The backstage area where celeb presenters chill during rehearsals and mingle just before going on stage during the broadcast is known as the green room, a term of unknown origin. Some believe the color might have been a response to limelight – early stage lighting; green is also thought to be a calming and soothing color. The most widely accepted use of the term "green room" dates back to Shakespeare theater. Actors would prepare for their performance in a room filled with plants and shrubs. It was believed that the moisture in the topiary was beneficial to the Actor's voices.
For this year's Academy Awards, the interior designer team Matthew White and Frank Webb of White Webb created a luxurious oasis painted a rich chocolate (Pantone 19-0912). "The Oscars are a time of great anticipation, nervousness and excitement for the actors," explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the PANTONE Color Institute. "The color brown is a rich earth color that keeps people grounded and connecte. At the same time, PANTONE 19-0917 Chocolate Brown is rich and elegant, which makes it a perfect color to set the tone for the Hollywood glamour of the Academy Awards.”
- Lesley Scott