Props Coordinator Handbook
Production Timeline
Pre-Rehearsal Process
Get Initial Props List from Director/SM, Create from Script
Confirm List and ask specifics questions {size, number, color, type,...} with Director (by or at the 1st production Meeting)
The props master will work with the scenic & costume designer, director, and stage manager to develop a full list of all props for the production. This will include all hand props, set props, furniture (both functional and dressing), consumable props (food, cigarettes, etc.) and set dressing (including curtains, pictures, lighting fixtures, plants, etc.). It is the props masters responsibility to compile, organize, publish and distribute the completed list. In this 1st production meeting the responsibility of set dressing and costume props will be divied out and decided. Once decided it is then that department’s responsibility to create, aquire, fix, and strike. Once completed that information should be relayed to the props masters to make sure it gets checked off the list.
The props master will meet with the scenic & costume designers/managers to go through all items on the props list to determine what each item will be and determine what further drawings and research the designer must provide and due dates for these items.
Evaluate inventory (Find/Buy/Make) - Create itemized/categorized props list (due 1 week after 1st prod meet)
Research List Items (due 1 week after 1st prod meet)
Rehearsal/Build Process
During the period of time in which the props are built, the props master will:
Keep in communication with stage managers about ongoing rehearsal needs and continuing changes to the props list, through Stage Manager’s rehearsal reports.
Manage Time during work hours as needed for research, building, refurbishing, shopping, painting, etc. for the props for the production.
Acquire/ build/paint and make functional all props on the props list.
Go to production meetings and be prepared to discuss progress.
Pull all that can be pulled from UP Props Inventory (due {at the end of} 2 weeks after 1st prod meet)
Decide what needs to be made
Draw up a plan for each prop w/ itemized supply list for creation (due 2 weeks after 1st prod meet)
Create a shopping list with all supplies and props in mind (due 2 weeks after 1st prod meet)
Send images and shopping list to the director and receive confirmation and approval. Ensure there is nothing else at this moment and that all things on the list seem correct. (due 2 weeks after 1st prod meet)
Shop/order (finish ordering 3 weeks after 1st prod meet)
Technical/Dress/Preview Rehearsal Process
A rehearsal prop pulled for everything on the list (due by the first spacing/prop rehearsal)
The Properties Director should be at the first rehearsal on stage where the props are used as many notes are often generated during the course of working through the play on stage using the real props.
When there is time, this is often done in what is called a “spacing” rehearsal without lights or sound but on the completed stage setting. The “spacing” rehearsal allows the director to make adjustments in the blocking and staging and gives the actors an opportunity to experience the stage space in full light to understand how to move in the space both on stage and off. All furniture should be in place. Prop tables should be set up off stage and hand props available for use during this rehearsal. The stage is usually dressed with at least the minimal dressing that might impact the actor’s entrances, exits, movement on the stage, or action.
At the end of the day’s rehearsal the props master should go to the post-rehearsal production meeting and receive notes from the director and designer and then develop a priority list for the completion of the props.
Finish Creating all props that are being made (due week before tech week)
Reconfirm w/ director, attend at least one rehearsal to ensure props are working (due week before tech week)
At the end of the day’s rehearsal the props master should go to the post-rehearsal production meeting and receive notes from the director and designer and then develop a priority list for the completion of the props.
Props Designers should go to at least 2 rehearsals of the show. One during the “spacing rehearsal” early on, once blocking is done, first run? & also the week before tech week to confirm the working order of the props.
Run of Production Process
During the run of the show, the props master is:
In charge of maintaining all props. (Ice/Perishable/Food Props: ensuring there is enough for all performances - Stage Manager is in charge of storage)
Strike Process
For the strike of a production, the props master is:
In charge of directing the props crew during strike call.
Is responsible for removing all props from the Main Stage / Black Box and storing, dismantling, cleaning and returning all props for the production.
Deadlines (All Props Strike for each production should be finished and completely put away by the one week mark after a show has closed. There should be no remaining props left from a previous show once a new one moves into the space.)
“Strike”: Put it back the way that you found it as though someone else was going to use it after you
If it needs to be washed (dishware/fabric) wash it first, so that you would want to eat off of it or wear it.
If it needs to be sanitized before someone else uses it (pitch-pipe/glasses). Anything that has touched someone’s face.
Food props: need to be disposed of and anything containing said food has to be fully cleaned before being put away. Empty liquids out of bottles and make sure they are dry before putting back on the shelf.
Stage Manager is responsible for disposing of and properly storing any perishable food props during the run of the show, after each night. If something needs to be refrigerated it is the SM’s responsibility to make sure it gets put away every night.
Prop Masters will and should supply the correct amount of edible food for each and every performance. If the food goes bad between performances it is their responsibility to acquire more. If the food goes bad due to negligence of the stage manager, they should be held accountable.
All bags, purses, and backpacks need to be emptied and their contents put away properly in their respective places.
All props must be removed from the Black Box after the termination of each show as part of Strike.
Set Dressing (Scenic)
Deadlines
Who’s responsibility is it to acquire and strike (decided at the 1st production meeting)
Communication with the prop masters upon acquiring the props from the cage or prop inventory. Sign out process ( indicate: who signed it out, description of the item, what show/what for, how long the item will be gone, when it is actually signed in)
Please consult with props masters before adding anything to the Props cage inventory, we don’t want a bunch of junk to pile up and then become our responsibilty to clean and organize especially when we did not aquire it.
What constitutes set dressing vs props
All set dressing must be removed from the Black Box and Main Stage after the termination of each show as part of Strike by the respective creator/department responsible for it.
Props that the Actors wear (Costumes)
Deadlines
Who’s responsibility is it to acquire and strike (decided at the 1st production meeting)
Communication with the prop masters upon acquiring the props from the cage or prop inventory. Sign out process (indicate: who signed it out, description of the item, what show/what for, how long the item will be gone, when it is actually signed in)
Please consult with props masters before adding anything to the Props cage inventory, we don’t want a bunch of junk to pile up and then become our responsibilty to clean and organize especially when we did not aquire it.
What constitutes costumes vs props
All props used in or as parts of costumes must be removed from the Black Box and Main Stage after the termination of each show as part of Strike by the respective creator/department responsible for it.
