Breaking A Leg For Amateur Theatre

Last time, I was expressing my bemusement at an odd turn of phrase in amateur theatre, indeed in theatre in general. The idea of saying 'break a leg' to actors before they go on stage, instead of the much more obvious offer of support, 'good luck.'

If you say that one more time...

I just want to look at some of the possible definitions behind this term. Some, may make sense. Others, baffle me. However, the internet has kindly offered up some interesting definitions (sources listed at the bottom, so you can make your own mind up).

Break a leg!

The history of this term appears to be a long one. How many of these origins have come retrospectively is a matter for debate. Given this is a personal blog, I haven't the time to be that thorough, hence adding the sources of information at the bottom. I'm going to list off some of the more "entertaining" suggestions, and you can make your own mind up.

Some are fairly boring. There is an assertion that it is based on an older expression 'May you break your leg' which was linked to a bow to acknowledge the applause received. In this way, it was wishing the performers a good performance. This, while plausible, is boring and no fun. In a similar vain, it could be linked to early days of vaudeville, when performers didn't get paid unless they made it on, so they were encouraged to 'break a leg' meaning to break the line of legs that surrounded the stage. Again, plausible, but boring.

Break a leg Mr President...

Slightly more fun, but still routed firmly in the theatre, it could link to John Wilkes Booth, the man who shot Abraham Lincoln. As he tried to flee, he lept onto the stage, breaking his leg. How this equates to good luck is beyond me, as the President got shot, and he broke his leg, is beyond me. This is one of the more entertaining ones though, so I'll leave it in.

Back to the theatre, and A&E

'I see great misfortune...'
'I know he said good luck again.'

Returning to more theatrical interpretations, one that comes from the Elizabethans and the Greeks. Audiences didn't clap in Elizabethan times (apparently) instead stomping their chairs. The hope was that the show would be so good that the chair leg would break. The Greeks were slightly more barbaric than damaging furniture however, as they stamped their feet. So the phrase was about getting the audience to break their legs (which seems a little excessive.)

To finish, I will mention another odd theory. There is a German phrase 'Hals und Beinburch' which transtlates as 'break your neck and leg'. This originates in Luftwaffe slang, basically wishing a good landing on the pilot. This may have been a corruption from a Hebrew blessing, which kind of stuck.

I still don't know why you say break a leg

All these theories are fascinating and reading the Internet's offerings has been interesting. However, I'm still not sold. Yet, I probably will still say it. Actors are creatures of habit and as such we are unlikely to change. i guess that might be the best reason. Someone said it, the show was excellent, so it just kind of stuck. What do I know though? I'm just an amateur theatre lover with time to read a few articles online.

Chris is a member of Codsall Dramatic Society. Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for all your amateur theatre news in Codsall & Wolverhampton. 

http://www.theatrecrafts.com/page.php?id=603

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Break_a_leg

http://english.stackexchange.com/questions/33955/why-do-people-say-break-a-leg-to-actors

http://plays.about.com/od/basics/a/breakaleg.htm

http://www.wordorigins.org/index.php/site/break_a_leg/

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/break-a-leg.html

http://www.theimportanceofbeingtrivial.com/why-actors-say-break-a-leg.html

"Break a leg!"...Wait what?

Actors are a superstitious bunch...

"Look, I'm sorry I said 'good luck' ok!?"

Ok, I give up! I've been involved in amateur theatre most of my adult life, and there is one thing I simply don't understand:

WHY SAY 'BREAK A LEG' BEFORE A PLAY!?!?

Seriously, think about it. That is the LAST thing you want anyone to do when they go on stage. No one has ever come out of the theatre and said 'Yes I enjoyed the show, but I would have enjoyed it more if the entire cast were on crutches!' No director has ever walked into the changing rooms following a play, ranting that there is no one on their way to A&E after the performance. So why say it?

'Good Luck...'

"I said is again didn't I?"

Some people are superstitious. I can understand that. A bit. I am not. I have a black cat, I walk under ladders and I think walking on the cracks in the pavement is awesome. If anything, I'm the opposite of superstitious.

I happen to know that historically at least, actors and theatre types are superstitious people. I'm not defending it. I just happen to know that this is a fact. The wonderful scene in Blackadder: The Third where the two actors explain to Blackadder why they go through some silly ritual when anyone mentions Macbeth speaks to emphasize this point. Again it, to me, doesn't defend it. I merely explains it.  Or gives another crazy example of acting superstition (Why can't I say Macbeth near a theatre? Is Shakespeare's ghost watching me?)

One superstition at a time though eh? So, why break a leg? Why not 'fracture an arm?' Or 'rupture a spleen?' Or why not just plain simple 'GOOD LUCK?!?!?!'

Now, despite appearances to the contrary, I am a level headed person. What I question is blind parroting of the same 3 words with no concept of why. Obviously, it is intended to convey good fortune to the actors about to go onto stage. Yet the question of why we use this phrase baffles me. So, over the next couple of posts, I'm going to look into this. I'd like to start with the phrase in theatre. When was this phrase first associated.

