Questions For about Prop Money Stores
This is the sort of job taken on by a real enthusiast. I requires the utmost patience and attention to detail because no matter the length of the list you begin with, it will have doubled by the time you go before an audience. Do not believe the Director who says. 'There's hardly any prop's inside this one' because something may have been missed.
As such, what are 'prop's'? The word is short for 'properties' and means anything needed within the show through the actors which cannot be screwed down and isn't constantly on the stage. So handbags are prop's, Little Red's basket is a prop, the champagne glasses are prop's and sometimes a scarf can be a prop and part of a costume. This could be in the example of it being needed quickly sometime during the show.
Prop's are kept on a couple of prop's tables, at the back of the stage or on each side, based on where the actors need to pick them up from. They go missing. Actors are begged to return them whence they came, but it does not always happen.
The best Prop's Person goes through the script with a fine tooth comb for the number of things needed. Additionally it is essential to attend a rehearsal or two to determine if other things, not mentioned in the script, have come up. For an example, in 'Seussical, the Musical', circus skills are referred to in one scene, although not the specific skills, so until we saw who was doing what we did not determine what to provide. It proved to be a great deal of juggling balls which we were able to get several matching sets of, some stilts, some recorders and some balloons. None hard to source, but without watching the rehearsal it will not have been clear.
A list then needs to be posted where everybody can see it, in order that people can indicate if they have, or might get hold of, any of the items. That usually takes care of around half of what is necessary. That leaves the Prop's Person the job of sourcing the rest. Local museums can prove useful, helpful and free for an advertisement within the programme. eBay is amazingly good for sourcing odd things, and organisations like Freecycle - a local recycling organisation which has groups throughout the UK - is wonderful for finding that odd thing. As each thing is sourced the list must be updated so no-one busts a gut getting something someone else has already sorted out.
In real extremis you could have to go to a theatrical hire company - but understand that there is never enough money put aside for prop's - tell me something totally new - as well as the more you can borrow the easier it's going to be redirect to Marialauramontoya Edu afford those things you simply must buy.
The Prop's Person must keep a number of where things came from to ensure that it is known where to return them to afterwards. People do not help twice whenever they do not get their stuff back pretty promptly. Your show insurance coverage will cover any little accidents - but it really is better not to borrow something of any value unless it really is desperately vital to the show. In 'Me and My Girl' three identical fob watches are required. The person I borrowed from was, to my relief, very relaxed about the one which had its chain broken. I felt very lucky.
Because of this, it isn't difficult - just hard and time-consuming. And the Prop's Person must be present at the Dress Rehearsal and every performance to supervise the use and return of the prop's. If that does not happen something vital shall go missing. Oh, and of-course the prop's tables have to be setup each night before the show, and checked item by item. Then it's going to all run smoothly.