Expectations with other Designers and Directors (for collaboration), Performers (for use)
Should other designers need items from the props closet/inventory
Who gets access
What is the process
Communication
How long do performers need to be able to practice with their prop (when will the spacing rehearsal be? - props team needs at least 3 weeks after the 1st production meeting)
What are directors expectations for “rehearsal props”
Expectations for props designers to be at rehearsals (Spacing Rehearsal early on & Week Before Tech Week - at least two times attending)
Performer / SM / ASM obligations and expectations -> make sure props get put back where they are supposed to be, every single night
The Stage manager will organize the backstage props spaces and tables.
The Stage manager will organize a tracking list of props movements and needs for the running of the production.
Ensure that any notes from the director are effectively and clearly communicated to the prop designers. Assume that other people besides you have to understand what it means, and they may not be able to meet with you in person to clarify.
Include a detailed description of the item
Include an accurate description of the amount alterations
Include an accurate description of size alterations
Include a detailed description of any safety concerns with the item
Include where, in the script or the moment in the show, the item occurs or the instance in which it is used. It gives those who aren’t in rehearsal context for the problem.
If there is a note that may pertain to several departments (props and costumes, or props and set) include it in both sections of the rehearsal report, so both designers receive the note.
General Health and Safety
- safety of performers and technicians
Chemicals/Substances
Glues
Hot
E6000
Paint / Spray-Paint
Cleaners
Polish (metal)
Soap - allergies
Disinfectants
Dry Ice
All technicians and actors handling dry ice will need to be instructed on how to do so and given these instructions and training prior to the run of the show. New dry Ice Blocks will have to be purchased and brought for every / every other run of the show.
TO USE DRY ICE for the show: (you’ll want to do this process as close to the time it’s used as possible)
fill the cauldron with water - half to 3/4 full
Put on leather gloves and long sleeves (same as a hot frying pan - do not touch the ice directly)
Open and close the cooler as little as possible to slow down the sublimation/melting process
Break the dry ice into small pieces first
Put the pieces into the cauldron full of water, put the lid on, but make sure you don’t make it airtight, so the cauldron doesn’t explode
Don't dispose of the excess (at the end of the night) into any drains, leave it sitting out in a well-ventilated area at room temperature to dispose of it - needs to be left alone to evaporate.
Weapons
Need to be added to a fight call
Tools
Gear
Gloves (leather for Dry Ice)
Mask / Ventilator
Budget
Should be divided up at the beginning of the semester and monitored throughout
Depending on the total $ amount available, the budget should be distributed evenly among all shows in the season (Fall and Spring) from the start and then shifted as the year progresses.
This should be a shared document between Prop Masters and Supervisor and should be updated every time a new purchase is made on behalf of a show. This layout can be whatever works for the current Prop Masters.
The budget should include the show, item, amount spent, purchaser, and vendor. Including all of this information helps to maintain accurate documentation of prop spending as well as assist future prop masters in locating vendors to purchase similar items.
Example 1st Draft of Budget:
Show
Amount
Notes
Inventing van Gogh
$250.00
Props Lead: Jesi
The Penelopiad
$250.00
Props Lead: Mikelle
5 Lesbians Eating Quiche
$250.00
Props Lead: Mikelle
Wolves Eat Elk
$250.00
Props Lead: Jesi
Dragon
$250.00
Props Lead: Mikelle
As You Like It
$250.00
Props Lead: Jesi
General Supplies
$250.00
Organizational, Cleaning, Building,...
Total
$2,000.00
Example of Budget at End of Season
Show/Item
Amount
Notes
Vendor
Inventing van Gogh
$250.00
Props Lead: Jesi
Cigarette Case
$24.99
Purchaser: Sue Bonde
Amazon
Gachet's Briefcase
$74.99
Purchaser: Sue Bonde
Amazon
Beakers
$15.99
Purchaser: Sue Bonde
Amazon
Brown Canvas Paper
$7.75
Purchaser: Sue Bonde
I've Been Framed
Wooden Pallet
$3.99
Purchaser: Sue Bonde
I've Been Framed
Oil Paints
$50.46
Purchaser: Sue Bonde
I've Been Framed
Nest
$8.88
Purchaser: Sue Bonde
Joann
Sunflowers
Purchaser: Larry Larsen
Fred Meyer
Apples
$11.98
Purchaser: Sue Bonde
Fred Meyer
Juice
$3.78
Purchaser: Sue Bonde
Fred Meyer
E cigs w/ Cartridges
$32.90
Purchaser: Sue Bonde
Crown7
Total Spent
$235.71
The Penelopiad
$250.00
Props Lead: Mikelle
Jump Ropes
$92.40
Purchaser: Mikelle Kelly
Total Spent
$92.40
5 Lesbians Eating Quiche
$250.00
Props Lead: Mikelle
Photos (Egg and Jenna) Printed
Purchaser: Andrew Golla
Mailing Center
Quiche Materials
Purchaser:
Egg Labels for Audience
$13.52
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Online Labels
Supplies for Fake Guts
Purchaser:
Total Spent
$13.52
Wolves Eat Elk
$250.00
Props Lead: Jesi
Dulcimer
$65.00
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Offer Up
Magazine
$13.99
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Fred Meyers
8 packages of M&M's
$8.00
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Fred Meyers
Baby Spinach
$4.49
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Fred Meyers
Tissues
$2.50
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Fred Meyers
Raspberries
$9.98
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Fred Meyers
Quaker Granola Bars
$2.29
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Fred Meyers
Quinoa
$2.00
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Fred Meyers
Replacement Tissues
Purchaser: Sue Bonde
Replacement Spinach
Purchaser: Mikelle Kelly
Replacement Raspberries
Purchaser: Mikelle Kelly
Total Spent
$108.25
Dragon
$250.00
Props Lead: Mikelle
Small Glass Bottle w/ Cork
$2.50
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Paxton Gate
Glass Vials
Purchaser: Mikelle Kelly
Paxton Gate
Raison Saffron Rolls
$10.98
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Fred Meyer
Magic Whistle #1
$1.06
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Brand Spanking Used
Splattable Eggs
$19.78
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Amazon
Magic Whistle #2
$31.51
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Fire Mountain Gems & Beads
Silver Sword Holder
$12.95
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Amazon
Edible Flowers
$34.81
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Amazon
Silver Polish Supplies
$4.78
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Grocery Outlet
Coconut
$3.99
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Fred Meyer
Ribbon for Garland
$15.98
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Joann
Dry Ice
$2.50
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Fred Meyer
Feathers for Phoenix
Purchaser: Sue Bonde
Total Spent
$140.84
As You Like It
$250.00
Props Lead: Jesi
Total Spent
$0.00
General Supplies
$250.00
Organization, Clean, Build
Clear Storage Box
$31.44
Purchaser: Sue Bonde
Amazon
Clear Storage Box
$94.32
Purchaser: Sue Bonde
Amazon
E600 Glue
$4.99
Purchaser: Sue Bonde
Joann
Blue Tape
$6.58
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Home Depot
Cooler
$17.99
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Fred Meyer
Leather Gloves
$5.99
Purchaser: Jesi Robison
Fred Meyer
Total Spent
$161.31
Total Available
$2,000.00
Total Spent Overall
$752.03
Total $ Left in Budget
$1,247.97
Definition of Props Lead
The one to attend all production meetings
The one to attend any required rehearsals (Only the props lead is required to attend, the other props master may do so, if they choose.)
