Chances are good that you’ve heard the expression “Break a leg!” as a way of wishing an actor a good performance that evening. You may even know the superstition that it’s considered bad luck to tell an actor “Good luck!” before their performance.
In contemporary times, actors still sometimes say “Break a leg!” But another expression has cropped up, “Good show!”, as a way of cheering on an actor about to go on stage.
You may also have seen people bring flowers to the theatre as a gift for an actor. What you may not know is that many actors (and directors, producers, designers, and crew members) will often give each other a gift, generally on Opening Night. It might be flowers or it might be something a little more creative. It’s a way to express appreciation, admiration, and good wishes for a successful run.
These gifts are often called Opening Night gifts. But for one reason or another they might not be given exactly on Opening Night. In those cases, the item is generally called a “Good Show gift”.
Here is a photo of one of the most creative Good Show gifts we ever received! Our Resident Props Designer (and wearer of a number of other hats at Pegasus), John Harvey, happens to be a talented graphic designer. For our first show at the Eisemann Center in 2006, John created cartoon versions of all the characters in the style of the South Park cartoon series.
Can you pick out Harry, Lt. Foster, and Nigel? (Hint: Look for the curl of hair on Harry’s forehead!)
It was great fun to receive this gift and to identify all the characters! Not all gifts are handmade nor do they all involve this much forethought. But in all cases exchanging these gifts is a way of raising spirits and sharing a bond that makes performing that much more enjoyable!
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