Superstitions of "The Scottish Play"

Ages 8 to 12, Grades 3 to 7

Nancy investigates a string of accidents at the theater in the twenty-sixth Nancy Drew Diaries, a fresh approach to a classic series.

When Ned is cast in a stage production of Macbeth, led by the famous but peculiar director Bear Larouche, Nancy volunteers to help with the set. She’s also allowed to sit in on a few rehearsals, where she gets an earful from the director about theater superstitions: never say “Macbeth” out loud—only refer to it as “The Scottish Play”—never wear blue, no peacock feathers onstage, and so on.

The play is off to a promising start until Ned breaks the most important rule and accidentally says “Macbeth” in the theater. And then accidents begin happening during rehearsals. It quickly goes from odd to scary, and the director is ready to cancel the show.

Nancy might not believe in superstition, but she does believe in intuition, and hers is telling her that the cause behind these incidents isn’t a curse, but someone in the cast. It’s up to her to find out who before opening night.

About the Author

Carolyn Keene is the author of the ever-popular Nancy Drew books.