Backdrop: Traditions At A High School Theater

            Backdrop: Traditions at a High School Theater.
             Have you ever noticed that the number of traditions and superstitions surrounding theater are among the most numerous? Often times these traditions have there starts in logical practices, other times they may have no significance. Traditions are as much of a part of theater as the performances themselves.
             Most people are familiar with the tradition of not saying "good luck" to an actor, but instead of saying "brake a leg" before a performance. The idea is that saying good luck will only bring bad, and that by inviting bad luck, good luck will follow. Some of the other common stage superstitions is to not say "Macbeth" while on stage. This comes from the long history of disasters associated with the play. Finally it is considered bad luck to whistle while on stage. This is largely just good sense because whistling can be distracting to other people on stage and can make it harder to hear things said by other people working there.
             Along with these and other traditions, most stages also develop their own traditions and superstitions. Some of these traditions have unknown starts whose continuation can't be really be explained. For example, some of the traditions in Cedarburg High School's drama program. One such tradition is that of writing HED on the back of at least one part of every set. The meaning of HED is a mystery to all but a few people, all of which graduated some 6 years ago, yet the tradition continues.
             Other traditions origins are known but make little sense as to why they where started. One example to this is the flushing of a toilet in the women's room before the start of every show. Before the show the entire crew goes into the women's, after checking to make sure it is not in use first, then they all gather in one stall and flush the toilet. Back before the new performing arts center had been built the stage had been in the gym, and back there where restrooms that all though no longer in use, still functioned.