Ghost light (theatre)

Ghost light (theatre)

A ghost light is a bare light bulb left on over night in a theater after a production is over.

There are several theories as to the origin of the ghost light. One suggests it goes back to the time of William Shakespeare, where a candle would be left burning after a play to ward away the ghosts of past performances. [cite web |url=http://www.siskiyous.edu/theatre/theatersuperstitions/ghostlight.htm |title= Theater Superstitions: Ghost Lights|accessdate=2008-02-09]

More practically, a ghost light performs much the same function for a theatre as a night light does for a bedroom.

One practical reason for the ghost light is to indemnify a theater from any responsibility resulting from injuries sustained by anyone who might break into the space after hours. Should a prowler find himself unwittingly pitching forward into the orchestra pit and subsequently inclined to sue the theater, he may be less likely to receive compensation for his injuries if the ghost light was in fact burning at the time of his accident.Fact|date=July 2008

References


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