The beginning of a new theater season is a time to remember old signs. Every Moscow Art Theater actor knows that you must go on stage with your right foot, otherwise you’ll be in trouble: you’ll forget the text or stumble during the performance. At Lenkom, it is forbidden to whistle or chew sunflower seeds backstage. And such signs exist in every theater. Ekaterina Rogalskaya talks about them in more detail.

With theater actors, like with pilots, there is nothing “last”, only “extreme”. And indeed, as far as signs are concerned, this goes to the extreme.

“One actress, whom I really love in Tabakerka, and with whom we released the premiere, says that she does not put on new underwear until she releases the premiere. She probably erases it, but doesn’t change it,” People’s Artist of the Russian Federation Marina Zudina gave an example of one of these superstitions in the theatrical environment.

“When you are given a stage costume, you start rehearsing in it about a week before the premiere. And before the premiere, it cannot be washed or dry-cleaned - this is a serious theatrical sign,” added Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Daria Moroz.

“It all depends on the audience: how many phones will ring in the hall, at what moment, whether it will knock you down. We are superstitious people: we knock on wood, we spit over our shoulders. Well, what to do with these signs, somehow in life we ​​agreed with them so that they would not interfere too much,” says Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Olga Prokofieva.

For every actor, the dressing room is a sacred place in the theater. You will never find number 13 on her door. You must enter with your left foot, you cannot spill makeup, and under no circumstances should you look in the mirror over your colleague’s shoulder.

“For me, the most striking sign is when an artist falls something before a performance, as a rule, this happens in the dressing room, it’s part of the costume, for girls it’s a hairpin. And it’s better not to lift these objects, because there may be failure,” shared the ballet soloist of the theater. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Denis Dmitriev.

“I had such an experience when my crown fell, I didn’t pick it up, I had to go get another one. This is my personal quirk in my head, but I try to avoid the consequences,” says Erika Mikirticheva, ballet soloist of the same theater.

Foreign theater workers are no less superstitious. Even when arriving in another country, they try not to deviate from their habits.

“For the first time I always enter any stage from the right side, from behind the first curtain closest to the audience. It was impossible to do this in one theater, but I still made my way through the auditorium to the right. For me, going on stage in another place is the same as starting to say the alphabet with the letter D,” explained the theater’s artistic director Laurent Hilaire.

Each theater has its own signs. And, by the way, no one forbids you to come up with your own. For example, the director and artistic director of the Mayakovsky Theater Mindaugas Karbauskis did this.

“I take something from home and give it to the performance, for me this is a sign. Either he gave away a suitcase, or some kind of tray, once he brought an old Lithuanian rake,” he noted.

Also, not real, but only artificial flowers are used in decorations. Another prohibition: it is strictly forbidden to wish the artist good luck before going on stage.

For a theater actor, there is nothing worse than dropping a script during rehearsal - this can mean that the performance is a real failure. But if you sit down on it right away, failure can be avoided - this is what director Mark Zakharov does. Finding a nail on stage is a wonderful omen; it means that interesting roles await the actor. In general, the theater is a place where not only muses rule, but also evil spirits. So superstitious spectators, going to a performance, can take a talisman with them.

Yesterday someone hung up a sign in the theater. Yeah. Now we are superstitious.
I googled it and it turned out that these are signs of English actors, so let us know.
But something matches.

English:

The last line of a play should never be said during rehearsal.
Friday is considered an unlucky day for prime ministers.
You can't whistle.
You should always enter the locker room with your left foot.
You should never hang any pictures on the makeup room door.
No soap should be taken out of the makeup room.
Melodies from Macbeth should not be hummed during rehearsals.
Under no circumstances should you wear fresh flowers on stage - only artificial ones!
A cross-eyed girl in the corps de ballet brings trouble to the entire production.
(But, it’s true, cross-eyed people are not accepted into the corps de ballet).
If an actor's shoes squeak when he first appears on stage in a role, then good luck awaits him in that role. However, if he gets his debut costume caught on a nail, he must return backstage and go on stage again, otherwise he will fail.
Yellow is considered an unlucky color in the theater.
But the worst thing that can happen to an actor or actress is if someone looks over his shoulder in the mirror.
If during a rehearsal a cat passes across the stage, then the rehearsed production will be a success.

Under no circumstances should you whistle in the makeup room, backstage, while standing at the exit, or anywhere else (if the actors hear whistling in the theater, the whistler will be “killed”). It is believed that because of the whistling, the play will fail, or some emergency will happen on stage, or there will be no spectators in the theater. We agree on this.
A cat should not appear on stage, since by walking across the stage it will “carry away” the actor’s luck. Here, there is a conceptual difference in interpretations, yeah.
If an actor accidentally drops the text of a role, then you must sit on it and visually imagine seven familiar bald men.
God forbid, when you change clothes, you put something on your left side - you will fail the role or forget something.
It is considered a bad sign if there is a gap on the stage and a heel accidentally gets in there.
It’s a good sign if an artist finds a nail on stage during a performance.
Wearing a hat with peacock feathers is not good.

