2 3 Saturday Superstition Green | Ballet Webb

Saturday, March 16, 2019

Saturday Superstition Green



Saturday Superstition Green

Since it is almost St. Patrick’s Day, I thought I’d talk about the color green. In some theatrical circles this color is said to bring bad luck.

This probably goes back to the time when the spotlight was invented. It was powered by burning a chemical known as quicklime (I’ve talked before about this being the origin of the term “limelight”). Anyway, limelight does have a greenish tone to it and so, if an actor or dancer wore a green costume he or she became essentially invisible.

But wait, there’s more! Molière, the famous actor and  playwright, was onstage in “The Imaginary Invalid” when he was suddenly overcome with a severe coughing spell. He had tuberculosis and began to hemorrhage. Amazingly, but in true theatrical fashion he actually finished his performance but died a few hours later, still in costume. And, you guessed it, his costume was green.

From the Big Blue Book of Ballet Secrets
Superstition #142:
“The color green is bad luck onstage.”

Link of the Day:

Quote of the Day:
“She turned back to inspect a bank of greens: olive, jade, leaf, kiwi, lime, a silver-green like the back of birch leaves, a bright pistachio.” 
― 
Anne Bartlett, Knitting

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