Expression of the Day: "An actress wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire"

"An actress wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire"--said by an elderly New York actress, circa 1991. A reference to the cutthroat competitiveness in the New York theater world.

Term of the Day: "Having the time of my life"

"Having the time of my life"--sarcastic response when asked how you are doing. see: "Living the dream."

Term of the Day: great lady of the theater

great lady of the theater--usually affectionate term, applied to older character actresses who have been around for a while or older dressers or wardrobe supervisors. Can be sarcastic.

Term of the Day: to give a wide berth

to give a wide berth--to physically avoid someone, to give someone space. "Because of his explosive personality, I gave that stagehand a wide berth in the theater."

Term of the Day: "When's the strike?"

"When's the strike?" When the comedian Jerry Lewis was in the revival of "Damned Yankees" in the mid-1990s, every time he would pass a knot of stagehands speaking in hushed voices, he would say in a stage whisper, "When's the strike, boys?"

Term of the Day: buried alive

buried alive--when you work at the long-running show like "Phantom" or "Wicked," people think you have retired.

Term of the Night: bringing him/her along

bringing him/her along--to mentor or help a young stagehand, to bring him or her up to speed