what do you do when you say the name of the Scots play?

[Louise Penberthy]

Anyone got any rituals they do after they say the name of the Scots play?  Or "Mackers," as they call it in "Slings and Arrows" (great show, BTW).

The only one I've heard is to turn around three times and spit over your left shoulder.

[Eric Newman]

I believe Mamet's "Life in the Theatre" also explains one exits the room, does the 3x turn, then requests to be let back in, which request is denied, but then you enter anyway.  It's been a long time since I read it, so I may have some particulars wrong.

[Robert Barnett]

I worked with a guy in Ashland who was serious about this (made me do it the one time I thoughtlessly quoted the play before going on).  He would not go on stage with me until I did this entire thing.  Evidently, years earlier, he and two other actors were kidding around, quoting the play in the dressing room and all three had accidents on stage that night.  Since then, he was very superstitious about this.

[Lynn Jepson]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Enmztm9uMzQ

[Lynn Jepson]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjPj6CjEgCs

[Christopher Comte]

When I say, "MacBeth" I then get to watch as silly, superstitious actors go into a veritable tizzy of spitting, spinning, etc.  Highly amusing!

[Ken Holmes]

Macbeth, Macbeth, Macbeth.... ain't no curse
What I do whenever someone mentions Macbeth in the theater is start wondering who in the cast is going to freak out and let it spoil their performance.

Several years ago when I directed Macbeth, I did a research trying to find the origin of this supposed Macbeth curse. No credible evidence exists that there is such a thing.

The most widely cited tale is that Shakespeare's witches (who are never actually referred to as witches by any character in the play) are speaking actual witches incantations in the cauldron scene. Real witches were offended and cursed the play for all time. Although, nobody ever thought of the play as being cursed until around the late 1800s - nearly 300 years after it was written. Also, witches in Shakespeare's day mostly likely had more pressing business - like avoiding being murdered - than worrying about words in a play. And the incantations are pretty sing-songy...sounding more like they came from a playwright.

There was one book that I found at the library (which I can't find reference to now) from the 1950s or 60s that talks about all kinds of theatrical superstitions. It is very sensational, exagerates many stories, and doesn't take a critical look at any of the superstions it talks about. Many of the stories about the curse that you find online are exagerated versions of exagerated stuff from this book.

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2267/whats-the-story-on-the-curse-of-em-macbeth-em gives some helpful information.

I have seen theatrical disasters strike many different shows. This past summer, GreenStage's Hamlet had it's share of fairly serious injuries right before opening. So is Hamlet cursed? I have seen major problems almost every time I am involved in Midsummer Night's Dream (I won't relate them all here)- should we refer to that as "The fairy play"?

Bunch of malarky that I wish people would just get over  (no offence) 

Also, a good book on Macbeth (and a little bit about the curse) is Witches and Jesuits by Gary Wills

[Nick Rempel]

I have heard that the superstition arose from the fact that in the 18th and 19th centuries many theatres struggling to stay afloat would program Macbeth as a last gasp, sure-to-bring-in-the-punters production.  And when it proved to be too little, too late, and the company folded, the show and its "curse" began to take the blame.
Although I will say that on one of my first professional productions, a dance musical, someone trying to get a rise out of the cast much as Chris suggests said it 3 times, and by the end of that dress rehearsal we had 3 dancers out with sprains.  So I watch my mouth, figuring it better to be safe than sorry...

[Ken Holmes]

That's one of the few theories about the curse that make sense. Another is that it is usually combines dim lighting with brutal broadsword fights.

What may happen, of course, is that when Macbeth is quoted in a rehearsal or performance, those that believe in a curse may just convince themselves that something bad will happen. I do believe that that kind of thinking can cause accidents to happen.

In other words, it's not the curse of Macbeth that causes problems, but the belief in the curse.

I believe in logic and reason.

[Agastya Kohli]

I believe in logic and reason.

I am an engineer by training and believing in logic and reason is how I make my living. But that's too boring and dull. I personally am a fan of such superstitions in theatre and all other fields. Such traditions and silly rules are a crazy way we can pay homage and respect to artists who have come before us, and to pass on a sense of history and continuity to those who will follow us. If you let such traditions get in the way of creating art, then you're missing the point. Superstitions are not to be feared, but to be played with - and IMHO, preserved and passed along.

[Ken Holmes]

If you let such traditions get in the way of creating art, then you're missing the point. Superstitions are not to be feared, but to be played with - and IMHO, preserved and passed along.

The problem is that superstitions DO get in the way of creating art, especially this Macbeth Macbeth Macbeth one. For you, thinking logically and critically may just be a job, but it's completely ingrained in my brain. Superstitions can also cause people to waste time and money. Look at John Edward - people line up to pay him to talk to their dead relatives. You know he can't really do that, right? You know he's just a magician taking advantage of people. So was Uri Geller with his spoon bending - wasting the time and money of scientists. So are the many faith healers using trickery and preying on people's superstitious beliefs. Sure, the Macbeth thing is nothing compared to the actual superstious con-games going on, but it still perpetuates the belief that this stuff might exist. 

I figure that if something can happen there has to be evidence and a history of how it works. Spoon bending is a simple magic trick. John Edward is good at leading a conversation. But at least with these examples, there is an effect that makes it look like something mystical is happening. The Macbeth "curse" doesn't even have that. And no, reports that someone tripped during a production, or that someone said "macbeth" and later broke their arm isn't proof. It's coincidence. I've seen some pretty bad things happen in theater, and none of them had anything to do with Macbeth.

It's folklore. The most logical origin is that, as Chris said, it was a play that was done by companies in financial trouble...in that case, the bad luck had already happened. I think it's the structure of the play which causes problems. It's an extremely hard part to play - how do you justify the things Mac does? He talks about how it's wrong, about how there is no reason for it. Shakespeare never has him explain his actions, which he does with practically every character in every other play. It's very easy for the play to fail if you don't avoid it's pitfalls. But it isn't cursed.

[Agastya Kohli]

Without defending any specific magicians, performers, healers or messengers, I'll only say that throughout history, established human scientific knowledge been challenged - and numerous times, our notion of scientific fact had to be updated. I'm not saying that there are no con-men out there... but I also do not believe that anything which can't be explained by today's scientists must be a trick.

But to stay on topic - I personally do not believe that saying Macbeth causes people to fall or fires to start. But it's kind'a fun to pretend like it might. And that's all I meant when I said superstitions should not be feared, but played with.

[Ken Holmes]

I think we are in agreement on some points. Yes, our notions of science have been challenged in the past, and science has been the better for it. But assuming that if something can't be explained it must be of supernatural origin don't make sense. ie: "I can't see how the spoon is being bent, therefore it has to be by psychic energy." That is false logic of the same sort that creationists use even though there are mountains of evidence pointing to evolution.

But back to Mackers. Sure, the curse is a fun story to joke about. And obviously it fascinates me, but unfortunately, many theater people believe in the curse - no matter how illogical it is. I think most don't even know that much about it, they just believe in it because someone else told them to. Why take chances, they say. So even by playing with it, joking around with it, you perpetuate the myth. And as I said, the belief in the curse causes problems in productions. Again, that is my take.

And I do love debating this subject, in case you haven't noticed. 

[Louise Penberthy]

I wouldn't call myself a superstitious person, but I'm creeped out when someone says that name out loud in a theater and doesn't seem to care.

One time I said "the Scots play" in the hearing of someone who didn't know what that meant.  I led her outside the theater before I would explain it.