Bad Dress Rehearsal, Good Opening Night

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Dallas, Texas
Performance Date: April 13, 2016
Primary Language: English

Main piece: Okay, so… if you have a terrible dress rehearsal- well, what I should say is, how your production does in its final dress rehearsal is supposed to be an indicator of how your first performance is. BUT if you have a terrible dress rehearsal, it means that you’re going to have a great opening night. And if you have a great dress rehearsal, it means you’re going to have a bad opening night.

 

Background information (Why does the informant know or like this piece? Where or who did they learn it from? What does it mean to them?):

Um… again it’s something that, this is a universal thing, this happens at all theaters. It’s universal knowledge. There wasn’t a specific instant where I realized that this is what everybody thought. It was something I just heard over and over. As I did more and more performances, it’s something I myself found more accurate. I think it makes a lot of sense. It can really kind of scare your cast into trying their absolute hardest. If you’re in a show and you have a terrible dress rehearsal, it’s easy to feel defeated and think the show isn’t good, it’s never going to be good. But because of the superstition, if you have a terrible dress rehearsal, you’re going to try that much harder to overcome everything that happened in the dress rehearsal. There’s a really beautiful energy in not knowing if the production is going to work. If you know that your show is amazing, then you sit back too much, and you don’t try as hard, and you don’t really bring yourself to the stage, and you don’t really plant yourself in the present. The, kind of, energy in throwing it all together and hoping something sticks… you are giving so much more of yourself as a performer.

 

Context (When or where would this be performed? Under what circumstance?):

In the final dress and opening night of a production. That’s pretty simple haha. It’s not something that carries across. If you have bad rehearsals all the time, you’re not going to have a good opening night. Its very specific to the dress rehearsal.

 

Personal Analysis:

While I have done some plays before, none have been serious enough to accumulate folk beliefs. This opposite outlook on the status of dress rehearsals is an interesting way to counteract the potential anxiety accrued from having a bad practice run. The underlying intention is to calm the nerves of the performers so that they feel confident in acting the next day. While I am not convinced that having a bad dress rehearsal removes the mistakes from a performance, I am convinced that tacking on a positive connotation to the act serves to dispel the frustration associated with a less than satisfactory dress rehearsal.

Ghost in the Theater!

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Dallas, Texas
Performance Date: April 13, 2016
Primary Language: English

Main piece:

Well… most theaters have a ghost. Um, it’s kinda… there are a lot of really weird things that happen in theaters just because you have all of these lights and the wings hanging from the flies. But there are just a lot of random props lying around and as much as you try to keep things organized, things are inherently disorganized. A lot of people work at night, sometimes by themselves, and so most theaters have a resident ghost. If you’re working late at night and you see a prop fall off a table when it seemed pretty stable, it’s easier to say “oh, its the ghost!” than to admit they’re incompetent.

 

Background information (Why does the informant know or like this piece? Where or who did they learn it from? What does it mean to them?):

I was a kid in the theater. I think ghosts give theaters character. Especially if you’re a theater that actors come to on a regular basis- like, actors work there regularly. It becomes a part of the theater’s character.

 

Context (When or where would this be performed? Under what circumstance?):

I think it really is in a theater that tries to foster a sense of community. It’s not necessarily more professional theaters, like straight laced, down to business theaters that would have its crew sitting around and talking about the history of the theater. It’s more of a theater that acts as a family that would sit around and talk fondly like “Aw, our theater ghost, we all know him!”

 

Personal Analysis:

Ghosts are oftentimes depicted as demonic figures who wreak substantial havoc upon their discoverers. It’s refreshing to hear a recounting of a friendly, albeit mildly troublesome, ghost. Ghosts are also more prevalent among smaller amateur theaters, where cast members work together closely and have the opportunity to connect with one another. Like most folk beliefs, this belief creates a sense of community around the existence of this entity.

Macbeth

Nationality: American
Age: 18
Occupation: Student
Residence: Dallas, Texas
Performance Date: April 13, 2016
Primary Language: English

Main piece: Okay, so… You’re never supposed to say the name Macbeth within a theater. You’re supposed to refer to is as “The Scottish Play” because the Macbeth is cursed and um there have been many instances of actors or crew getting injured or having bad luck. If you say Macbeth instead of “The Scottish Play” in a theater, you’re supposed to run outside, spin around three times to your left, and spit over your right shoulder. And then… you’re safe.