Defend the indefensible

In a 1921 edition of "New Statesman", Robert Wilson Lynd talked about this curious phrase in terms of theatre in his article 'A Defence Of Superstition'. He described theatre as the second-most superstitious institution in England, after house racing. In horse racing, wishing 'good luck' is also considered unlucky, so people were encouraged to say something horrible, like 'May you break your leg' which in horse racing I'd assume is a far more likely occurrence than in theatre. Though he didn't directly link the phrase to actors and performers, could this be the first link?

In no uncertain terms, Edna Ferber's 'A Peculiar Treasure' which detailed her fascination with the theatre appears to be the first written evidence linking to theatre this strange phrase. To quote, she believed that ' ...all the understudies sitting in the back row politely wishing the various principals would break a leg' which is nice. Bernard Sobel writes in 1948 linking this more directly to the subject matter. In his book The Theatre Handbook & Digest Of Plays, he records actors using this term as saying 'good luck' was bad luck.

It is my opinion that this goes deeper than that. Next time I write, I will trawl deeper into the subject matter, hopefully uncovering some more insights into this strange phenomenon...

Chris is part of Codsall Dramatic Society, who meet once a week at Codsall Village Hall, Wednesday 7:30pm. Like us on Facebook, or follow us on Twitter for more amateur theatre news and views in Codsall.

"A Defense of Superstition". The Living Age 311. 1921. p. 427. As published in The New Statesman, 1 October 1921.

Ferber, Edna (1939). A Peculiar Treasure. Doubleday, Doran & Co. p. 354.

“Wild About Wilde”

Why is amateur theatre so mad about Oscar Wilde? Memories Of West Moon Street

Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime was published, along with other short stories, over 100 years ago in 1891. Yet here we are in 2014 and CDS has just finished performing a play written in 2007, by American, Rob Urbinati, based on this story. So how has a Victorian Irishman had such a resounding influence on British, and indeed international, theatre? In his day, Oscar Wilde was an infamous public figure; a poet and a socialite with flamboyant dress and a rapier-like wit.  With his plays, Wilde sought to critique Victorian society and expose its decadence, hypocrisies and contradictions. Indeed, his only novel, The Picture Of Dorian Gray, caused widespread outrage upon its release. Wilde’s legendary wit is obvious in all his work and his social commentary about the aloof nature of Victorian high society is evident throughout.  In an interview given to Samuel French publishing house, West Moon Street author Rob Urbinati describes his play as ‘a contemporary "take" on a Wilde play.’ When comparing West Moon Street to his earlier play, Hazelwood Jr. High he explains ‘They both deal with a group of characters in a tight social circle who are oblivious, or at least choose to behave as if they were oblivious, to the moral consequences of their behaviour’ (‘Breaking Character’, 2011). From Lady Windermere’s Fan to The Importance Of Being Earnest, Wilde exposed the world to his stark social commentary made palatable by his classic British humour and sense of farce. Whilst his stories have stood the test of time and are still regularly performed on both stage and screen today, he is perhaps most remembered for the many quotes and idioms without which the English language would be considerably the poorer. Codsall Dramatic Society are an award winning amateur theatre group based in Codsall, Wolverhampton. We meet Wednesday nights at 7:30pm at Codsall Village Hall. Why not come an join us as we hunt for out next play! For more CDS info and fun, why not like us on facebook or follow us on twitter @CodsallDramSoc.    1-http://www.breaking-character.com/post/2011/08/01/Focus-on-a-Playwright-Rob-Urbinati.aspx

Pre rehearsal?

It's worth explaining here one of the main reasons I got into amateur theatre. I wanted to meet people, to make friends. I was new to Codsall, and I didn't want to go mad from loneliness...

After all, who couldn't love me?

So I met the good people of Codsall Dramatic Society, and we had a nice time at rehearsals for the show that the were performing at the time (Brush Up Your Shakespeare) and once the rehearsals are done, they did what they usually did. They popped out to their local pub.

Nothing wrong with this. If I'm honest, it was nice to have a drink with a group of like minded people and get to know them a bit better. Given I've been a member of the society now for 18 months+ now, it was obviously successful, and a great advocate to the benefits of amateur theatre as a way to meet people. If they're anything like the Codsall lot, its a sure fire way to make new friends.

For a play, I swear...

But before a rehearsal...

This last week, I was involved in an additional rehearsal for Codsall Dramatic Society's latest play, West Moon Street. These normally take place in various locations. We've had them in peoples houses, other rooms at the Village Hall, even Codsall Parish Rooms when we haven't been able to get in at the Hall. However, this time, the instructions read like the night in reverse.

We were told to meet at our local pub.

I haven't drunk that much honest...

