▁ad here ▁to ▁a ▁specifically ▁green ▁color ▁scheme , ▁though ▁the ▁the atr ical ▁tradition ▁of ▁the ▁name ▁remains . ▁ ▁Possible ▁sources ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁ ▁The ▁definit ive ▁origin ▁of ▁the ▁term ▁is ▁lost ▁to ▁history , ▁which ▁has ▁led ▁to ▁many ▁theories ▁and ▁claims . ▁▁ ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁oldest ▁stories ▁is ▁that ▁London ' s ▁Black fri ars ▁Theatre ▁( 1 5 9 9 ) ▁included ▁a ▁room ▁behind ▁the ▁scenes , ▁which ▁happened ▁to ▁be ▁painted ▁green ; ▁where ▁the ▁actors ▁waited ▁to ▁go ▁on ▁stage . ▁It ▁was ▁called ▁" the ▁green ▁room ". ▁Some ▁English ▁the at res ▁contained ▁several ▁green ▁rooms , ▁each ▁ranked ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁status , ▁fame ▁and ▁sal ary ▁of ▁the ▁actor : ▁one ▁could ▁be ▁f ined ▁for ▁using ▁a ▁green ▁room ▁above ▁one ' s ▁station . ▁ ▁Richard ▁Southern , ▁in ▁his ▁studies ▁of ▁Med ieval ▁theatre ▁in ▁the ▁round , ▁states ▁that ▁in ▁this ▁period ▁the ▁acting ▁area ▁was ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁the ▁green . ▁This ▁central ▁space , ▁often ▁grass - cover ed , ▁was ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁actors , ▁while ▁the ▁surrounding ▁space ▁and ▁circular ▁banks ▁were ▁occupied ▁by ▁the ▁spect ators . ▁From ▁this ▁source ▁then ▁The ▁Green ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁traditional ▁actors ' ▁term ▁for ▁the ▁stage . ▁Even ▁in ▁pro sc enium ▁arch ▁the at res ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁tradition ▁that ▁a ▁green ▁stage ▁cloth ▁should ▁be ▁used ▁for ▁a ▁tra ged y . ▁The ▁green ▁room ▁could ▁thus ▁be ▁considered ▁the