 

Background information (Why does the informant know or like this piece? Where or who did they learn it from? What does it mean to them?):

I mean… I’ve been doing theater since I was five, and it’s something that’s done at every single theater. There’s not a specific point where I can say I was told it, you would just hear “The Scottish Play” and wonder what it was. If there was a stupid middle school boy who decided to say it in the theater, everyone would scream at him and tell him to go outside RIGHT NOW to un-jinx himself or remove the curse. They would watch him until he finished. My thing with superstitions in general is, like, do I necessarily think that since you say Macbeth in a theater, that means your show is gonna be doomed? No. But since someone said it, everyone will be on edge and be thinking about the stupid curse and mess up. But… what’s the harm in it? You know? You’re not losing anything from participating in the ritual that saves you from the curse, so why not do it.

 

Context (When or where would this be performed? Under what circumstance?):

In a theater during ANY stage of a production- auditions, rehearsals, performances, strike- even if you’re just an audience member. The only time you’re allowed to say Macbeth is if you’re actually doing the show and in the context of the show. But even if you’re talking about the play and you’re in the performance, if it’s not for the purpose of putting on the play, then you’re not allowed to say it (i.e. in rehearsal)

 

Personal Analysis:

This was a folk belief discussed in class, and it was interesting to hear it brought up again in conversation. I learned more about the history behind saying “Macbeth” as well as the technicalities behind the folklore, which prove to be rather intricate. This particular informant’s retelling was especially compelling. I felt as if I too were a believer, and left the interview feeling like I would never say “Macbeth” in a theater. It also gave me more insight into the culture of stage theater, which is much more community based than I had previously known it to be.

Dumb People Outnumber the Smart

Nationality: Taiwanese-American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Roscoe, Illinois
Performance Date: April 26, 2016
Primary Language: English
Language: Mandarin, Taiwanese, French

Main piece:

One smart person will always lose to ten dumb people.

 

Background information (Why does the informant know or like this piece? Where or who did they learn it from? What does it mean to them?):

I would always run into problems with other people during middle school, like group projects or clubs, and I would talk to my dad about these problems. Ultimately he was like “It doesn’t matter if you’re right, ten dumb people will outnumber you anyways.” It’s like, if you’re in a situation you can’t win, just surrender. No need in wasting time, just follow along until they’re wrong and you just speak up again. The smart person will prevail in the end, however long that may be.

 

Context (When or where would this be performed? Under what circumstance?):

Definitely in private. If someone is consulting you about some problems. It’s like a consolation technique, if you want to console someone. I wouldn’t say this to a stupid person. It would be someone having difficulties… It’s a comforting thing. It’s like “Don’t worry so much about it, it is what it is.”

 

Personal Analysis:

When I heard this proverb, a smile came to my face. Finally, something I have personally felt could be explained in a succinct phrase. The informant is very ambitious- I have never seen him lose an election or fail to get a position in a club. That’s not to say he never has, though. With group projects so prevalent in high school, I have also felt the frustration of carrying a team of students who seemingly did not know what to do.

Wasting Time Shortens Potential

Nationality: Taiwanese-American
Age: 19
Occupation: Student
Residence: Roscoe, Illinois
Performance Date: April 26, 2016
Primary Language: English
Language: Mandarin, Taiwanese, French

Main piece:

Wasting time shortens potential.

 

Background information (Why does the informant know or like this piece? Where or who did they learn it from? What does it mean to them?):

It was like a motivational thing that my dad would tell me a lot. Not just school, but in sports too. In sports it was huge for me. I learned it from my dad, from a very young age. I would say like six or seven. He would say it to me after hockey games. It was the idea that practice is allocated time and it doesn’t go to waste. It’s a motivational, positive thing. Learn from your mistakes and don’t waste your time feeling sad about it. It’s a very future oriented saying. It’s about moving on, really.

 

Context (When or where would this be performed? Under what circumstance?):

Mostly after major events, like milestones. Also sometimes little events, every hockey event or every track meet. It’s mostly a negative thing. It’s said during negative time for positive reinforcement. Positive connotation used in a negative context. I still hear it to this day. Six years old to nineteen. My dad will say it over the phone. And again, it’s not just academic. Sometimes it’ll relate to relationships, like girls, or activities.

 

Personal Analysis:

This piece is rather interesting, because it is a positive statement used in negative situations. It took a relatively long time for me to actually understand what the informant meant when he explained the implications. In reality, I’m not quite sure if he could have explained it to me in a way that I would have completely understood, but maybe that’s one of the intricacies of folklore. I understand this piece in a way that may be different that the informant simply because I am not of his culture.