The ritual may vary according to local custom: one is to leave the theatre building or at least the room occupied when the name was mentioned, spin around three times, spit, curse, and then knock to be allowed back in.
[5] In turn, theater people have picked up this usage and may wish each other "merde", alone or in combination with "break a leg".
A quick look to the street in front of the venue would tell if the play was successful: a lot of horse dung on the floor indicated that many carriages had stopped to allow spectators to the theatre to alight.
[4] An alternate operatic good luck charm, originating from Italy, is the phrase "in bocca al lupo!"
[7] Though it is a superstition, it does have practical value as well: the backstage area of a theatre tends to be cluttered with props and other objects, so someone who enters a completely darkened space is liable to be injured while hunting for a light switch.
[9] The following is a list of hauntings from that article: Related to a similar rule for sailing ships, it is considered bad luck for an actor to whistle on or off stage.
As original stage crews were hired from ships in port (theatrical rigging has its origins in sailing rigging), sailors, and by extension theatrical riggers, used coded whistles to cue scene changes.
In today's theatres, the stage crew normally uses an intercom or cue light system.