Macbeth

There is no other superstition as well known in the theatre world as that of the "curse of Macbeth." It is thought to be extremely bad luck to say the name "Macbeth" anywhere near a theatre. Actors and theatre personnel instead, refer to Shakespeare's play as "the Scottish play." This superstition goes back to the 1600's. Many felt that the witches incantations Shakespeare wrote, were in fact real and that was what led to many coincidental catastrophes. The play has some major sword fights and battles that could give it more opportunitites for accidents than other plays as well. (Hugget)

According to Proffessor of Theater, Louis Catron, there is another theory for this play's "cursed" reputation. "Supposedly in the past, when theatres were in grave financial difficulties, they'd desperately select this (no, we're not mentioning its title!) play to draw audiences, and therefore this play became known as a curse of failing theatres. "