Is in charge of staying in communication with the director and production team
All stage manager rehearsal reports should be going to all props masters
If the props master is already working on the show in some other capacity (designer, actor, SM, technician, director - they should be the props lead for that show)
This is of course dependant on availability for production meetings as well
P-Card Instruction
Training on use
Training on Expense Reporting and Reconciliation
Communication between prop masters on expenses and constant referral to the budget
APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Expectations
Read the script and create a prop list.
Get preliminary prop list from the director/stage management team. Compare with your own. Combine into a master list.
Attend all production meetings. Make sure the stage manager has all of your current contact information. Check rehearsal reports and email daily. Respond promptly to questions and requests.
Consult the departmental production calendar and note your due dates.
Props should be stored and locked in the props cabinet at all times.
Always sign out any props taken from prop storage on the inventory log.
indicate: who signed it out, description of the item, what show/what for, When is it being signed out, how long the item will be gone (if for a production by a week after the show is closed), when it is actually signed in and put back. If not returned by the proposed due date, prop masters should contact the individual who checked it out and ensure it gets properly returned and put back.
This process is helpful in the pulling of items done by the props department as well, so prop masters should also follow this inventory check out system, so that props can be accurately tracked and easily located when needed.
Example Inventory Log:
Name: Who is signing item out
Description of Item
What show / Why
Date signed out
Proposed due date
Signed in date
Jesi Robison
Accordion
Cabaret
01/28/20
04/01/20
Mikelle Kelly
Pitch Pipe
5 Lesbians
10/01/19
11/20/19
12/01/19
Sue Bonde
Leopard Print Fabric for Odysseus Bed
Penelopiad
09/01/19
10/31/19
10/31/19
As part of the first production meeting, which should be scheduled early in the process with the director, stage management team, scenic & costume designer all props needs should be discussed. During this meeting you should ask questions about size, color, special qualities or characteristics, and how it will be used and/or abused. Also be sure to find out which items are consumed or destroyed nightly (edible/real/perishable).
Discuss furniture and set dressing needs with the scenic designer. Get a list of set dressing props. Depending on your skills you may also be responsible for upholstery, picture framing, and the like.
Look through prop storage to see what we have in stock. Pull these and inform the stage manager and/or director of additions to the props table.
Determine what needs to be built or found. Confirm with the technical director and costume shop manager to determine what the shop will build and what is your responsibility to build. Also determine and list what should be purchased, rented, or borrowed.
Prepare shopping lists and call before you go to make sure they have what you need. Keep a list of places you have called and/or looked. Organize your list to make the most efficient use of time.
Update the prop list by reading the daily rehearsal reports. At least once every two weeks you should publish your new list and verify it with the stage management team. Make sure your designer, mentor, and technical director have updated copies of the list and are aware of the revisions and additions that have been made and of the props that are still in progress. Keep in constant contact with the Director and Stage Manager to make sure no props have been cut, so that time and money are not wasted on items that are no longer needed. Attend at least one rehearsal at the beginning of the process (spacing rehearsal) to see how props are used and that they are still on the list, and at least one rehearsal the week before tech week to make sure that the actors have everything they will be using during the show and that there are no problems going into tech week. Question the stage manager and/or director about any props you have provided that you don’t see used to make sure they are still needed, if not, edit the props list and remove from the props table and return to inventory.
Example In-Progress Props List:
SHOW
Cabaret
DIRECTOR
Jesi
STAGE MANAGER
Mikelle
PROPS LEAD
Jesi
PROPS:
CATEGORY
DONE?
PROP:
QUESTIONS / NOTES / WHO
Make
Find
Pulled
Suitcase #1
Ernst
Find in Stock
Find
Pulled
Suitcase #2
Cliff --> do we need things inside?
Other Designer
Find
pulled
Suitcase #3
Sally --> need clothes for Sally to pack
Need to Buy
Find
pulled
Typewriter
Cliff
Need Rehearsal Prop
Find
pulled
Briefcase #1
Ernst
Questions
Find
Cigarette Case and Cigarettes
Find
pulled
Lighters
Make
Done
Passport #1
Ernst
Make
Done
Passport #2
Cliff
Find
pulled
Telephone #1
To go on table
Make
A business Card
Ernst - to be written on - need several (5?)
Find
Done
A pen
fountain? for ernst
Find / Buy
pulled
Cocaine - in a bottle
We have flour - we need to get a bottle
Find / Buy / Make
pulled
Bottle of Gin - used later too
Bottle + Liquid - stored in desk?
Find
pulled
Two Glasses for Gin
Sally and Cliff - can there be a place to store these and other things inside cliffs writing table? - used more than once
Find
pulled
Small Vase
to go on writing desk
Costume Designer
Done
Watch
wrist or pocket? What is period?
Buy
Container of Eggs
small (like 6 or a half a carton) - real
Find
pulled
Clear Glass or Reg. Mug
for prairie oyster
Buy
Bought
Bottle of Worchestershire
Make/Find
Done
Mein Kampf
Build and procure props. Do not hesitate to ask for help from your mentor, the scenic designer, the technical director, costume designer or manager. Have replacement props for all breakables, perishable and paper items.
