Theatrical Dos and Don'ts Trivia Quiz

Answer: Don't do it

I am going to be daring, and use the forbidden word to tell you that the play in question is 'Macbeth' (full title 'The Tragedie of Macbeth'), Shakespeare's (highly fictionalized) story inspired by a 1587 history of England, Scotland, and Ireland, titled 'Holinshed's Chronicles'.

The origin of this famous superstition lies in the belief that Shakespeare used actual magical spells in the play, and using its name could invoke them. There are numerous stories of accidents associated with the play - as there would be for many other plays that had been widely performed for over 400 years, if anyone kept track of them! To avoid using the name of the play, especially while inside the theatre, it can be referred to as 'the Scottish play', or some similar sideways reference. Should someone slip up, they can try to avoid the curse - suggested remedies generally include repeating some action three times (e.g., spinning around, circling the block outside the theatre, leaving the building and knocking three times to be let back in), and may also include spitting over one's shoulder and uttering an obscenity (or quoting lines from another of Shakespeare's plays).

Answer: Don't do it

Really, this is just common sense. Even if there is a fire in the crowded building, shouting "Fire!" is only going to create a sense of panic, and put everyone in more danger than already existed. This has become a common referent in discussions of personal liberty of expression, as an example of a time when free speech is not a protected right.

In 1919, as part of a Supreme Court decision involving the First Amendment, Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. wrote, "The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic."

Answer: Do it

Superstition decrees that wishing someone luck is likely to produce the opposite, and bring them bad luck. Such is the perversity of the universe! To avoid this, it has become a tradition to make a statement that sounds as if it is ill-wishing the recipient, such as telling someone who is about to go onstage, or perform at an audition, to break a leg.

This particular expression appears to have originated in the United States in the 1920s or '30s. It was possibly adapted from a German phrase used in the same context, 'Hals und Beinbruch' (neck and leg break) which came from a similar-sounding Yiddish phrase 'hatsloche un broche' (success and blessing)'.

Answer: Do it

This phrase has been part of theatrical tradition for who knows how long! It was implied by Shakespeare in 'Henry IV, Part 1': "Play out the play" (Act 2, Scene 4). Its widespread use in theatrical circles is recorded by the nineteenth century, and during the twentieth century it became common to apply it to other circumstances, whenever the speaker wants something to proceed under daunting circumstances.

In the theatre, the use of understudies helps to make it easier to ensure that the show can go on in the absence of the lead actors.

Answer: Don't do it

While this may seem rather arbitrary, it has a good reason for its origin. The people who move backdrops and props around onstage used to be alerted to the fact that it was time for a change by a whistle from the stage manager. So when they heard a whistle, they would leap into action, moving things around ready for the next scene.

This would be quite disconcerting for actors onstage who were actually still in the middle of their scene!

Answer: Don't do it

This superstition dates from the days of vaudeville, when actors carried their possessions in a trunk that went with them on the road. Once it was deposited backstage, it was to stay there as long as they did. Moving their trunk was tantamount to telling them to move on!

Answer: Do it

Euphemisms abound in many aspects of life, and this is one of them. Acting is a career which does not usually (unless you get a 30-year run on a soap opera) offer steady employment. No matter how successful an actor is, there will be times when they are not actively performing.

They are then said to be resting - it's so exhausting to be actually performing. (It really is, I am not being sarcastic - eight shows a week including a lot of late nights is not easy on the body.) While a short interval of rest is valuable, the term is applied as a courtesy to actors who have not had active work for months or even years.

Answer: It depends

Generally, this is considered bad form. When you move upstage while someone is talking to you, it means they need to turn their back on the audience. This makes it harder for the audience to hear what they are saying, and also draws their attention to you instead of the person who is speaking.

However, there are times when the director wants this movement to produce an intended impact. So don't improvise this, but definitely follow your director's instructions if told to do so!

Answer: It depends

Breaking the fourth wall refers to the act of speaking directly to the audience. While you expect this of a performer such as a stand-up comedian, it is not common in all forms of theatrical performance. Conventionally, there is an invisible wall between stage and the audience of a play, and the players remain confined behind it.

Some plays, such as Thornton Wilder's 'Our Town', deliberately break that convention, by having characters address the audience directly.

Answer: It depends

Corpsing is theatrical jargon for uncontrolled laughter. No matter what has gone wrong, actors are expected to keep in character and carry on. There is a tradition in British pantomime shows of performers trying to make each other break into unscripted laughter - in this context, it is all part of the fun.

However, in a serious play, it is not acceptable to tickle the lead actor and make him giggle.