a play. If an actor opens the umbrella facing the ground, good luck is restored. "stars and stripes FOrever" In show business, particularly theater and the circus, this hymn is called the "Disaster March." It is a traditional code signaling a life-threatening emergency. This helps the- ater personnel to handle things and organize the audience's exit without panic. One exam- ple of its use was at the Hartford Circus Fire in July 1944. mOnCky WrenCh infallible source of good luck. It is said that all around the theatre world, dark felines are treated with the greatest care and consider- ation. If a cat crosses the stage though, it is thought to be a terrible omen. Whistling The Moncky wrench is an adjustable wrench that is rarely used today. Its use has generally been replaced by the adjustable-end wrench, which has a compact head and so is more easily used in confined places. The wrench is named for Charles Moncky, the inventor of it, who sold his patent for $2,000. evil Curtains Whistling backstage is a taboo because it sup- posedly brings dire results. This superstition quite likely has its roots in the past when man- agers hired sailors to run the fly loft, on the premise that the sailors' expertise with knots and raising and lowering sails made them ideal workers. A signal system of whistles cued the sailors. Someone whistling for personal enjoy- ment could sound like a cue, resulting in a dire event like a heavy batten falling on actors' heads. Therefore, whistling can be bad luck. ghOst light Even the drop curtain contributes its share of stage superstitions, as nearly every actor and manager believes it is bad luck to look out at the audience from the wrong side of it when Many theaters have ghosts, according to resi- dent theater personnel who will tell you they've seen or heard uncanny visitors, and some insist that to ward off bad-luck spirits there must always be a "ghost light" illuminat- ing the stage when it is not in use. It is turned on as the actors and crews leave and burns