Love this, not the least of which is because it was a teaching moment during what was otherwise something ordinary in the lives of both you and the ushers. I cherish these moments in my own teaching life as well.

The curse factor of The Play That Shall Not Be Named (sorta like Prince changing his name to just being a symbol - lol) makes me think of how dancers say Merde to each other in lieu of Good Luck prior to a performance, as the latter is deemed to be anything but what it says. Is the Merde thing a ritual for actors as well?