While I have heard of most of the superstitions mentioned and of course many others I am afriad I have never heard the term chookas used back stage anywhere. Are you sure it's not a West Australian Thing. Or is it Australian I'm used to English practices. I never use "Break a Leg" I feel silly saying it but can't bring myself to wish good luck so invariably say "Have Fun"

Is that all there is? Well if that's all there is my friend, then let's keep dancing.
www.tonymoore.id.au

The story I have heard from Joe McCabe is that in england in the olden days, the actors measured their performances on the number of people in the pit. If there was a big paying audience then it meant they would be having chicken for dinner and not bread. So Chookas became an expression for good luck.
I am not promising this is completely accurate, but for further information contact Joe McCabe or else Graham Cole from Pinajarra who was writing a book on many of the regular theatre sayings and their meanings.
Hope this has been some help.

Cheers
Christine Ellis

Thanks Christine. I was just curious because our director has adopted it lately with our show. (she didn't for the last one. . .she found it out recently from a friend).

I guess it could be a WA thing? lol. We're a little cooky over here Logos.

~ Tari

The Writer is a child forever listening at the keyhole of the adult world.

Ive heard it all over the place here, but also while i was studying acting in melbourne. i personaly dont really like it.. it always sounds a bit goofy to me, and i never say it... i like the good ole 'good luck' - im not one for superstitions...

I think its definately an australian thing though... but hey.. maybe not??

Thanks for correcting me Joe.
It was a very good explanation.
To clarify for people it is "Toi, Toi, Chookas".
Not Tio (spelling).

Cheers
Christine Ellis

Personally I prefer 'break a leg'

Your correct Christine!
I got it back to front back to front as usual. there again they reckon
the mind goes first, except with me, all the other bits went a while
ago -  so it can’t be that long to go now then?
As with break a leg, which was apparently derived because of a similar
situation, which supposedly came about around the same time. That being
a performer had to break the visual plane of the leg drops, before they
got paid! - along with various other explanations of course.
 Chookas is our own wee corner of tradition in theatre!
  If only I could remember that flamin poem?

I was vaguely aware that Chookas came from "will we have chook or not" but regardless, I always found a little less confronting than either "Break A Leg" or "Good Luck" and such derivatives.

Someone mentioned that it sounded a little goofy. Well for me, that was the big attraction. It was a little odd and unusual, and I must admit I am often drawn to that. It has sort of infiltrated my vocab somewhat as I now say "Chookas" instead of "Cheers" when toasting.

And hey, if you want bizaar words, go see Wah-wah by Richard E. Grant where you will hear

Wah-Wah (noun) = incomprehensible manner of speaking by affected British ex-pats, a silly babyish way of talking

Toodle Pip (noun) =  good bye, used when making exit

Hoity-Toity (adj) = aloof manner of a person who is a terrible snob

Hubbly-Jubbly (adj) =  very nice, lovely

La-Di-Da (adj) =   silly, pointless

Jolly Good Show (noun) =  well done, excellent

Old Bean (noun) = friend (male or masculine woman who might play golf or smoke a pipe)

Scrubbed-Up (adj) = someone who looks presentable when they are clean, which they generally are not

Chop-chop (adj) = get a move on, hurry up, generally said to females

Smarty-pants (noun) = know it all, not someone you would want to be sat next to at dinner

Bit of a to-do (noun) = fight or social gathering that goes wrong when you accidentally mix people who don't like each other (or have run off with other peoples partners who might be there and still feel rather miffed about it)

You-know-who (noun) = someone that everyone knows but cant be mentioned by name, who might be important or have run off with someone important (or their husband or wife)

Brou-ha-ha (noun) = a lot of fuss by people who are a bit loud, possibly people who are a bit common - see "people who go caravanning"

Hush-hush (adj) = something that should not be talked about - but is, like a secret that everyone knows

Ding-dong (adj) = marvellous, very good, top hole

Diddly-doozup (noun) =  something like an event  that you cant describe any other way or have forgotten the word for, for example: if you are suffering from "a touch of sunstroke"

Hooty-snooty (adj) = the manner of someone pretentious who speaks wah-wah

Tra-la-la (noun) = something to say when you have forgotten what to say (see "touch of sunstroke")

Dimbo (noun) = someone who isn't very clever but might be well bred

Panisfied Ponce (noun) = a boy who is a bit girly and plays with dolls

Dolly Boy (noun) = see above

Coven of bitches (noun) = a posh ladies organisation or social group, an ideal place to have a good natter, term generally used by ladies who are not invited to join