Create a finalized props list and send to stage manager for cross referencing, so they can create a pre and post-show check-in sheet for all props and post it on the props cabinet. Make sure it is updated during tech week if needed. Discuss with the stage manager how to report/repair/replace breakable and consumable items. Arrange refrigerator storage space with the technical director if needed (Under the stage - stage manager’s responsibility). Create a detailed list of where consumables and breakables were purchased and give a copy to stage management. Be sure to notify your mentor and the technical director immediately if anything that is borrowed or of high value is damaged or missing.
By opening night, everything must work together and the technical rehearsal process is the time to work together to sort out what has to get done, by whom, on what priority, and how. It is the best of times where all of the areas of production mix together and create the world where the actors perform.
Attend strike to coordinate the removal of props and set dressings. Inventory to make sure nothing is missing. Separate into disposable, stock, and borrowed/rented items.
After strike return all borrowed or rented props first. Have all loan forms signed and dated when returning items. Deliver signed forms to the technical director and discuss storage or stock
Costumes are often added later in the technical rehearsal process bringing additional difficulties unforeseen until the layers of wigs, make-up and clothing go on the actors. Adjustments to hand props are common to accommodate a pocket that is too small or to allow a movement that the costume requires. So even when a prop has worked previously, until all elements of the production process have been added, it’s best to keep an open eye to the props and a generosity of spirit as to what might get added, changed, or cut.
There is generally a mini production meeting following each tech rehearsal attended by the director, production management, stage management, department heads, and all designers. The purpose of this meeting is to communicate the notes, collaborate with other departments, confirm the following day’s schedule and space usage, and prioritize notes to be taken care of the next morning. Problem solving in the group with all of the production and design team available allows for the greatest collaboration to find solutions to any challenges that might have occurred during the rehearsal. This process will continue at least through the first preview and in some cases all the way through opening. Stage management may publish production notes from these meetings and distribute them via e-mail to be sure everyone is aware of changes, adds, priorities and scheduling requests.
Tech notes are accomplished by the prop crew prior to the next rehearsal when at all possible. Letting stage management know when a prop has been removed from the storage cabinets in order for it to be worked on or altered is important. Many companies use a check-in/ checkout system allowing for that communication to occur via some method of notation on the door of the cabinet where the prop was stored. Allowing for “dry” time in painting and toning should be planned for and an alternate “rehearsal” prop provided when the actual prop cannot be repaired, painted, altered, or fixed in time for it to be returned for the next technical rehearsal. Any new props added must be “checked-in” to the run crew via stage management and appropriate notation on prop lists, storage cabinets, run tables, and tracking sheets completed.
What is a Prop
Props live in the world of the visual design created by the scenic designer used to establish the stage setting for the play. They are the details fleshing out the architecture to define the characters in the play, set the time period, complete the action needed within the structure of the play, and complete the “bridge” between the characters on stage and the reality of life objects.
A good analogy to define “what is a prop?” has been likened to the real life situation of when a person moves from one home to another. A moving van pulls up and all the contents of the home are loaded in the van and it drives off to be unloaded into the new house. The house is the scenery. The scenery includes the actual walls, floors, ceilings, doors- the architecture of the house. This does not move. It is stationary and permanent. The items boxed up, covered in pads, and carried out to the moving van when a person is changing residences would all be considered the props.
The props are all the non-permanent items. Think of what would be put in that moving van – dishes, lamps, chairs, books, pictures, furniture, blankets, drapes, rugs, letters, office supplies, appliances, lawn tools – all the “stuff” people need in their everyday living and utilize to furnish their homes. It can be either personal (a book on Egypt) or non-specific (a pillow) but every item says something about who owns that item. Even the non-specific pillow tells us something. Is it a bed or sofa pillow? Feather or foam? In a pillowcase or ticking cover? Clean or stained? Each item is a small clue into who the owner is, giving insight into the character of the owner. Making the choices about what it all looks like and finding or building those items is what a prop person does.
Properties production, of all the areas in the production side of doing theatre, is probably the most collaborative with the designers and director. While some information is available from the drawings designers produce and from rehearsal, the prop shop often researches and creates much of what is placed on stage directed by their sense of the overall design sensibility and an understanding of time period, place, and an interpretation of character from the rehearsal process.
Set Dressing
Stage dressing encompasses all the decorative items used to enhance the visual setting. These items are rarely moved or even touched by the actors and are mostly used to help the designer establish place or time period as well as character detail. Examples would include curtains on the window, books in a bookcase, hanging chandeliers, a moose head hanging on the wall, magazines and floral arrangements spread on a coffee table, or pictures arranged on a wall. While dressing may be mentioned in the script it is rarely complete and usually ignored as the designer determines the details to fit with the particular design being created for the specific production.
Stage dressing information usually comes from the designer and may be communicated to the prop shop in various ways. Often the designer relays the look desired by simply describing what is needed and relying on the prop shop to fulfill expectations from that verbal description. This works best in relationships where the prop shop and designer have worked together enough to have a strong understanding of what the designer means and usually envisions. Understanding and getting “into the head” of the designer to SEE what the designer is seeing as the vision for the play makes the verbal design process easier. It is sometimes easiest to talk about set dressing by utilizing the scaled model of the stage setting or from the front elevations. Some designers include highly detailed stage dressing in their models. Others take front elevations and overlay prop detail onto the drawing showing size or placement of pictures, sketching in draperies, or showing other dressing detail. Working with the elevations or the model even while talking with the designer assists in clarifying what the designer is imagining.
The smaller, detailed stage dressing is often just a conversation between the designer and the properties director talking about what might be placed around the stage. For example, if the play takes place in a modern apartment with a bookcase, coffee table, credenza, TV and stereo cabinet, sofa, and other decor, the designer may call out for several specific items of decoration but will assume the prop shop would fill the bookcase with appropriate books and collectable items, dress the coffee table with magazines fitting the characters and season of the play, cover the credenza with a small decorative runner topped by a vase of flowers or piece of sculpture, file CD’s and record covers in the stereo cabinet beside a remote control for the TV, pull throw pillows and a soft blanket for the back of the sofa, and otherwise make the setting appear like someone actually lives in the space. The actual selection and set dressing of those props is left up to the discretion of the props department although most designers will “tweak” the final dressing to suit their personal vision.
