Cricket201905-06

(Lars) #1

likes to sneak into empty theaters and wreak havoc. Maybe he’s missing
his days as a star thespian, a word used today for an actor. Whether you
believe in ghosts or not, leaving on the ghost light is very practical because
it allows people who enter the empty theater to find the light switch without
tripping over the set.
You’ve just had a disastrous dress rehearsal, the final practice before
opening night when the actors wear their costumes and makeup. The
leading lady forgot her lines, the microphones didn’t work, and Eddie
knocked over the set. You’re sure all hope is lost. Don’t be surprised if the
director says, “Bad dress, good opening.” The superstition is that if the
dress rehearsal is terrible, opening night will be great. Maybe it’s wishful
thinking, but it often turns out to be true because opening night excite-
ment can give actors energy and cause them to perform at their best.
When you step onstage, be sure to leave yourpeacock
feathers, mirrors, and real money and jewelryat home.
These items are said to cause forgotten lines and
other performance problems. Mirrors can inter-
fere with the onstage lighting and valuables
lying unprotected on the prop table can
encourage theft—both practical reasons for
the taboo. However, the ban on peacock
feathers is pure superstition. Some people
believe the design of the feathers contains
an evil eye that is an omen of calamity.
Times change, but traditions and super-
stitions stick around, so please don’t whistle
when you’re in a theater. Originally, this was a
safety rule. In the early days of large theaters,the
ropes used to raise and lower sets and curtainswere
much like the rigging on a ship. Off-duty sailors would take
jobs backstage. They communicated with each other by whistling, just as
they did when they were at sea. If a member of the audience happened to
whistle, the sailors might think they were getting a direction to lower a set
at the wrong time—on top of an actor’s head.
You think the character you’re playing should wear a blue dress. The
wardrobe supervisor says, “No way, no how.” Why? Blue dye used to be

Free download pdf