When actors say 'break a leg', what do they mean?
AnswerGood luck
Theater superstition holds that wishing 'good luck' is bad luck, so 'break a leg' is said instead.
Arts · Facts & stats
Theater facts & stats
7 fact-checked facts about theater and the stage, each with the reason behind it. 5 more are in today's round and join this page after it closes.
The basics
Which open-air London playhouse is closely associated with Shakespeare's company?
AnswerThe Globe
The Globe Theatre was built in 1599 by Shakespeare's company; a reconstruction opened nearby in 1997.
Going deeper
On stage, 'stage left' is on which side?
AnswerThe actor's left when facing the audience
Stage directions are given from the performer's point of view, facing the audience.
What part of the stage is 'upstage'?
AnswerThe area farthest from the audience
Old stages were raked, sloping upward away from the audience, so the back became 'upstage'.
What is an understudy?
AnswerA performer who learns a role to step in if needed
Understudies rehearse a lead's part so the show can go on if that actor cannot perform.
Expert level
The ancient Greek theater at Epidaurus is especially famous for what?
AnswerIts remarkable acoustics
At Epidaurus, sounds from the stage can be heard clearly in the back rows of the 4th-century BC theater.
Commedia dell'arte, with stock characters like Harlequin, originated in which country?
AnswerItaly
Commedia dell'arte was improvised masked comedy that developed in 16th-century Italy.
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