Superstitious actors believe ‘Macbeth’ is cursed

Shakespeare’s American productions have often reflected the state of the country

Shakespeare’s works have been used to interpret moments in US history, from the Astor Place Riot in 1849 and Lincoln’s frequent quotations of “Macbeth,” to the use of Shakespeare in nationwide classrooms today.

Playwright George Bernard Shaw believed Shakespeare was overrated

Shaw was one of the titans of 20th-century British drama—responsible for "Pygmalion," "Arms and the Man," and more—and a persistent critic of the Bard, whom he believed had been unnecessarily praised to the point of "Bardolatry." Over time, his opinion softened; at one point, Shaw even reworked Shakespeare's "Cymbeline."

'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child’ became an award-winning stage play

Premiering in 2016, the play continues the story beyond the original books and has run in London’s West End and on Broadway, winning nine Olivier Awards and six Tony Awards, including best play.

How royal panic led to Europe's deadliest witch hunts

This article delves into the witch "panics" and hunts that roiled across Scotland between 1590 and 1662. The witch hunts in Scotland were unusually deadly, with the country having five times the average European execution rate per capita. Their...

Black cats got their frightening reputation in the Middle Ages

Though many cultures in Africa, Asia, and Europe recognize black cats as symbols of good fortune, they're associated with bad luck and America's spookiest holiday. Their association with evil didn't gain traction until the 13th century, as religious figures and European folklore drew connections between cats, Satan worshippers, and witches.

Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre burned down

During a June 1613 performance of “Henry VIII,” a theatrical cannon misfired and sent sparks into the theater’s straw roof, forcing the 3,000 attendees to evacuate. No one was killed, though the theater burned down in roughly an hour.

Ghosts didn't say 'boo' until the 19th century

The word derives from Scotland in the early modern era and was often used to assert oneself. Eventually, it became a way to startle someone, and by the 19th century, was the go-to utterance of literary spirits.

English playwright Christopher Marlowe's violent and mysterious death

According to an official coroner’s report, in 1593 a heated argument over payment for supper escalated into a physical struggle, during which Marlowe wounded a man named Ingram Frizer, who then fatally stabbed Marlowe above the right eye. Though we still don't have a definitive explanation for why Marlowe was killed, the true motive continues to be debated, with suspicions surrounding the official account. Read more here.

Broadway hit 'Stereophonic' was inspired by Fleetwood Mac

The show follows a 1970s rock band while they're in the studio, tracking a new album, and mirrors many of the internal conflicts that led to Fleetwood Mac's 1977 record, "Rumours." The play was a massive hit, earning 13 Tony nominations (the most ever for a play). It won five, including best play.

Folk horror involves remote settings and ancient traditions

Folk horror often features outsiders venturing to isolated areas and finding the locals engaged in disturbing (often occult) traditions. Rather than using supernatural elements, the horror often comes from the locals themselves. Examples include the 1973 film “The Wicker Man” and Shirley Jackson’s 1948 short story “The Lottery”.

The cult of 'Rocky Horror' has its own rituals

The movie was initially a commercial failure, but it began amassing a loyal following through midnight showings, where audience members dressed as their favorite characters and acted out scenes from the movie in the aisles—a tradition that continues to this day.

10 books that get the theatre world right

The theatre world is filled with drama—both on and offstage—thanks to big egos, imagined slights, and tense interpersonal dynamics. Despite that reality, it's not easy to portray what goes on behind the scenes on the page. This list breaks down some of the exceptions, featuring 10 novels that accurately capture the insular world and fascinating personalities who populate it.

The first horror movie is believed to be George Méliès' 1986 short 'The Haunted Castle,' which pioneered the use of special effects

Why Christopher Walken is so eccentric

Cultural icon and actor Christopher Walken has attained a unique status in Hollywood as a beloved eccentric, inspiring countless hilarious stories. This quick write-up dives into some of the elements that mixed to form his unusual personality and style, from growing up around immigrants to his embrace of improvisation.

George Méliès' 'The Haunted Castle' is considered the first horror film

The 1896 film short uses a series of camera tricks to depict supernatural experiences, including a bird turning into a man and a woman being summoned from a smoking cauldron. Its subject matter and surprising visuals have led scholars to call it the first horror film.

Although not known for horror, a young Tennessee Williams wrote a gothic radio play

The "Streetcar Named Desire" author wrote "The Strangers," a short script, while a student at the University of Iowa in the 1930s. Andrew Gulli, managing editor for the literary magazine that published the unearthed piece, said that it blends classic '30s radio horror with themes Williams would revisit in later, more famous work.

Breaking eye contact during a toast is supposedly bad luck

Superstitious types throughout Europe claim that toast participants must maintain eye contact for the duration of the toast. Failing to do so results in seven years of bad luck. Others are more specific, saying it will result in seven years of bad sex.

Samuel Beckett's 'Waiting for Godot' dramatizes existential absurdity

The play, originally staged in 1953, is notorious for its lack of action. For the most part, its two principal characters, Vladimir and Estragon, spend the majority of the play wondering whether a mysterious Godot will ever appear. By the end, Godot has still not arrived, yet Vladimir and Estragon do not move, a choice that reflects the existential notion that humans often hope in vain for meaning that does not exist.

Some theorize that horror's artifice turns fear into enjoyment

The “excitation transfer theory” suggests that the unpleasant feelings a jump scare might elicit (like shortness of breath) are quickly relieved when the audience member remembers what they’re witnessing is fake.

