Transcript Chapter 11: Stage Properties

Chapter 11: Stage Properties
In the proscenium theatre, stage
properties are the icing on the scenic
designer’s cake
They are the primary design tool used to
provide clues to the personalities and
socioeconomic status of the characters
The following three slides show the same
set dressed with different props
Theatrical Design and Production
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Theatrical Design and Production
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Theatrical Design and Production
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Theatrical Design and Production
© 2006 McGraw-Hill. All right reserved.
Chapter 11: Stage Properties
In thrust and arena theatres, the
visual importance of stage
properties increases significantly
Because the stage space cannot
house large sets, the furniture and
decorative props become the
major visual element of the design
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
The property master must have a detailed working
knowledge of every craft area in theatre
Woodworking
Metalworking
Electrical wiring and electronics
Mold making
Ceramics
Sewing
Upholstery
Furniture construction
Scene painting
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
What is a Prop?
Stage properties are traditionally
divided into three categories
Set props
Hand props
Decorative props
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
What is a Prop?
Set Props
Set props are defined as larger
movable items, not built into the
set, that are used in some way
by the actors
Furniture, floor lamps, rugs,
stoves, tree stumps, etc.
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
What is a Prop?
Hand Props
Hand props refer to small items
that are handled or carried by
the actors
Plates, cups, letters, books, fans,
lanterns, etc.
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
What is a Prop?
Decorative Props
Decorative props include all the
things that are used to enhance
the setting visually but are not
specifically touched by the actors
Window curtains, pictures, table
lamps, bric-a-brac, books in
bookcases, etc.
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Property Design
In the commercial and
educational theatre, properties
are normally designed by the
scenic designer
The prop master then builds,
buys, rents, or borrows the
props for the production
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Property Design
Real or Fake?
If an actor is going to touch or pick up a prop, it
should feel real
A book that will be picked up and opened should
feel real and have pages
Props can be faked if they are not going to be used
by the actors
Books on a shelf may be no more than the spines
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Property Design
Property Acquisition
To create an aura of authenticity,
property masters frequently try to find
actual objects appropriate to the
period of the play
Since antiques are expensive and rare,
the property master may build or
acquire a reproduction of period
pieces
Theatrical Design and Production
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Property Design
Property Acquisition
Borrowing or Renting Props
Any type of prop used in the theatre is
subject to unusual stresses and wear
When borrowing or renting, assure the lending
agent that the item will be returned intact
Lending agreements can make this process easier
Theatrical Design and Production
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Property Design
Property Acquisition
Building Props
Some props, such as antiques, are best not used
on stage
It is usually more appropriate wither to use a
reproduction or to build the piece in the shop
Some props, like fantasy pieces, must be built
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Organizing Props for Production
If props are going to be effective in a
production, they must be consistently places
in their proper locations in and around the set
Hand props and small set props should be
locked up between rehearsals and
performances
A written list, including a map or location
indicator, detailing the onstage placement of
all set props must be created
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Organizing Props for Production
During rehearsals and performances, the
property crew will place the set props in
their appropriate locations
The organization of hand props must also
be exact
The prop crew head should create a
precise list of what props are handled by
the actors during each scene
Theatrical Design and Production
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Organizing Props for Production
A “prop table” on which on hand props are
placed is normally set up in the wings
To aid in organizing props, this large table
(or tables) is usually covered with
butcher paper and “mapped” with the
names of the props
The appropriate prop is placed in its
location on the “map” on the table
Theatrical Design and Production
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Craft Techniques
Furniture
Upholstery
Decorative Curtains and Draperies
Papier-Mâché
Vacuum Forming
Molds
Foam Carving
Heat Forming
Fiberglass
Wood Turning
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Craft Techniques
Furniture
Carpenter-style furniture
can be built using
ordinary woodworking
tools and techniques
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Craft Techniques
Upholstery
Many times the apparent age or period
of a fabric-covered piece can be
altered by simply changing the fabric
Theatrical Design and Production
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Craft Techniques
Upholstery
The fabric covering can be altered in two ways
Slipcovers—covers existing fabric
Reupholstery—replaces existing fabric
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Craft Techniques
Decorative Curtains and Draperies
Decorative curtains are used by the scenic designer to
help dress the set
The type and style is
dictated by the period
being represented
A variety of material can
be used in making draperies
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Craft Techniques
Papier-Mâché
One of the oldest and cheapest craft techniques used
in the theatre
It is used to make or cover a wide variety of shapes
and objects: logs, statues, fake food, etc.
Papier-Mâché is made by building up a form with
successive layers of paper that are bound together
with a wheat-paste binder
After it is constructed, the item can be painted easily
Theatrical Design and Production
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Craft Techniques
Vacuum Forming
Also known as vacuforming, this
process shapes plastics through the
application of heat and vacuum
pressure A sheet of plastic is heated
by an oven and then placed over a
mold
When the plastic cools, it retains the
shape of the mold
His system can be used to form
banisters, cornices, wall panels,
masks, etc.
Theatrical Design and Production
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Craft Techniques
Molds
Molds are used to create multiple copies of a
wide variety of items: fake food, decorative
panels, cornice molding, costume jewelry, etc.
There are two categories of molds: open and
closed
They can further be divided into rigid and flexible
Rigid molds are made form wood, fiberglass,
plaster of paris
Flexible mold are made from synthetic materials,
like silicone
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Craft Techniques
Foam Carving
Expanded polystyrene foam (Stryofoam) is
used in the fabrication of statues, columns,
cornices, etc.
Light-blue Styrofoam is fire resistant, but the
white variety is not
Styrofoam is easily cut with any power saw
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Craft Techniques
Heat Forming
Heat forming refers to warming plastic until it
becomes flexible enough to bend
Fiberglass
Fiberglass is formed by coating glass-fiber
reinforcement with polyester or epoxy resin
Theatrical Design and Production
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Chapter 11: Stage Properties
Craft Techniques
Wood Turning
Wood turning is done on a lathe
Various prop and scenic items
(banisters, newels, chair and sofa legs)
are frequently turned on a lathe
Theatrical Design and Production
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