Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-10-06
SUPERSTITIONS OF ACTORS.
Many Curious Omens Believed in by
Folks of the Stage.

From the Cincinnati Enquirer
Although sailors have already been con-
coded to be The most superstitious of NOR
tails. people familiar with the ms and outs
of the theatrical profession claim that the
mariners must yield the PALM actors be-
ing beyond question more ardent believers
in charms and omens than any other class
of people In the world There is probably
scarcely a member of the profession, from
the principal stars to the humbiest men,
bers of the chorus or ballet, who has not
his or her pet superstition which is quite
unassaiable by reason; and actors of other
countries are quite superstitious as our
own leading manager is authority for
the statement that he never knew for
eign dancer to go on the stage without first
crossing herself to insure good luck; while
others have such implicit faith in the luck
of a horseshoe that the inside lid of many
a Thespian'S trunk is adorned with one.
1t is said of a certain famous actress that
she will never make an entrance on the
stage without having first raped on the
wings in order to Danish evil influences.
1t is always considered the worst Of bad
luck to peep through the curtain while the
house is filling. In fact in some companies
there Is standing order against this
method Of inviting bad fortune. One of
the most common superstitions among
managers is that 1t is fatal to new play
TO allow a free ticket into the theater be-
fore paid ticket has been admitted. If
at a dress rehearsal everything goes wrong
1t is always considered a sure sign that
the play will be a success, but if on the
other hand the dress rehearsal goes
smoothly and well, and especially if in
farce the actors laugh heartily at their
own efforts, the play is as good as doomed.
Why these things should be no one ever
attempts to say, but the belief is as fixed
a religious creed.
The figure ''13, as might be expected, Is
a sure portent of evil, and the actor or &C
treSS that would sleep in a room hearing
engagement is as hard to find as the pro-
verbal needle in a haystack. If there are
thirteen persons in the cast or even thir-
teen letters in the title of the play, the su-
perstitious actor prepares for the worst of
luck. One manager, when the receipts of
the performance contain the figure thirteen
in any way, invariably buys more tickets
until the unucky number vanshes, and it
would be most difficult task to find the
chorus girl who would consent to use
stick of grease paint the wrapper of which
contains this ill-starred number.
Actresses believe firmly in the virtues of
certain colors and in the bad luck of 9TH
ers Green is generally considered a har-
binger of disaster, and one famous actress
declares that a certain yellow dress always
brought her the worst of bad luck. There
is. however, luck in black and yellow and
when black takes the form of a cat it is
thought to be the luckest omen of them
all. Misfortune is sure to follow the ad-
mission of a croSs-eyed man to a theater if
he be the first to pass the door; and if
when several actors are in a dressing room
together, one of them begins to whistle
it's sure sign that the one nearest the
door will lose his position within a week
OF charms and talismans actors pin their
faith to hundreds. One actress carries
about with her a Japanese imp, another a
rubber mouse while of miniature pigs
spiders poodles, tortoses and beans the
name is legion. White heather brings luck,
and so do the four-leafed shamrock and
the horse chestnut leaf, even in enamel
But nothing has yet been so potent and in
consequence so popular as the left hind
foot of B'rer rabbit, which has been really
and automatically killed at midnight in a
graveyard in the dark of the moon by
cross-eyed colored man.