Not quite Cheltenham (adj) = somewhere that isn't Cheltenham and certainly doesn't have a nice girls school

Touch of sunstroke (term) = feeling dizzy and staggering around or trying to kiss other people you aren't married to, caused by drinking too much whiskey

People who go caravanning (term) = poor people who cant afford hotels and who might be a little common

The old "you know what" (term) = drink or alcohol or a nice stiff cocktail

Like National Geographic (term) = somewhere you can see lots of ladies boobs but not feel ashamed of having a good look

http://www.wahwahmovie.co.uk/ - Source

Absit invidia

Jeff Watkins
Perth based Actor/Performer
who can also sing ... and occasionaly dance
Fight/Sword Choreographer
Virgin Director

http://au.geocities.com/labrug

Some interesting terms we have there. . . some a little foreign to me but I do like Chookas. It is definately less confronting - especially when you're nervous.

~ Tari

The Writer is a child forever listening at the keyhole of the adult world.

It almost sounds like it could be a corruption of Chokkers. ie full to bursting.
Aren't we all strange.
Never use cut flowers on stage in a theatre I was told that flowers broken from their stems were all right and do not take home your bouquets from opening night. If you do you will close early.

Is that all there is? Well if that's all there is my friend, then let's keep dancing.
www.tonymoore.id.au

ohhhh the mysterious myths and superstitions of theatre. . . . *spooky noises*

~ Tari

The Writer is a child forever listening at the keyhole of the adult world.

It feels a little silly to me in an industry where there is the possiblity for so much to go wrong with human error and technical faults to have such a large range of superstition. Perhaps thats just me... I think we are running on enough 'luck' good techies and talent... that we shouldnt need to bother our selves with worrying about 'old wives tales..' but then everyone likes a good superstition... gives you something to hold on to... (or to blame...)

** It takes a lot of work to be an overnight success **

The 'Scottish play'

The Prompt Copy
Networking emerging theatre professionals
www.thepromptcopy.com

Sticky Apple Legs
http://stickyapplelegs.artsblogs.com

Puppets in Melbourne
www.freewebs.com/puppetsinmelbourne

I directed it once. Suffice it to say I now have a healthy respect for that particular superstition.

Is that all there is? Well if that's all there is my friend, then let's keep dancing.
www.tonymoore.id.au

I know of a play by Ira Levin that seems to be rapidly gathering a similar reputation...

I don't know who put the theory forward... probably Terry Pratchett... that the reason we a re all so superstitious is that there are so many things that can go wrong that are totally out of our control that the last thing we need is bad luck as well...
Which made a lot of sense to me

I don't think either of them are Yiddish... my grandparents and mum speak it, and I've never heard the phrase (chookas) outside of theatre. In fact, I taught my mum the phrase.

The Prompt Copy
Networking emerging theatre professionals
www.thepromptcopy.com

Sticky Apple Legs
Emerging puppetry company
www.freewebs.com/stickyapplelegs

Puppets in Melbourne
www.freewebs.com/puppetsinmelbourne

I did a Google and there seems to be some connection with toi toi toi and Indian Polo playing. The word chukka is used in polo.
Completely off the planet?

Is that all there is? Well if that's all there is my friend, then let's keep dancing.
www.tonymoore.id.au

I have just done a google search myself and found, on www.waopera.asn.au a nifty guide to opera including the glossary of terms "toi, toi, toi'. 

It says: Isn't only used in the English speaking countries and it's actually originated in the sound of spitting! Background: Back in the days people believed for superstitious reasons that spitting was supposed to ban bad luck, so it was a common thing to say "toi toi toi" (which was supposed to imitate the sound of spitting 3 times) while knocking on wood to wish good luck to someone.

Doesn't explain Chookas.  Same search revealed that the Toi Toi Waterfall is in New Zealand.

Rapunzel

"Papa, where is Mama? They tell me she has gone away, where is she?"

I was interested in that term, too. The spelling doesn't look right, so I did a net search using mutliple search engines and dictionary searches (remember those!) of both "chookas" and "chookers". I even tried "chukkers". Both "chookas" and "chookers" appear to be used by theatre people for the same expression. I also looked up an old Australian slang dictionary (1943) that I have in my own bookshelves. The term appears nowhere I have been able to discover in an authoritative website or publication (I'm not referring to usage here: it's definitely used backstage!). There is a Wikipedia entry, but its derivation and meaning is not there: it is merely an acknowledgement of the use of the term. It is not in my copy of the Macquarie Dictionary, nor in the online "Macquarie Dictionary of Australian Slang".

I have requested the Macquarie Dictionary people to follow it up.

Cheers,

Jim