'Book of the Dead' spells were often written directly on the mummy bandages

Archaeologists have identified over 200 spells inscribed on various funerary objects, including coffins, scrolls, mummy wrappings, and more. Later historians compiled the spells in single volumes, giving them the cinematic name "Book of the Dead."

Spielberg wrote ‘Poltergeist,’ and some say he directed it, too

Although the horror classic doesn’t credit Spielberg as a director, several people from the cast and crew suggested he was in charge of the film. The film’s credited director, Tobe Hooper, says Spielberg was merely brought on as a second director—which Spielberg has repeatedly confirmed.

Movies that killed these 17 actors' careers

Hollywood's history is checkered with flubs and successes, and many actors have suffered from portraying specific roles, even if the films were successful. This list goes into 17 acting careers that took a nosedive after a specific role, including Elizabeth Berkley in "Showgirls" and Sofia Coppola in "The Godfather: Part III." Read the rest here.

Nobel Prize winner William Butler Yeats was fascinated by magic and the occult

The Irish poet and 1923 winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature laid out his beliefs in a 1901 essay, entitled "Magic," and was a member of several organizations dedicated to occult and mystical practices.

Why mythologist Joseph Campbell loved 'Star Wars'

Joseph Campbell, the literature professor who wrote about the power of mythology, suggested that "Star Wars" was a powerful modern myth that used classic archetypes to communicate a universal message.

Apple’s ‘1984’ ad won big at Cannes Lions

One of Cannes Lions’ most legendary winners, Apple’s “1984” ad was conceived by Chiat/Day and directed by Ridley Scott, fresh off his iconic film “Blade Runner.”

The Dracula character, now seen as the vampire archetype, was inspired by a seafood-induced nightmare its creator experienced.

The trend of onstage mishaps

In the past few years, performers have seen a rise in onstage accidents. While artists are doing their jobs, they face risks of dangerous falls, flying objects, and audience aggression. This article aims to explain why this trend may be occurring and emphasizes the importance of concert-going etiquette and adequate security.

The distributor behind 'Rocky Horror' pulled the film from its scheduled national release, believing it would be a failure, though it eventually amassed a dedicated fanbase through midnight showings, a trend that continues over 50 years later.

The concept of phantom limbs, the perception that amputated limbs are still present, dates back to a French military surgeon in the 16th century.

Dorothy's famous entrance into Oz in 'The Wizard of Oz' relied on analog tricks, including a body double and sepia-toned paint, as much as it did on technology

Hotels in Cannes, the glamorous city on the French Riviera, hire hawks to ward off seagulls during the city's famous film festival.

An investigation suggests a Scottish island became awash in forever chemicals via seafoam and seaspray—raising questions about what that means for the safety of other coastal areas.

Existentialist writer Jean-Paul Sartre coined the famous phrase 'Hell is—other people' in his play 'No Exit'

The Brothers Grimm were lawyers before they were storytellers, but became interested in fairy tales as they began investigating how rules and customs had been passed down through cultures.

Before writing 'Walden,' transcendentalist Henry David Thoreau nearly burned down his hometown with a campfire that grew out of control.

American short story writer Flannery O'Connor raised 40 peacocks, which became potent symbols for her fiction's elegant violence

Stars appear to twinkle because turbulence in the motion of molecules in Earth's atmosphere causes light to bend and wiggle rapidly on its way to the surface—a phenomenon called scintillation.

Clever Hans was a 1900s horse that was believed to be able to solve math equations, tell time, and read and comprehend German, until a psychology student discovered how he got his answers.

Volcanic activity may have triggered the Black Death by spewing gases that led to crop failures in Europe, thus forcing the import of grain ships with plague-infested fleas.

In 1939, baseball star Lou Gehrig delivered his inspirational 'Luckiest Man' speech after retiring due to the health condition that now bears his name.

Comedy legend Catherine O'Hara, star of 'Schitt's Creek' and 'Home Alone,' quit 'Saturday Night Live' after just one week to return to her old job.

For centuries, Niagara Falls has been a magnet for daredevils seeking to conquer one of nature's most powerful wonders, with its 200-foot drop and water rushing at 32 feet per second with 280 tons of force.

See 33 images that became central to huge scandals, including a young Charles and Camilla, Michael Jackson's baby on a hotel balcony, and Hugh Grant's mugshot.

Abraham Lincoln was almost assassinated weeks before his inauguration as he traveled from Illinois to DC through Baltimore in 1861; it took two independent claims for Lincoln to be convinced the threat was real

Cultural norms about how to handle the bodies of loved ones in communities in West Africa have hampered Ebola responses.

After her fellow cult members tried to kill her with an LSD-infused hamburger, one member of the Manson Family, the murderous cult led by Charles Manson, decided to testify against the group's leader.

American dance legend Martha Graham, sometimes called 'the Picasso of dance,' refused to perform at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin and conceived the piece 'Chronicle' in response to the experience.

Doctors differentiate between a phobia and fear by asking patients whether their fear interferes with their day-to-day activities.

NBA superstar Victor Wembanyama spent the 2025 summer training with monks in central China to enhance his body and mind.

In 2019, a laptop loaded with six of the worst malware in history and described as 'an exhibit of historical weaponry' sold for $1.3M.