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St. Paul, Minn.

Silly superstitions

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an actor playing Macbeth
Patrick Tshanini, who plays Macbeth, creeps back into Shakespeare's Globe Theatre after posing for a photocall in London, April 2001. Because of superstition, people in the theater refer to Shakespeare's "Macbeth" as "the Scottish play."
ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images

While he was watching the parade of ghosts and goblins come to his door on Tuesday night, commentator Dominic Papatola was reminded that the arts world is awash with spooks and mysterious superstitions.

Why is it bad luck to whistle back stage? Do some works of art have a curse attached to them? And what the heck's a ghostlight, anyway?

Cathy Wurzer talked with Morning Edition's arts commentator about the supernatural side of the arts.

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an actor playing Macbeth
Patrick Tshanini, who plays Macbeth, creeps back into Shakespeare's Globe Theatre after posing for a photocall in London, April 2001. Because of superstition, people in the theater refer to Shakespeare's "Macbeth" as "the Scottish play."
ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP/Getty Images