I don't know, shh, sounds like the girls in your show were witches anyway.
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
Sueleen I KNEW you'd be familiar with that story. If you run across a recording, please forward it to me. I'd give anything to have Peggy Cass yelling "Holy Hell, someone get a DOCTOR, the man has been hit by the curse!" as the ringtone on my cell phone.
Kitty Carlisle literally ran to Bellevue to get an appropriate doctor. Lives were saved because of her.
I hope they use a different pseudonym every time they have to announce the play. It would certainly keep me entertained.
As for the odd ones, I'm currently working on a production of Dr. Faustus, and our performances have been plagued with technical and physical problems. Myself and an actor almost got hit by a falling fly two days ago, people getting hurt on freak accidents, projectors breaking mid show, and no one had any clue why. After looking at the wikipedia article, I think I figured it out- we have peacock feathers in the production!
Broadway Star Joined: 8/12/06
I've not seen the show, so apart from Stewart, what other nominations are likely to come from the show? Is this a likely nomination for best play revival?
Given the "Is this a dagger I see before me" dialogue, maybe they could just refer to "Mac The Knife".
Do you guys say "Mackers" or is that just a Canadian thing?
Akiva
Broadway Legend Joined: 12/31/69
I have only heard it called "The Scottish Play." In my college, if you said "The M word" in a class you had to go out and come back in again.
As Peter O'Toole called it, 'That Bloody Play'
I've heard "Mackers"...but then it was in the context of a Canadian tv series, so you might be right.
Atria: Hah...I'm gonna assume you are talking about Slings & Arrows.
Akiva
Stand-by Joined: 1/27/05
My sister is a theatre kid, and she just throws out a "MacBeth" every now and then backstage because, as she figures it, since she was from her mother's womb untimely ripped she counteracts any bad juju. Seems to have worked out alright for her so far.
While the peacock feathers superstition funny, I find the mascara superstition just plain weird. Does anyone know if this is still followed, and what the reasoning is behind it?
I'd also like to know if anyone has info on the mascara thing.
And at our performance of Faustus tonight, yet more problems happened. Our costumers and Stage Manager are convinced that it is the peacock feathers. And I'm actually starting to believe it.
Updated On: 4/12/08 at 11:07 PM
I'm currently working on a production of Dr. Faustus, and our performances have been plagued with technical and physical problems. Myself and an actor almost got hit by a falling fly two days ago, people getting hurt on freak accidents, projectors breaking mid show, and no one had any clue why. After looking at the wikipedia article, I think I figured it out- we have peacock feathers in the production!
And at our performance of Faustus tonight, yet more problems happened. Our costumers and Stage Manager are convinced that it is the peacock feathers. And I'm actually starting to believe it.
Yea, it makes so much more sense to blame these things on a few feathers on the set than on incompetent stage managers and crew. Or how about a plain old accident?
That's what you would think, Sueleen, but the Loch Ness Monster told me different...
So, how do actors get away with saying the name of the lead character in the show itself? It is being uttered on stage in the theatre.
Stand-by Joined: 10/2/05
In a production I did some years ago, 2 actors in the show didn't believe in the superstition and continued to say the name of the Scottish Play over and over before the show started. I unfortunately was among the casualties. Getting up onto a platform, my dress got caught on a nail and tore. During a blackout someone ran into something and got seriously injured. And the best one was the lead of the show didn't make her cue because there was a wardrobe and mic malfunction.
Well, if you're gonna put on the play, you've got to say the word 'Macbeth'. I think the rule only applies to saying the word outside the context of the play.
Broadway Star Joined: 2/23/08
You are correct, rose. As for all this curse business, I really couldn't give much less of a damn because the theater at my school was cursed a long time ago after being built on sacred land.
A friend of mine and I were watching a production of A Comedy of Errors and during intermission we were talking about Shakespeare, I mentioned that MacBeth was my favorite piece of Shakespearean work (I actually said the word). Both of us didn't realize until about a full minute later until when we both gasped at the same time.
We went through the whole ritual (my school just did three turns and asking to be allowed back in)
im sure someone presenting an award will make a joke about it.
my guess is they will say it though.
so, no one has any info about the Mascara superstition?
Featured Actor Joined: 2/25/08
That is a great story.
I once sang "Bosom Buddies" from Mame (as the title role) for a caberet and had to say Macbeth. As I was walking off stage opening night, I broke a leg. We just sang through it without coreography the next 3 shows. People say that if you have to say it during the show, nothing bad will happen. I don't believe it.
I agree with Sueleen's suggestion about having Mandy Patinkin saying "the word" at the Tonys...or better yet... how about Randy Quaid??..teehee.... from RC in Austin, Texas...
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