The One Word You Can't Say In A Theater

Recently my daughter got in trouble for a word she said at school.

This past summer our family went to Shakespeare in Boston Common to watch Macbeth. It was an incredible performance. I would highly recommend it. Skip ahead 6 months and my daughter was in a school performance of Hamlet. She was having a conversation with one of her teachers and she mentioned that she saw "MacBeth" this past summer. Her teacher gasped and said something along the lines of, "Swallow your words maiden. We do not speak that name aloud in the theater!"

It turns out that it is considered bad luck to speak the name "Macbeth" in a theater outside of rehearsals or the performance of the actual play. Most theater people will call it, "The Scottish Play" or "The Bard’s Play." Dating back to Shakespeare's original performances, terrible incidents have occurred because "Macbeth" was spoken in a theater... Allegedly.

The incident you probably are most familiar with happened a couple of years ago at the Oscars. Comedian Chris Rock walked out on stage at the Dolby Theatre and congratulated Denzel Washington on his performance as Macbeth. He said the name, and a few seconds later Will Smith walked up on stage and slapped him in front of millions of people. Coincidence or the Macbeth curse?

This superstition is one of thousands that we have created over the years. While we probably don't think about it this way, these superstitions find their basis in controlling the fates and spirits. Is there any truth to them? What does the Bible say about superstitions like these?

This Sunday we look at the most Shakespearian chapter in the book of 1 Samuel. King Saul is going to consult a witch to bring up a long-dead prophet in an attempt to know the future. This chapter will help us understand how Christians should deal with spiritual things and how we can avoid the pitfalls that led to the tragic ending of King Saul.