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"Break a Leg!": 

A Treasury of Theatre Traditions and Superstitions

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   * Written by Lisa Bansavage & L.E. McCullough, Ph.D.

   * ISBN: 978-0-9967889-5-3

   * Retail List Price: $17.00 (check online retailers for other prices)

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EVER WONDERED why actors don’t wear green onstage?
 

    Or never wish each other “good luck”?

         Or avoid whistling in the dressing room?

              Or refuse to mention a certain Shakespeare play by its name?

 

“Break a Leg!” A Treasury of Theatre Traditions and Superstitions is a fascinating compendium of facts and fancies about theatre life, exploring the origin of the colorful traditions and superstitions that are as vital a part of theatre as the plays onstage.

 

Includes entries on: 

 

Cats, Candles & Curtains  •  Peacock, Mirrors & Make-up  •  The Gypsy Robe   •  The Ghost Light 

Flowers, Jewelry & Thread  •  Opening Night   •  Why Is It Called “the Green Room”? 

Don’t Quote the Scottish Play!   •  St. Genesius & Other Saintly Aids to Actors 

Unusual Theatre Terms   •  Famous Actors and Their Superstitions  •  Bad Dress, Good Show

Stage Turkeys and the Notorious Broadway Moose   •  Edmund Kean's Most Peculiar Charm 

Who the Heck Is Walter Plinge?  •  Theatre Ghosts  . . . and much more!

 

What goes on behind the curtain is often as fascinating as what happens before the audience.

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“Break a Leg!” A Treasury of Theatre Traditions and Superstitions is the perfect Opening Night gift for your favorite theatre friends or anyone interested in theatre life and lore.

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6x9 size, 90 pages,

62 photos and illustrations –

The Perfect Opening Night Gift!

© 2026 by Educational Classroom Plays
 

P.O. Box 60103, Pittsburgh, PA 15211 - USA                   lemccullough@mac.com

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