A Total Introduction To Prop Money Vendors

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 through the time you go before an audience. Don't believe the Director who says. 'There's hardly any prop's in the one' because something shall have been missed.

Consequently, what are 'prop's'? The phrase is short for 'properties' and means anything needed in the show through the actors which can't be screwed down and isn't constantly on the stage. So handbags are prop's, Little Red's basket is a movie prop money (pop over to this web-site), the champagne glasses are prop's and sometimes a scarf can be a prop and part of a costume. This would be in the case of it being needed quickly sometime throughout the show.

Prop's are kept on 1 or 2 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.

A good Prop's Person experiences the script with a fine tooth comb for the list of things needed. It's also essential to attend a rehearsal or two to determine if other things, not mentioned within the script, have come up. For an example, in 'Seussical, the Musical', circus skills are referred to in one scene, but not the specific skills, so until we saw who was doing what we did not know what to provide. It proved to be a lot of juggling balls which we were able to get several matching sets of, some stilts, some recorders and some balloons. None difficult to source, but without watching the rehearsal it will not are already clear.

A list then needs to be posted where everyone can easily see it, so that people can indicate if they have, or can get hold of, any of the items. That usually takes care of about 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 in 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 discovering that odd thing. As each thing is sourced the list must be updated so no-one busts a gut getting something somebody else has already sorted out.

In real extremis you could have to go to a theatrical hire company - but keep in mind there is never enough money put aside for prop's - tell me something totally new - and also the more you may borrow the easier it will be to afford those things you simply must buy.

The Prop's Person must keep a number of where things came from to ensure that it really is known where to return them to afterwards. People don't help twice whenever they do not get their stuff back pretty promptly. Your show insurance will cover any little accidents - but it really is better not to borrow something of any value unless it's desperately vital to the show. In 'Me and My Girl' three identical fob watches are required. The individual I borrowed from was, to my relief, very relaxed about the one which had its chain broken. I felt very lucky.

Therefore, it's not 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 will go missing. Oh, and of-course the prop's tables have to be setup each night prior to the show, and checked item by item. Then it's going to all run smoothly.