By the way, before this I only knew that you can’t bite sunflower seeds in the theater, that when a text falls you have to sit on it, but this is the first time I’ve heard about bald men. And we constantly find nails on the stage; our valiant installers constantly leave them on the stage, especially in performances in which people walk barefoot. This means that a good sign is confirmed, huh.

Update: By the way, until the end of the season there is a 20% discount on all Ilkhom tickets. What is this sign for, huh?

Saved

One of the most important cinematic rituals and, accordingly, signs is the so-called “plate”, which is broken before the start of filming on a camera tripod on the first day of work on a new film. This plate should contain the names of all those people who are involved in the work on the film (later the fragments from the plate are taken apart by members of the film crew for souvenirs). In this case, it is imperative that this plate breaks the first time. Otherwise, the film is in danger of failure. Something similar, by the way, exists when a new ship is launched. There, too, an unbroken bottle promises a sad fate for the ship.

It should also be noted that going on stage for every artist is a very responsible and important moment, which they approach with the utmost seriousness. At the same time, however, each artist has his own lucky scene: some prefer to go out only from the right, and some prefer to go out only from the left. Apparently, this is connected with exactly which stage the person came from on the day of his first creative success.

Not a single theater has a dressing room with the number thirteen, because actors consider this number to be particularly unlucky and unlucky. In addition, you must enter the dressing room only with your left foot, otherwise the artist will be haunted by failure. It is also strictly forbidden to hang various photographs and pictures on the door, since it is believed that they take away energy.

One of the bad omens is makeup spilled on the dressing table (this promises trouble), so actors take very careful care of all their boxes and jars. In addition, the actors carefully ensure that no one looks over their shoulders in the mirror, because in this way they can lose not only good luck, but also their health.

It is strictly forbidden to eat sunflower seeds on the set - this will definitely lead to the failure of the play or film. It is noteworthy that even famous and successful directors, who, it would seem, have nothing to fear, are subject to this superstition. So, for example, the famous Soviet director Georgy Danelia was very angry with Sofiko Chiaureli, his cousin and actress, because she constantly came to the set with seeds. And even despite the fact that the girl did an excellent job with her role, and the film “Don’t Cry” turned out to be quite successful, the director did not invite her to his films anymore.

The cat that walked across the stage also promises failure. At the same time, if the same cat performed a similar maneuver during a performance, then this performance is simply doomed to success. It is also necessary to pay great attention to the decorations, because it is believed that it is impossible to use fresh flowers, since this can lead to failure.

Once an actor receives a fee, he must be very careful about how to spend it. If jewelry or clothes were purchased with this money, then under no circumstances should they be worn before the premiere of the performance. As a rule, there are no ugly people among actors and actresses, since it is believed that they can bring misfortune to the entire troupe. You can’t even whistle in the theater, because this, as in the case of an apartment, threatens the lack of successful premieres and performances.

Falling the script text onto the ground or floor can also have very dire consequences. Therefore, actors try not to let go of the papers under any circumstances. But if it so happens that the text does fall, everyone, even a novice actor, knows that they must immediately sit down on it, otherwise they may lose the role.

Actors are also prohibited from laughing on set. It is believed that if the actors are having fun, then the audience will not be laughing at all.

There is one more sign that is associated with directors. No one has the right to sit on the director's chair, otherwise the matter could end in serious problems and troubles.

It is considered lucky if an actor finds a nail on stage and then secretly hammers it in somewhere backstage. This promises a successful acting career and new roles.

And, perhaps, the most terrible thing for any actor is to play death. Therefore, creative people came up with a whole ritual: after the death scene is filmed, the operator should not turn off the camera so that the actor has time to look into the lens and show his tongue. Then nothing bad will happen to him in real life.

During rehearsals, actors repeat all of their text except the very last phrase. They never utter it until the very performance, the success or failure of which supposedly depends on the applause that will be heard after this very last phrase.

If an actress receives flowers as a gift, she can use them to decorate her clothes or wear them before and after the performance, but not during it. Instead, artificial ones are used.

If, while putting on makeup, an actress accidentally touches her tooth with lipstick, this is considered a good sign and a harbinger of a lucrative contract.

If an actor or actress notices a thread stuck to their clothing, they remove it, pass it around their head three times and then attach it to their collar. It foreshadows the conclusion of a new contract.

Whistling in the dressing room is strictly prohibited. If anyone is caught committing such a crime, he must leave the dressing room, turn around three times, then knock on the door and ask permission to enter.

To quote Macbeth is to incur a curse. Various amulets are kept in the actress's dressing room, and congratulatory telegrams, highly valued, are attached to the wall.

Clinging to a nail means new roles.

You cannot watch TV and go on stage in street shoes. By the way, when taking off their shoes, the actors look at how they fell: if they land on their soles side by side - good, if they turn over - bad.

You cannot cut your hair before a performance, not even trim it.

Friday is considered a terribly unlucky day for any kind of premiere.

A cross-eyed girl in the corps de ballet brings trouble to the entire production. But this danger is small, since cross-eyed people are not even accepted into the corps de ballet.

