empty theatre. Traditionally, the light is placed upstage centre. That is, farthest from the audience, centre stage. Several reasons are given for this, all having to do with ghosts:
Though it's a superstition, it does have practical value: the backstage area of a theatre tends to be cluttered, so someone who enters a completely darkened space is liable to be injured while hunting for a light switch.[4]
Related to a similar rule for sailing ships, it is considered bad luck for an actor to whistle on or off stage. As original stage crews were hired from ships in port (theatrical rigging has its origins in sailing rigging), sailors, and by extension theatrical riggers, used coded whistles to communicate scene changes. Actors who whistled could confuse them into changing the set or scenery, though in today's theatres, the stage crew normally uses an intercom or cue light system.
A common superstition held by actors is that sleeping with a script under their pillow will help them to learn it faster. This is sometimes known as "learning by diffusion". Script under the pillow is said to have caused bad luck.