I don't know if the inscription is legible at this resolution, but it's a traditional backstage pre-show salute that translates to "Into the mouth of the wolf!" The proper response is "May he choke!" or "May he die!" (Or, depending on who you ask, "Cut out his throat.")
I've heard it comes from Italian opera, though I don't know this for sure. Hasty online fact-checking: The Boston Globe, though its Italian spelling is a bit dubious, says the expression is from opera; other sites say it's from Italian theater; one site says it's just what you used to say when you were leaving the tavern late at night. In any case, it's the Italian equivalent of "Break a leg." Probably the best explanation I've seen of the expression--and of why it's suited to performance--is here, on the site of a summer commedia program.
And yes, it's perfect and lovely. I'm lucky.
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