It is also believed that if an actor's shoes squeak when he first appears on stage in a role, then good luck awaits him in that role.

Yellow is considered an unlucky color in the theater.

Outside the theater, the actor firmly believes in omens: if he makes the wrong door when he goes to a meeting with an entrepreneur or administrator, he is already waiting for failure in his search for a role.

God forbid, when you change clothes, you put something on your left side - you will fail the role or forget something.

Before going on stage, the actor is told: “No fluff, no feather.” He should answer: "To hell with it." If they tell him: “Well, good luck to you!”, then he must spit three times over his left shoulder. As a rule, actors wish each other before going out: “May you fail!”

Partial source of information.
The rest was collected on the forums and edited - The Eighth Shadow.

News edited YuliaS - 21-01-2017, 15:26

On your birthday, first of all, I would like to wish you national recognition! This is exactly what a real artist should strive for! Let each role teach you something and help you avoid unpleasant situations in life! I wish you good health and good luck in the most grandiose and most insignificant endeavors!

On your birthday, we want to wish you that your talent will reveal itself even more, and sparkle with all its facets on the theatrical horizon! May each role add to your confidence. Let all the troubles be just played out, and in real life troubles will bypass your home! Good health to you!

Happy birthday to you! And I wish that the directors dream that you will act under their guidance! I wish you that everything will be fine both at work and on the personal front! Let you hear the cries of “bravo” and “encore” not only on stage, but sometimes even in bed! May your health never fail you!

Today, congratulating you on your birthday, I want to say that your work is worthy of all praise! You are an artist with a capital A! I wish you to continue to delight the public with your skills and become a truly people's artist! May your health be strong! May Melpomene and Fortune continue to protect you!

Happy birthday to you! I have seen you in action many times, and therefore I can say with complete confidence that you are a storehouse of talent! The future is yours! The art of transformation is completely under your control! I wish you creative success in theater and cinema! May your health be strong and your years long!

There is no art for art's sake - there is only art for life. The artist's highest task is to ignite people's desire to be better. Your remarkable talent, loyalty and devotion to your chosen work throughout your life is an example of genuine service to Art, worthy of the deepest admiration, respect and unceasing applause.

Dear..., Your talent does not fade over the years. You continue to amaze and delight us, opening up new facets in your creativity. On this day, I really want to wish you health and many years of life, because I really want to be witnesses of your triumph, and it will definitely be in the future.

World Theater Day is an international professional holiday of all theater workers celebrated throughout the planet every year on March 27. Established in 1961 on the initiative of delegates of the IX Congress of the International Theater Institute of UNESCO.

“Theater Day” is a professional holiday for theater workers: actors, theater directors, producers, lighting engineers, sound engineers, set installers, and even ticket takers and cloakroom attendants. “Theatre Day” is not only a holiday for professionals, it is also our holiday - a holiday for millions of caring spectators.

I want to congratulate you on Theater Day. May you always be surrounded by a magical spirit, soaring beauty and creativity. More of the latest productions, always accompanying muse and inspiration. Let the applause never cease, let the delight of the audience be your great reward. I wish you success in your work and a standing ovation.

Congratulations to all those who have become forever servants of the theater, stage and interesting roles. I wish that each performance has an unprecedented sensation, triggers an avalanche of applause and is forever etched in the hearts of grateful spectators. May your excellent, talented and dedicated work always bring with it recognition, applause and the desire to visit the theater again and again. We wish you a never-sleeping muse, inexhaustible inspiration and talented play. Happy Theater Day!

Please accept congratulations on World Theater Day! I wish you brilliant premieres, memorable and bright roles, loud applause, enthusiastic applause! Let the audience be crazy about you, often call for encores and give a sea of ​​flowers!

My dear actors, theater staff and spectators! Congratulations on World Theater Day! And if life is a game, and we are all actors in it, then I wish everyone to choose in life the role that they like and play it impeccably and brilliantly. Be happy and healthy, love theater and art!

Congratulations on Theater Day! Let any acting roles be successful, life roles be positive, with a happy ending. I wish you premieres and sold-out houses, awards and applause, love from the audience and pleasure from your work!

We congratulate fans and true connoisseurs of theatrical art on the spring holiday, the day when World Theater Day is celebrated. May your soul always be receptive to beauty, may the theater stage surprise you and excite your imagination, touching the strings of your soul, immersing you in the world of the wonderful and unusual.

Let the theatrical art only flourish every day! I wish all theater workers a sea of ​​inspiration, interesting work, new achievements and an excellent salary! May success and good mood always accompany you!

Happy World Theater Day! More new productions, interesting works, new discoveries, development in all directions, happiness, new horizons!

Congratulations on World Theater Day and with all my heart I wish you wonderful performances, bright emotions, life with real feelings and happy events, playing interesting roles and amazing ideas. May a trip to the theater always give you a lot of impressions from pleasant sights, may theatrical creativity inspire us and fill us with bright love.

Congratulations on World Theater Day and from the bottom of my heart I wish you a cheerful, bright, amazing theatrical life, a happy, joyful, favorable fate, which day after day will give you good meetings and loud applause for success.