For decor such as curtains or furniture pieces, designers often utilize photos or drawings to show fullness, drape, trim elements, pattern, color, etc. From this collage of images the prop shop works in collaboration with the designer for the purchasing of specific fabric, trim, or items to re-create the look.
Hand Props
A hand prop is anything carried or handled by an actor. It often helps define an actor’s specific character such as a cane, cigar, liquor flask, lipstick, feather duster, floral bouquet, or sword. A hand prop might also help fulfill the action described in the play such as a gun used to threaten another character, a fountain pen for signing a contract, a letter opened and read, or a piece of fruit eaten and enjoyed.
Making a hand prop list can be done specific to character or listed just as they appear within the play. The script might supply the information initially but hand props are the one area that seems to change the most depending on the rehearsal process.
The "adds" of hand props arrive as the play is being blocked and worked thru in the initial staging process. Actors will often make specific requests for a hand prop that they need to help them in “fleshing out” their character. This is also the area that gets the most “cuts” in the final weeks of rehearsal and “tech”.
What was perceived as being a necessity becomes unneeded and problematic as the actor becomes more comfortable in his character and all of the layers of being in the stage setting and in costume assist in completing the support needed that the hand prop had fulfilled in the rehearsal process. This is just part of the process of building hand props. Acknowledging this allows the appropriate level of response to a request from rehearsal and underscores the importance of using a rehearsal prop.
Hand props are highly personal to actors and actors can often get quite attached to an item utilized as a rehearsal prop. Stage managers often substitute items from a general storage closet of rehearsal props to stand-in for the actual prop and the change to the actual item can be disruptive for some actors. It is best when actors who have to do specific action with a hand prop have the actual prop to work with in rehearsal from an early time. Failing that, it may mean something as simple as communicating the size of the paper a letter will be written on so the actor can understand how to unfold it or providing a prop rehearsal gun of similar size and weight as the actual prop gun so the actor is comfortable handling it safely.
When making the preliminary prop list it is important to read what the characters are doing to dig out the props hidden in the text. Sometimes the props are called out in specific while other times they are merely implied. It is helpful in initial discussions to list all the props and allow the director to respond to the anticipated use or if the prop is unnecessary, it being cut from the prop list.
In the example below from Seven Guitars by August Wilson, Act I, Scene 4 some of the props are called out in the character dialogue while other props are simply implied. Read for both items and action.
LOUISE Ohh. Just the man I want to see. Give me one of them Old Golds. Hedley give me one of these old Chesterfields. Here I'll trade you the pack.
RED CARTER Naw. I ain't gonna do that. I don't want no Chesterfield! I don't see how people smoke them things.
From these two lines the hand props would include a pack of Old Gold cigarettes, a pack of Chesterfield cigarettes and possibly matches or a lighter to light the cigarettes (making them a consumable) and maybe requiring an ashtray.
When making the listing, it is handy to group items together going to support a single action or character even if it may not be needed in that particular scene or mentioned in the script. For example, if you have a character who asks for a cup of tea the props required to support that single request might be as simple as a mug of tea or it might be a full tea service on a cart complete with silver trays, serving teapot, cups, saucers, sugar bowl with silver tongs and cubed sugar, a small cream pitcher, tea spoons, waste bowl, and tea caddy. While the character only mentions a cup of tea it may be appropriate to support that request in a more complete and visual way. Additionally, it is helpful to ask other questions: What fits the action? What fits the length of dialogue? Do they have time to make the tea? Should the tea already be made in the teapot? Is it appropriate for the characters to own and use a tea service? or, is this just a request for a mug of tea? These questions may be what the director may need to answer or taken to stage management and solved as the play is rehearsed.
Props such as furniture are called “set props”. Props used to set the scene or decorate the stage are called “stage dressing”.
Set Props
The set props are the large movable items not built into the set. Generally this is the furniture or “sittables” and would include things like chairs, tables, rugs, appliances, barrels, trunks, or large rocks. But it can also include large items like tents, a canoe, a car or even a wrestling ring. This information is often communicated to the prop shop directly from the scenic designer and their size and location is notated on the floor plan showing the relationship within the stage setting. The initial description of the setting is often communicated from the playwright at the top of the scene.
It may be a sentence as simple as this one from Proof by David Auburn:
SETTING:
A back porch of a house in Chicago
This description gives little information about the props and the details are placed throughout the script itself in the action of the characters needing places to sit or picking up objects. The properties director would need to read carefully to get an understanding of what set props might be required.
On the other hand, some playwrights give visual description with specific prop information such as in Seven Guitars by August Wilson.
Both of these script examples are for plays set in the back of a house in the city but the level of information provided on props varies considerably. The scene designer may use this description as the basis for the design...or may choose to completely ignore it but at least it's a place to start in understanding what may be required to set the scene. Once the design has been finalized, this information is often communicated to the prop shop directly from the scenic designer and size and location is notated on the floor plan showing the relationship within the stage setting.
THE SETTING:
The action of the play takes place in the backyard of a house in Pittsburgh in 1948. It is a brick house with a single window fronting the yard. Access to the room is gained by stairs leading to a small porch on the side of the house. This is VERA'S apartment. LOUISE and HEDLEY live on the second floor in separate quarters which are accessed by steps leading to a landing and a flight of stairs alongside the building. The stairs are wooden and are in need of repair. The yard is closely flanked on both sides by the neighboring buildings. A ten-foot high fence stage right blocks our view into the yard a stage right and a four-foot high fence is at stage left. The yard is a dirt yard with a small garden area marked off by bricks in the downstage right corner where VERA has made a garden of vegetables and flowers. A cellar door leads into the basement where HEDLEY stores his gear. Off to the side and in the back of the yard is a contraption made of bricks, wood, and corrugated sheet metal which is where Hedley kills chickens. It couples as a grill for cooking and when it is not being used, it breaks down with a minimum of parts left standing. During several of his scenes HEDLEY builds or dismantles his contraption and stores its pieces in the cellar. These is an entrance to the yard through a latched gate to the left of the building. There is occasionally a card table set up in the yard with an eclectic mix of chairs. Several light bulbs, rigged by way of extension cords, run from VERA's apartment to light the table so they can sit and play cards on the hot summer nights of 1948.
