A recent Gallup poll indicates that over half the population is superstitious and follows rituals to bring good luck or as insurance to prevent something from going amiss. Yes, knocking on wood and a spontaneous “Gesundheit or “God Bless You” when someone sneezes would qualify. Cultural superstitions are ingrained during our formative years—don’t step on a crack, 13 is an unlucky number, don’t walk under a ladder, a rabbit’s foot brings good luck, a shattered mirror means seven years of bad luck, and the list goes on and on.

It just may be that there is a biological basis for our rituals and idiosyncrasies. That should be a comfort to the theater community where the degree of superstition and ritual is perhaps rivaled only by professional athletes and their fans.

A well-respected British psychologist claims that “so-called irrational beliefs are perfectly natural and entirely understandable.” Dr. Bruce Hood, a professor of developmental psychology at the University of Bristol, has conducted extensive research into superstition and belief. He insists that "superstitious behavior—the idea that certain rituals and practices will protect you—is adaptive. If you remove the appearance that they are in control, both humans and animals become stressed.” Obviously, he’s spent some time backstage before an opening night.

Theatre superstitions run the gamut from box office to backstage. Most are based on old lore, which for the most part have lost their origins. Do contemporary theater folk honor these superstitions? It depends. Some continue because they’ve been passed on from show to show, veteran theatre professional to novice. Most actors have their own superstitions to honor but do pay homage to historical superstitions because who wants to be the one responsible for disaster by bucking tradition?

One Broadway ritual that is little known outside the New York theater scene is the passing on of The Gypsy Robe. On the opening night of every new Broadway show, The Gypsy Robe is presented to the chorus member, or “gypsy,” who has the most Broadway chorus credits. The ceremony occurs on stage with the entire cast and crew of the new show. As they stand in a circle, a representative from Actor’s Equity reveals the name of the honored chorus member and the previous recipient from the last new show to open passes on the robe. The newly enrobed gypsy then walks around the circle three times as cast members reach out and touch the robe for good luck. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the gypsy must visit every dressing room to “bless” the show before the curtain goes up. The new recipient will add a trinket or souvenir of their show to the robe and the entire cast will sign it before passing it on to the next new show and its honored gypsy.

The story goes that the ritual began over 50 years ago when a chorus member in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes borrowed a dressing robe from another ensemble member and added a large rhinestone to represent his musical’s hit song, “Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend.” On the opening night of Call Me Madam, he sent the robe to a friend in that chorus for good luck. The show received rave reviews. After adding a rose from Ethel Mermen's costume, the robe was then delivered to the next Broadway opening, Guys and Dolls. It was a hit. And on it went.

The Gypsy Robe moved about sporadically until the 1980s when official guidelines were established and a ceremony was formalized by Actor’s Equity. As the show souvenirs have become more elaborate, the muslin robes are retired more frequently, every 10 to 12 shows or when there is simply no more space to attach a memento. In 2002, three gypsy robes were donated to the Museum of the City of New York. Three currently reside at the Lincoln Center Library of the Performing arts; two are in the Smithsonian; and all others are with Actors' Equity.

Theater rituals do create a sense of confidence, focused energy and resolve that you’ve done one more thing to ensure a positive outcome. When the actors and crew pass through the stage door they add their individual rituals and good luck charms into the mix, imbuing the show with a life and traditions of its own.

Here are our ten favorite, mostly honored superstitions:

1) Never say “Good Luck” or the opposite might occur. That’s why it became “Break a Leg.” These days you hear, “Have a Good Show.”

2) Never leave the theatre completely dark, always leave the Ghost Light on. At the three SHN theatres, the crew takes this very seriously. In fact, at the Orpheum, the head electrician constructed a standing lamp with two fixtures. The larger 1000-watt light burns bright but should it fail, the smaller 500-watt fixture will be triggered to go on. And, in the event of a power outage, the Ghost Light is on the generator. Besides keeping the ghosts away, there is the practical issue that when it’s pitch black in the theatre you really could break a leg.

3) No whistling in the theatre. It came from a time when distinctive whistles were cues for the crew and an interloper whistling down the wind could wreak havoc.

4) Never use a new makeup kit on opening night. Not that you’d fall on your face but who wants to try something new at a particularly stressful time?

5) A Theatre cat is good luck. That certainly worked well for Andrew Lloyd Webber.

6) If you sell the first ticket for a show to an older person it’s good luck. If it goes to younger person, the show won’t last. Try telling that to the producers of Avenue Q.

7) A bad dress rehearsal foretells a good opening night. That’s better than the alternative and an excellent tactic for a director to motivate the company.

8) Pinching an actor before his or her entrance brings them good luck. It certainly makes them alert, and probably bruised.

9) Wearing green is bad luck. That didn’t seem to hurt Wicked.

10) A Rubber Chicken backstage keeps the crew on track. Actually, this is a relatively new ritual introduced by the Orpheum Theatre stagehands. The question is what would happen if the chicken disappeared, would the show go on?

For a great reference on historical theater superstitions, click here. For more information on The Gypsy Robe, visit Actor’s Equity.

Robe Photos by Carol Rosegg
Box office photos by Cece Hugo

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