'Come What Come May': Obama Uses the Dreaded 'M' Word at Ford's Theatre

CNN, among various other news services, reports that President Obama used that most unthinkable of all "M" words, considered nearly fatal to us theatre folk, yes, we can only mean, well...you know!

While on a visit to Ford's Theater, site of President Lincoln's assassination, the President paid tribute to the 16th president's ability to recall passages of Shakespeare's Hamlet and Macbeth. And so by using that "simple" reference, he, we are sure quite unwittingly, stepped into what is considered to be quite dangerous territory.

The very mention of the name of the doomed Scottish king in a theater outside of an actual performance is considered verboten by many actors, who soundly believe it will result in a cursed production - including a greater possibility of injury, bankruptcy, even, gulp, death.

Macbeth is a tragedy by William Shakespeare about a regicide and its aftermath.

A masterpiece of tragedy, amid the violence and war torn locales and characters, Shakespeare offers frightening and astonishing insights into the passion for political and military power, and the consequences of corrupting power and ambition unchecked by morality or conscience.

It is Shakespeare's shortest tragedy and is believed to have been written some time between 1603 and 1606, with 1607 being the very latest possible date. The earliest account of a performance of what was likely Shakespeare's play is April 1611, when Simon Forman recorded seeing such a play at the Globe Theatre. It was first published in the Folio of 1623, possibly from a prompt book for a specific performance.

Over the centuries, the play has attracted the greatest actors in the roles of Macbeth and Lady Macbeth. Most recently Patrick Stewart gave a Tony nominated performance as the doomed King in last season's acclaimed production which had a limited run at the Lyceum.

The play has been adapted to film, television, opera, novels, comic books, and other media.

Many stage professional believes that the warning only applies to performers or theater hands, and non-actors have nothing to worry about. So the President can most likely rest easy, but may want to think twice if he finds himself in a theatre again giving a speech.

Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States.