Don't worry we haven't given up on rehearsals, the director hasn't lost the will to live (yet). The Crown in Codsall had said we could use their function room for our additional rehearsals. The space is good and if I'm honest when in amateur theatre, space is space. It makes little odds where we rehearse, so long as we get to.

So cheers to the Crown for letting Codsall Dramatic Society rehearse in your function room. It's always nice to be part of such a brilliant community. And it means we didn't have far to go for a drink afterwards!

I'm in West Moon Street, a play presented by Codsall Dramatic Society & Codsall Community Arts Festival, at Codsall Village Hall, 12th - 15th March. Tickets on sale 25th Feb, check out Codsall Community Arts Festival and Codsall Dramatic Society for more details.

Promoting Amateur Theatre & Amdram

21st Century Publicity for Amateur Theatre

Lets start by being honest

My "job title" (if you could call it that) is "publicity". It is a curious one. I'm made to think of that old proverb "If a tree falls in the wood, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" Not that I'm comparing our productions to a huge tree falling over, no, our productions are usually much more dangerous.

Particularly where Luke (middle one) is involved

Having said that, a lot of amateur theatre is advertised by word of mouth, particularly in Codsall Dramatic Society's case. Being in a village, we often get our best publicity by people talking to other people, mentions from the Vicar and so on.

However, we are now moving into the 21st century. The internet looms large over us all, with Facebook, Twitter and many others becoming more and more prevalent. And while sites like eBay make buying that last minute prop much easier, we now find ourselves in the world of online bookings, online blogs (like this one) and more often than not, online messing around!

Combining The Two!

So we now find ourselves in amateur theatre needing to be aware of online presence as well as our presence on the ground. How can we do that you might ask? Well, for our last production, Puss In Boots, we decided to take a bit of a novel approach.

Trains late again...

The reasoning went something like this: We've got time to kill on a tech weekend, so lets get on with actually getting people to come and see the show by wandering around the village, in costume, and take some funny pictures so people will know there's a play going on!

So off I set with two members of cast, Puss and her best mate Dusty, with someone to hold their coats for good measure. We went into shops, to famous landmarks and to various other locations around the village to take a kind of "Where's Wally" type game (sorry Karen). Having wandered around town, I set these pics to run on Facebook, inviting people to like the pics if they spotted Puss. This worked brilliantly on two levels:

1. People in the village saw what we were doing and asked questions. In this way, we continuedthe word of mouth, getting people excited about the upcoming production.
2. The following online involvement proved a boom too, with people seeing the pictures in their friends newsfeed because they liked the photo. Many new people saw our production for the first time because of this.

In these troubled times

Let's be honest, times are hard for everyone. In this way, an amateur theatre production is good value, as long as the quality of show is always good. Thankfully for Codsall Dramatic Society, this has rarely been a problem. So it's about getting people to come and see these fantastic shows, available for a fraction of the price of a professional one, or even the cinema. This is just one novel way of letting people know about it.

Or like this blog, writing about it for a while to encourage publicity :)

Codsall Dramatic Society is performing "West Moon Street" by Rob Urbinati at Codsall Village Hall 12th-15th March, in association with Codsall Community Arts Fesitval! Tickets on sale 25th Feb! For more info, visit our website, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter!

Happy New Year Amdram Fans!

Happy New Year!

From myself to all amateur theatre fans, I wish you a happy 2014, here’s a tasty amdram feast to look forward to, another play I'm in…

Codsall Dramatic Society & Codsall Community Arts Festival present West Moon Street, a farcical mystery-thriller based on a short story written by Oscar Wilde and skilfully adapted for stage by Rob Urbinati.

Young Lord Arthur is deliriously happy – just down from Oxford and soon to marry – when a mysterious palm reader predicts he will commit a murder. A proper English gentleman, Arthur believes it is his Duty to get this killing business over with before he ties the knot. But his education has not provided him with the required skills, and a hilarious series of mishaps ensues as he sets about finding a victim.

Codsall Dramatic Society and Codsall Community Arts Festival

Tickets On Sale February 25th

Wed 12, Thu 13 & Fri 14 March at 7.30 pm, £7

Sat 15 March Matinee at 2.30 pm, £6

Codsall Village Hall

For more from Codsall Dramatic society, visit our website, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter, or visit us at Codsall Village Hall, 7:30pm most Wednesdays!

It's been a while...

Hi everyone (or if I'm right and no-one else reads this, hello mum!)

I realise I've not written as much as I probably should have over the last few weeks, but I've been directing Codsall Dramatic Society's production, "Puss In Boots"! We've had really good reviews, and fantastic audiences, and I would just like to say thank you to all the cast and crew who gave their time and their efforts have resulted in a fantastic production! They can all be very proud of what they achieved.

But now that's done, I can bring you more funny insights into amateur theatre from the ground level. I hope to get a part in "West Moon Street", Codsall Dramatic Society's next outing, opening March 12th.

For more info, check out our website, here, Codsall Dramatic Society co uk or like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. More info coming soon!