These items tend to be fairly well defined early on and may also take up the bulk of the budget and the energy of the build. Furniture pieces set time period and character quickly and the prop shop must find the specific items requested by the designer for a particular look. The challenge lies in also finding the piece with the right look that will also function well for the action as defined in rehearsal by the director. In addition, the pieces often have to be shifted and moved to show a passage of time or to allow for a scene change between places. Prop furniture takes a high level of abuse and often the actions blocked on the furniture puts more stress on a piece than it would normally receive in a lifetime or normal use in a home environment. Appropriate reinforcement and finishes must be considered as items are selected or built.
Working from what is available in stock, designers may chose to have items built or altered specifically to fit the show. Utilizing photos or sketches the designer communicates the “look” desired.
Props used to set the scene or decorate the stage are called “stage dressing”. Props the actors handle or carry are called “hand props”.
Who Does What
The prop shop lives in the hierarchy of the theatre organization. It is only one of the legs in the multi-appendage creature called “production” needed to mount a show successfully.
The evolution of the properties position is murky and it is only in the last few decades the status of having someone directly responsible for the props has been codified. In the past all too often the props were left to whoever could scrounge together the prop list of items needed and anything needing to be built was requested from the scene shop or costume shop who did it around their other priorities. Sometimes stage managers were required to find props as part of their job of supporting the rehearsal and performance process.
Today all that is changed. The prop shop is a separate entity working in close collaboration with its cohorts in costumes, scenery, electrics, and sound.
The person who manages the prop shop goes by various titles depending on the theatre organization itself.
Many regional theatre properties shop are managed by the Properties Director and accountable for the on-time, on-budget, as-designed production of the stage properties to the satisfaction of the scene designer. The movement to the Properties Director title is an evolution most dominant in the last decade as the Production Manager has developed into a larger managerial position overseeing the entire production budget, personnel, and calendar.
The use of the “Master” name as in Properties Master and Master Electrician was commonly used when the Technical Director was the overall head of the technical production process. As the shops became more specialized and the Production Manager position evolved, the title of Properties Director was utilized to acknowledge the separate and equal nature of the work between the prop shop and scene shop. This title acknowledges the equal footing of the job with the Technical Director who manages the scene shop.
Even when no properties designer is designated it seems many scenic designers are relying more and more heavily on the Properties Director/Prop Shop Manager to make design decisions based on an understanding of the overall look of the scenic design and in collaboration with the director. It is common in many companies to give equal billing in the program to the properties director along with the other designers in acknowledgment of this creative activity and collaboration.
Some smaller companies have a different line of accountability with a Technical Director coordinating all the production areas and in those cases, the person who manages the prop shop is often called the Properties Master or Properties Manager. The title of Properties Master is a “traditional” title and is used by some as a nod to historical convention even when the job duties and accountability structure are identical to a Properties Director. In theatres with an IATSE contract for the running of the shows, the Union prop person might also be called the Properties Master but would not be responsible for managing the prop shop or working on the actual build. It just depends on the particular person and theatre organization.
In recent years the title of Properties Designer has evolved in acknowledgement of the higher level of collaboration the prop shop has with the scenic designer in creating the complete stage setting. Some designers utilize the Properties Designer to complete the majority of decisions and design the details fulfilling the overall intention of the design just as, in the past, an Assistant Designer might have fulfilled those requirements. The Properties Designer however has the management and process skills needed to move those design choices directly into the shop while the Assistant Designer position often just created another level of communication to manage in the build between the prop shop and the designer.
The Properties Designer works in collaboration with the scenic designer to design the properties as part of the design team. Often part of the process from the beginning attending design meetings with the director, lighting designer, sound designer, and set designer, the properties designer must then make the design decisions evolving during the rehearsal process meeting the needs of the particular scene/ actor/ script problem. The properties designer addresses those concerns and allows the changes to be considered into the overall design of the show as set by the scenic design. Having the properties designer in-house as the head of the props area facilitates a quick response. This is especially true when a theatre company utilizes free-lance scenic designers who may be juggling a number of shows and are unavailable to make daily input into the design/ prop build process
Even when no properties designer is designated it seems many scenic designers are relying more and more heavily on the Properties Director/Prop Shop Manager to make design decisions based on an understanding of the overall look of the scenic design and in collaboration with the director. It is common in many companies to give equal billing in the program to the properties director along with the other designers in acknowledgment of this creative activity and collaboration.
While not all organizations have a separate designated prop shop, a staff of prop artisans, and dedicated budgets for props, the process of properties production remains the same. No two prop shops run the same way or have the same balance of skill in the personnel. Every build is different given the variables of when it falls in the season, who is designing, who is directing, what is available in storage, who is available to work in the shop, what is the budget, etc. However, understanding the PROCESS and PROCEDURES for properties production as discussed here should help any organization to have an effective and collaborative properties production experience.
THE PROP STAFF
Most regional theatres and larger producing organizations have a staff to support the prop build. Assisting the Properties Director is a crew of Properties Artisans. They are responsible for the construction, acquisition, and innovative creation of all props used in a production. Small shops have artisans utilizing a large variety of skills with the expectation that each person has the skills to move the prop from beginning to end through the shop. Larger shops tend to have specialist artisans who work exclusively in their area of expertise such as Soft goods artisan, Carpenter, Crafts artisan, Shopper/buyer, or Assistant Prop Master/ Prop Shop Manager. Properties artisans work under the supervision of the Properties Director but are expected to be creative, innovative, collaborative artists honoring the design intent while making the props stage worthy and safe.
A Soft Good Artisan completes the patterning, draping, tailoring, and sewing of fabric-based projects. An understanding of fabric and sewing techniques is a necessity. Upholstery projects utilize theatrical techniques duplicating traditional looks but often utilizing many of “costuming” tricks for fabric use. Sewing skills are required to build the pillows, curtains, bed coverings, drapes, and all the various “soft” props needed. An understanding of fabric dyeing and distressing is important.
On shop built items the soft goods artisan works in the design and construction part of the project to prepare the frame for the soft goods work.
