Trivia: Behind the Curtain
September 25th, 2019
What goes on before the lights come up?
- Van Halen made famous a concert rider that required venues to provide a bowl of ____.
- Put the parts of a stage in order, starting from the audience seating: apron, downstage, house, pit, proscenium, upstage.
- Match each contemporary Richmond-area performing arts theater with its description.
| 1. November Theatre | a. Opened in 1914 in Jackson Ward as a vaudeville and movie theater and hosted Billie Holiday, Nat King Cole, Louis Armstrong and other stars. |
| 2. The Hippodrome | b. Opened in 1927 as The Mosque. Once contained a gymnasium, a bowling alley and an underground swimming pool. |
| 3. Altria Theater | c. In 1953, six actors renovated a historic building; became the nation’s first dinner theater and Virginia’s first performing arts theater welcoming integrated audiences. |
| 4. Barksdale Theatre | d. Dinner theater started in 1965 by three local families in a circa 1663 building. |
| 5. Swift Creek Mill Theatre | e. Opened as Empire Theatre in 1911 for theatrical performances. Operated for decades as the Booker T, a vaudeville and movie theater. |
- Which of the following is not a theatrical tradition?
- Say “Break a leg” to mean “good luck.”
- Leave on “ghost light” illuminated when leaving a theater.
- Don’t say “Macbeth.”
- Turn around three times before going on stage
- No whistling backstage.
- Unscramble the name of this 1966 play (and 1990 movie) featuring two minor characters from Shakespeare’s Hamlet, which will be presented by Quill Theatre in the 2019/2020 season.
N A R C N O S E Z R T D A N N E S T N E R D U G L I R E A A D D E
How do you think you did?
For more trivia (like, ya know, the crossword puzzle), grab a copy of our magazine!
Myles Mellor has published 35 puzzle books and more than 13,000 puzzles in hundreds of magazines and newspapers. He also creates personalized puzzles for celebrations such as birthdays and anniversaries. MylesMellor.com
