[Originally published in the Star & Wave newspaper on February 12, 2025.]
By Roy Steinberg, Producing Artistic Director
Certain slang expressions and practices used in the theater have become popular sayings among the general population.
“The show must go on” was first used in the theater world to mean that performers are expected to continue with a play no matter what happened. Off the stage, this phrase has come to mean that work must continue despite challenges and setbacks, just as a performance would in the theater.
In theater, “upstage” means the area toward or at the rear of the physical stage. Since the 1600s, raked or sloped stages have been used to improve the view and sound for spectators. With the back of the stage being physically higher than the front, the back was described as being “upstage”. This also helped create an optical illusion of distances. When an actor walked away from the audience, they literally walked up a slight incline.
Some actors deliberately walk upstage, forcing their acting partner to turn their faces away from the audience, so the attention was on the “upstage” actor. This practice became known as “upstaging” – a deliberate or accidental way of overshadowing a fellow performer.
Over time, “upstage” entered common vernacular to describe situations outside the theater where someone is overshadowed or outshone by another person. For example, politicians or celebrities today are as likely as actors to complain about being “upstaged” or having someone divert attention away from them.
Many cultures have symbols, like the “evil eye,” believed to ward off bad energy and bring good luck. Similarly, actors across different cultures use phrases that express the opposite of their intended meaning to wish someone good fortune. One well-known example is the theatrical expression “break a leg,” which originated in the theater as a way to wish performers success. Today, this phrase is commonly used beyond the stage to wish good luck in various activities.
There are many interpretations about where this expression came from. Some say it is shorthand for “break a legend” when actor managers like David Belasco or David Garrick ruled and the novice actor was hoping to make their reputation. Others think it comes from breaking the curtain line in the wings that are called “legs.”
Speaking of wings, they are the areas to the left and right of the proscenium that are out of sight of the audience. If an actor had to go on stage without having fully memorized their lines, they would stay close to the wings, where stagehands could quietly feed them their lines. This led to the idea of “winging it” — performing without adequate rehearsal or preparation, such as giving an impromptu speech or attempting a task without preparation.
We call the audience “the house” because the spectators together create a home for each performance. A theater building is only complete with an audience so they are “the house”.
In early theater, stages were illuminated by burning quicklime, which produced a bright white light. To be “in the limelight” meant to be the center of attention on stage, a meaning that persists today.
Even the word “theater” itself comes from a Greek word “theatrum,” meaning “a place for viewing.” I have always thought that the theater is the place where one can truly see through storytelling.
Cape May Stage announces its 2025 schedule on March 3rd. And we hope to see you in “the house” for our shows this season.
Roy Steinberg is the Producing Artistic Director at Cape May Stage.
