The Most Bizarre Theater Superstitions You May Have Never Heard Of

Many consider green the color of wealth, prosperity, health, and growth; however, if you’re a fan of color theory or believe in the spiritual aspects of colors, you know green has a dark side: envy, jealousy, death, and hatred. After all, some people are just “green with envy.” In the case of green’s bad luck on stage, there’s an even deeper, more specific reason many actors avoid it at all costs.

France's greatest playwright, Molière, first rose in popularity in his 20s during the late 1650s. Molière wrote many controversial works of art, and they were often censored for how they mocked society, the monarchy, and the church. The French religious community was continually in an uproar over his work, all while Molière was quietly living with tuberculosis. Despite his worsening condition, however, he continued performing.

Despite the controversy surrounding his work, Molière’s last show took place in 1673 before King Louis XIV. The playwright was clad in a beautiful, brilliant green, though he coughed and gasped throughout the performance. He insisted on completing the show, even as he collapsed and suffered a hemorrhage.

Upon returning home, he died quietly, still wearing his green costume. Likely because of his controversial status, he was refused last rites, causing many to speculate that Molière’s soul failed to arrive in heaven.

Since then, actors have avoided wearing the color on stage, perhaps fearful they might suffer Molière’s same tragic fate.

Perhaps one of the most complex theater traditions relates to the gifting of flowers. The type of flowers you gift (and when you gift them) matters, as superstition claims these stipulations could have a direct effect on the actor’s performance and the success of the entire show.

For example, giving an actor a bouquet of flowers before a show could tempt fate for accidents and poor performance - unless it's opening night, in which case, it's good luck.

The end of a show’s run, in many ways, is considered a form of death, as the cast and crew put the show to rest on closing night; therefore, the tradition of giving the lead actors and director flowers from graves after the curtain falls on the final show became a common practice to signify the passing of the production.

Some also claim that, because historically actors were not always fairly compensated, pulling flowers from graves was a cost-effective gift option.

Unlike some of the more paranormal superstitions on this list, the rule against whistling backstage actually comes from old backstage safety procedures. Dating back to the 17th century, before theater's electrification, backstage staff would cue scene changes, music changes, special effects, and stage entrances with distinct whistles or ringing bells; in fact, these whistles have been found notated as “W” in prompt books from the late 19th century.

Some historians suggest that whistling as a form of communication actually stems from nautical traditions of whistling on ships to indicate the lowering of sails and cranes. Because theater seasons tended to align with shipping trade off-seasons, many dockworkers and sailors would get jobs as stagehands due to their experience with ropes, rigging systems, and repairing canvas backdrops.

Considering how large and heavy set pieces could be and the potential dangers of mishandled props or stage weights, whistling at the wrong time could obviously lead to confusion and on-stage accidents. All it would take is an absentminded whistle to accidentally cue a stage change with hazardous consequences.

These days, with the advent of electric light cue systems and intercoms, whistling is no longer used to cue backstage changes; however, this practical use of whistles has now been replaced with superstition, causing many to believe whistling backstage could attract accidents or even tragedies.

Even if you didn’t have the pleasure (or misfortune, depending on who you ask) of being a theater kid, most people have heard of the “Don’t say Macbeth on stage” rule. Or, at the very least, they know there’s something up with the play itself.

Shakespeare’s Macbeth, first performed around 1606, was ostensibly doomed right out the gate. There seem to be two prevailing theories for this: The first is that, allegedly, a local coven of witches took offense to the playwright’s use of real magical incantations and placed a curse on the whole production; the other theory posits that the incantations themselves cursed the play, a byproduct of Shakespeare including spells he didn’t fully understand.

Whatever the true cause - and regardless of whether or not you believe in such powers - Macbeth was plagued by tragedy from the start. Shortly after its debut, the actor portraying Lady Macbeth suddenly died, forcing Shakespeare himself to assume the role. Real daggers would mysteriously replace harmless props, and one such instance resulted in the death of the actor playing King Duncan.

But the play's bad luck isn’t just confined to the 17th century. The year 1849 saw the infamous New York Astor Place Riot, the product of a rivalry between English actor William Charles Macready and American actor Edwin Forrest (both playing Macbeth in opposing productions), ultimately resulting in 20 deaths and more than 100 injuries. More notable accidents relating to Macbeth include unexplained deaths, inexplicable suicides, actors falling off the stage, broken orchestral instruments, and falling stage weights.

According to Dr. Anjna Chouhan of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, a more reasonable explanation for the recurring tragedies is simply a matter of statistics:

It tends to run for longer than, say, Cymbeline. When you have more performances, it's statistically more likely that things will go wrong.

Wherever you land on the spectrum of belief, there is a way to break the Macbeth curse: Although the origins are unclear, legend says you must simply go outside the theater, turn around three times, and spit on the ground - curse (hopefully) broken!

Typically, the “rule of three” is considered pretty neutral - whether it’s Newton’s three rules of motion or Christianity's Holy Trinity, sets of three appear often and generally don’t suggest ominous notions; however, theater superstition takes an uncommonly negative stance on threes, especially where candles are concerned.

Originating from the days before electricity, when humans relied on fire for light, you would always find candles lighting the stage for set dressing, visibility, or usually both. The unlucky nature of open flames in a place filled with distracted actors and audience members likely had much more to do with accidental fires than anything supernatural. And how could we forget the common use of highly flammable materials and chemicals throughout the ages (looking at you, Victorians) that open flames certainly had no business being near?

Fires aside, however, the legend claims the person closest to the shortest candle of the three would be the next to marry or the next to die. You may think marriage hardly sounds like a curse, but flipping a coin between marriage and death is quite the gamble.

These days, with modern safety procedures, flame retardant materials, sprinkler systems, and fake candle props, the three-candle rule isn’t a common worry anymore. But some legends can't be so easily extinguished, even by time.

Ghost lights are perhaps the most infamous and beloved superstition within the theater world. Often a simple bare bulb standing vigil over the stage when all other lights have been turned off, ghost lights likely began as a practical safety tool.

Many theaters feature an orchestra pit between the stage and the audience - essentially a small cliff just asking to be accidentally walked off. The lone light provides visibility near and around the stage, so even if staff should return after closing, they can safely navigate the normal bumps, ledges, and uneven places common on stages.

In regards to the ghost light's supernatural function, reasons vary wildly: Many believe the emotions and energy on stage can somehow charge the very building itself, attracting wandering spirits; the most common purpose is to chase away mischievous spirits that may linger in such a liminal place that sees hundreds or even thousands of patrons every single day.

Others insist the bulb lights the way for ghosts still hanging around, keeping them happy and calm or even providing them a place to dance and perform when the theater is empty. Thousands of personal accounts of supernatural activity often mention seeing shadowy figures or other weird occurrences near the light.

Whether ghosts are truly drawn to these lonely lights or they simply prevent easily avoided accidents, you’ll find most theaters employing ghost lights in honor of this long, fascinating tradition woven into the fabric of Western theaters.