May 2011
Shan Lollis "Break A Leg"
Theater Impressions
Shan Lollis, acrylic paintings
Local favorite, Shan Lollis, returns as a featured artist for May. Shan is known for her colorful, fun and whimsical style. Shan’s new collection of acrylic paintings and drawings represent a few of the age old traditions of classic theater that commenced in the early 13th century and still exist today.
Join us for an Artist Reception during the First Friday Art Walk, on May 6th, from 5:00 to 8:00 PM. Father and son duo, Jeff and Julian Jones, will entertain us on the fiddle and guitar. Wine and light refreshments will be served.
No one can live in or near Ashland, Oregon, without being aware of its theaters and their importance to the history and economy of the area. Because “Theater” is an ancient human activity, with its actors, musicians and acrobats performing indoors and out, many traditions and superstitions have developed over time...some for practical reasons, some to bring good luck and some to avoid bad luck. Whistling for example near or on stage is considered bad luck. Years ago, sailing men who were ashore were often hired to handle stage rigging. Aboard ship, certain whistles were a means of executing commands from ship's officers to raise or lower spars. On stage, an errant whistle could be confused by a stage hand causing potentially dangerous results to the actors below. The “ghost light” is a lamp left on stage when the rest of the theater lights are dark. Originally the light was to keep a stage apron lit...so that performers or stage hands would not fall into the orchestra pit. A contradicting superstition is that the ghost light would keep ghosts away. The Palace Theater in London regularly keeps two reserved seats in the balcony for “theater ghosts.” Around the sixteenth century the term “break a leg” meant to take a bow after a well received performance. Appreciative audiences would toss coins to the actors, and they would have to bend their knees (break a leg) to pick up the coins.