A Properties Carpenter works to construct, restore, conserve, or alter furniture for the stage. Using construction techniques similar to theatrical scenic construction as well as traditional woodworking processes, prop carpentry skills must allow for the repairing of damaged or fragile original pieces to a stage-worthy status, reinforce stock pieces appropriately to protect them for specific stage action, and modify existing pieces to create a designed or specific period silhouette and structure. Increasingly, properties carpenters also fabricate furniture from scratch to meet specific design requirements as an alternative to purchasing an expensive antique and attempting to strengthen the old piece for stage use. An understanding of finishing techniques and detailing is important as well as skills in metal work and welding to construct reinforcing armatures or ornamental pieces.
The Crafts Artisan is truly a jack of all trades and this person may have a wide variety of skills including casting and molding, graphics layout and manipulation, faux painting, floral arrangement, leather working, jewelry making, special effects, carving and sculpture work. The other specialty artisans often have crafts skills complimenting their area of specialty making this position a combination with another area.
The Shopper/buyer finds and procures the products, raw materials, requested items, or specific props needed for the build of the show. Good visualization skills and an understanding of process are especially important as this artisan must coordinate the acquisition of what needs to be purchased with the other artisans who are using those items to build the props. Strong interpersonal skills help in negotiating purchases and setting up delivery of goods as well as just in the location and purchasing of items. An understanding of budget management and accounting is important in coordination with the Properties Director who is managing the overall budgetary decisions. Strong computer skills for research and acquisition are especially valuable in this position as the ability to find specific items or order materials have become more accessible via the Web and E-Bay purchasing making the entire world a prop market place.
A good prop person is truly a "Jack (or Jill) of All Trades". Every hobby, interest, or experience adds to the body of knowledge informing the skill set of a props artisan. Just think of all the situations represented on stage and the various characters portrayed needing to have props to help them fulfill the action of their character or to define something about their person. Every day events coupled with an observant and curious mind can form a body of knowledge needed to replicate similar events on stage. The key is to assemble a staff having an eclectic, varied, and balanced group of skills, interests, and strengths so no matter what is thrown at the prop shop to solve, one of the group can step up and say, "Oh.... I know how to do that..."
Skills of a Props Person
HAND PROPS- SKILLS
Calligraphy
Model making
Graphics layout
Molding/ casting
Jewelry making
Quilting/ embroidery/ knitting
Papier-mâché
Leatherwork
Musical instrumentation
Painting - Spray paint techniques, acrylics, water colors, colored pen & pencil
Culinary / Food Preparation
Weaponry / pyrotechniques
SET PROPS – SKILLS
Sewing
Welding / Metal working
Furniture construction / restoration
Woodworking
Plastics construction
Upholstery
Draping / fabric layout / pattern making
Fabric dyeing/ distressing
Faux painting - woodgrain, marble, stone, aging
Radio control / pneumatics / small specialty electronics
Special effects
Plumbing
DRESSING –SKILLS
Painting – acrylics/watercolors/ portraiture
Floral arrangement
Sculpture/ 3D carving / foam carving
Electrical construction/ wiring
Picture matting and framing
Photography
SENSIBILITIES OF A PROP PERSON
Organization
Time management
Flexibility in the work process
Diplomacy
Collaboration
Creativity
Eye for detail
Flair for design
Color coordination
Textural sympathy
Creative adaptability- seeing “What if…”
Drafting / sketching / graphic communication
High production standards
Self-motivation
Innovative thinking
Research inquisitiveness
Computer expertise- word/ spreadsheet/ drafting/ graphics
Memory for details/ sizes/ history/ visuals
Safety awareness and compliance
Future
Internships
A beginning level position found in many organizations is the Properties Intern. An internship in the prop shop of a regional theatre is one of the best ways to make the move from theatre training at a university to the professional theatre world. Many educational institutions offer classes for credit in the final year of the training curriculum supporting an internship for either a full or partial semester. Professional theatre companies offer internships knowing they are preparing the next level of craftspersons to be hired into the profession. In a recent SPAM (Society of Properties Artisans/Managers) survey of both regional and summer theatres, thirty-eight regional theatres offered some form of an internship with many offering a small stipend or other financial support. Of the twenty-three summer theatres responding to the survey, most offered a stipend as well as housing.
Most interns are expected to work the same hours as paid staff and depending on the skills of the individual, may be assigned as an assistant to a full time staff member or even given individual projects to complete. Some theatres offer a hands-on training component in addition to just working in the shop. As the intern demonstrates ability and learns the way of working in a particular organization, opportunities to work on larger projects usually are given. Beyond learning professional technical skills the intern is also exposed to the communication, organization, and leadership qualities needed to be successful.
To find an internship, search the websites of the regional or summer theatres. Many have links available describing the opportunities for employment. On the theatre webpage look for a link under a header such as: Opportunities, Employment, Jobs, Education, Training, or Internship. Contacting the theatre in person or by phone is also a good way to discover what internship possibilities are available or who the contact person is for setting up an internship. If a particular theatre does not have an internship program in place, it is always possible to talk directly with the properties director about setting one up. Few theatres will turn away free labor, especially someone with an interest in the technical field having some level of training and a passion for the work. Theatres with Union contracts may be limited in offering contracts due to their particular agreement with the Local Stagehands contract.
Contracts and Salaries?
Contract length and salaries of prop staff have evolved along with the definition of job titles. Salary determination also is impacted by size of the organization and the length and complexity of the season. If the theatre has a contract with IATSE the salaries are determined by negotiation with the Union and non-union employees are not covered in those negotiations but will probably be impacted by those pay scales.
Dependingon the internal accountability structure, many properties directors are making a comparable wage with the technical director averaging around $780 weekly. (2007 survey-SPAM) The average properties director makes around $40,000 yearly before taxes and withholding. The properties director is an “administrative” or “artistic” position and is not usually a part of an IATSE contract. Due to it’s salaried nature, overtime is not granted so during tech. and load-in weeks while the hours spent at the theatre may double, the salary remains the same. Those shops with IATSE contracts who have staff earning overtime soon see the staff earning more than the properties director.
Properties artisans are in the same range for salaries and contract lengths as a scenic carpenter or costume artisan. Staff hours during non-tech weeks were commonly a forty-hour week with an additional ten to thirty hours during load-in and tech week. While many properties directors are now full-time staff with yearly contracts, most prop artisans are hired on contracts ranging between twenty-eight to forty-two weeks with an equally wide range of salaries. The average salary is $576 weekly for a props artisan. Beginning level artisan salaries start in the $385 to $455 a week range. (2007 survey- SPAM)
In a prop shop survey taken by SPAM in 2007, the hourly rate for non-salary staff had quite a wide range from $12.00 an hour to $20.80 with the average being just over $15.00 an hour. Most theatres offer some form of over-time pay or compensated time off for hours worked beyond the forty-hour week. The trick is finding time off within the contracted season to make up those "comp" hours without impacting the next show build. All too often overtime hours worked are never compensated equally to the time earned.
Those shops operating under a Union contract negotiate the pay with the local IASTE representatives and the rate varies from theatre to theatre but generally is within a close range within a city. Union rates vary widely depending on the city and availability of work. Union workers are paid an hourly wage and are paid overtime for work over the standard forty-hour work week. Some contracts may set the work-week differently. Most Union contracts pay at the top end of the hourly range for non-salary staff.
Larger LORT companies obviously pay better in acknowledgement of the additional administrative responsibilities and the size of the season. Smaller theatres with shorter seasons and many summer theatres pay far less than the average making it a challenge to survive financially without doing side work for other theatres, having a second job outside of theatre in retail or other better paying occupation, or finding ways to supplement income as an independent artist, designer, or craftsperson using the same theatre skills in a different way.
Benefits are available to many full-time and contracted season staff including health and dental coverage, disability insurance, some form of a retirement plan or investment savings plan, and vacation / sick days. Some companies provide other “benefits” such as a free parking space, use of the shop for personal project work, complimentary tickets to productions, and reimbursement for personal use of your car.
Finding a properties position is commonly done by word of mouth with people seeking out others who they know and advertising openings through e-mail distributions and web sites. Most large organizations also utilize publications such as Artsearch or online job listing service like Backstagejobs.com. Most theatres also advertise openings on their own web pages under a Staff or Employment Opportunities header.
Possible Outline Topics
REHEARSAL / PRODUCTION PROCESS
Properties production is the one area in technical production that seems to rely most highly on getting information directly from the day-to-day rehearsal process. Hand props not mentioned in the script get added. Furniture is used in a specific way impacting how it should be built or reinforced. This information cannot come from the designer, the script, or research. Information flow is critical as the play is staged when props are added, cut, use is changed or stage action altered. Getting the information from rehearsal and open to discussion by all involved parties allows the prop department to build the props in support of what needs to happen for the show. This information is communicated in the daily rehearsal report.
THE REHEARSAL REPORT
Since prop people can’t be everywhere, God made Stage Managers. They are our eyes in rehearsal and our advocates in the production process to directors, actors, and run crews.
Stage managers generate the rehearsal reports and send them to all involved parties. Rehearsal reports contain who, what, where, when, why and how of what’s happening with the entire rehearsal and staging process, including props and all other technical areas.
The rehearsal report should include:
What part of the play was rehearsed
Changes to calendar, rehearsal schedule or actor “calls”
Requests for upcoming rehearsals
Notification of meetings scheduled
Rehearsal notes listing by department:
Adds
Cuts
Changes in use
Maintenance issues
General information/questions
In the area of props it is especially important that stage managers communicate specific details that can have an impact on the prop choices. This might include timing factors such as the length of a candle burn time, actor allergies or preferences for consumables, special needs for weapons or special effects with the audience or the stage space, or difficulties anticipated for scene shifts due to actor availability, weight or size of items, or storage space backstage. It is of equal importance that stage management define the situation or problem and not the solution when giving notes (Ex: “The actor needs to be able to sit on the stool with both feet on the floor and the stools used in rehearsal are too tall” NOT “Please cut four inches off the stool legs.”)
Rehearsal reports may also be sent out specific to area when the information does not impact another production area. These notes are often communicated via e-mail from stage management to the prop shop. The information is usually copied, however, whenever a full set of rehearsal notes are sent out.
The director should approve all rehearsal notes. Notes from actors must be cleared through both stage management and the director before they are put on the rehearsal report. Not only does this keep the director in the loop about any requests but guarantees the notes accurately reflect the directorial viewpoint. Some actors make requests the director would not want or need in the scene and this "clearing" process keeps the communication free from any confusion.
Rehearsal notes are often e-mailed out following rehearsal to facilitate the best communication. The Properties Director reads the report, updates the prop list as necessary, sending on additional requests or information or design concerns to the Scenic Designer. Requests should be discussed with the designer and the shop in a prompt manner and decisions made in collaborative discussion with the production areas. Those requests that can be immediately answered should be responded to by way of return e-mail to the Stage Manager. The Properties Director prepares questions for the designer/director/cross-departmental concerns to be addressed in the next production meeting or might seek out information/assistance on a project by meeting separately with another department or colleague. Meanwhile in the prop shop, changes to projects that are in process will need to be discussed with the artisan in charge of the project and work may be redirected until answers can be provided that affect the project in question.
Rehearsal notes form the basis of most of the discussions that occur in the weekly production meetings. The production meeting is the venue where all areas can share information, clarify the needs of the department, establish deadlines, and work on creating a schedule with consideration for each departments priorities.
In the world of props many items are dressed onstage to give the appearance of real items but they do not require the need to work. However, some items do need to emit sound, light up, turn on, or turn off. These props are called "practicals." Practicals are any device that gives the appearance of actually working. Most do work to some degree with the sound emitting from the speakers inside, the light bulb illuminating, and the switch turning power on or off. But not always, as the theatre can also only give the illusion of reality. The coordination of practicals requires the prop shop to work closely with their colleagues for electrics collaboration and sound collaboration.
Working on a show with the other speciality artists found in the various shops around the theatre is where the collaborative nature of theatre-making sets the theatre world apart from other "trades" that might utilize similar skill sets. As the artists share in the process of solving the problems by offering solutions, using their ideas and skills, working together to build the world of the play, the enormous creative support provided behind the scenes adds a dimension to the production unimaginable to the average theatre viewer.