(Other types of design are inferior because) "Props actually serve a purpose."
~Victor Gutierrez, Ensemble props designer
Preparation
1) The first step of being Props Designer will be the first production meeting where the director will give their vision for the show. At this meeting you should ask the director if they have a props list for the show. They probably will not, but keep reminding them if you feel you really need one.
A) An optional addition to this would be to read the script yourself and take note of where you believe props will be needed. If you do this make sure to check with the director as their vision for the play may have more props than the script may seem to indicate.
2) As props designer, it is your responsibility to keep an up to date list of what props the director adds, removes, or changes as rehearsals progress.
A) Attend all the production meetings, usually they will be every week. Use this time to ask the director about any uncertainties you have over props. It is better to ask early, than to get a prop that the director is unhappy with and you have to replace. Also use the production meeting to check your list with whatever list the director has.
B) Check the rehearsal meeting notes. They are your best friend. If the director does not provide a props list, which is very likely, the props section will have the props that the director thinks of for whichever scenes they rehearsed that day. If you transfer these props to a master props list and make sure there are no repeats, you will have a comprehensive props list to use.
2) Collecting props will be an ongoing process. As you gather/make props, make a props cart that the Stage Manager can take to rehearsals. It is also a good idea to have rehearsal props for actors to use. An example would be index cards for any letters. See below for further details on getting props.
3) One to two weeks before put-in, there will be a Costume and Props Parade where you will show the director the props you have. It is important for the director to see what the props will look like so they can make sure the props will work for the production, and look appropriate, so do your best to get as many props by then. Any props that you do not have by the Costume and Props parade, you should know where you will be getting them from and what they look like.
4) During put-in, set up a table in the dressing room with labels indicating which props go where. Tape off a square for each prop and tell actors which props are theirs. Make sure the Props Manager (runtime job) knows what props go where and how to reset props, if necessary. Put weapon props in the weapons chest (if applicable, see below). At some point give the genitals speech:
Your props are like your genitals.
Only touch your props when appropriate
Do not touch other people's props without consent
Know where your props are at all times
Put your props away when you are done using them
Any prop weapons should be treated like STD-ridden props. Definitely do not touch other people's prop weapons
5) During tech week, listen for notes and adjust props accordingly.
Getting Props
(1) Ensemble Stock
All the props we have are in the office on the shelves. Most of the shelves are labeled and sorted. Try to find as many props as possible here.
(2) Borrowing from other theater groups
We can also borrow things from MTG or MTA. If you are lucky there will be someone in the production staff who is a member of MTG and they will get you access to their props supply. If not email their officer lists and explain what you are looking for. If someone has worked with MTA or taken classes, they might be able to get props from there.
(3) Borrowing from actors and other Ensemble members
If the prop you need is something people have in real life (like a locket), another option is to email actors and ensemble@mit.edu asking for whatever you need. This method has a low success rate so keep looking.
(4) Making Props
If all else fails, buy materials to make the prop. If you do not have experience with things such as woodworking, feel free to ask a savvy ensemble member or the TD for help with certain pieces. We have supplies on the bottom shelf to make props. Artist Supply in Central Square also has a wide selection of materials to make props including paint and fancy paper for making letters.There are also stores around Boston and Cambridge and you can ask upperclassmen for suggestions.
(5) Buying
If making props is too difficult a task, the last resort is buying props. Amazon and other websites are great places to find all sorts of things, but make sure the props will arrive in time for the production. There are also stores around Boston and Cambridge (Target, CVS, etc.) and you can ask upperclassmen for suggestions. Make sure you are not exceeding your budget as the Ensemble does not have large budgets.
Buying/Renting Weapons
For Romeo and Juliet in Spring 2011 we required the use of Rapiers. The ensemble owns both bastard swords and foil-type swords, neither of which was perfect. We therefore rented rapiers from [[http://www.weaponsofchoicetheatrical.com/|Weapons of Choice]]. If they are no longer around, try contacting MIT theatre arts to find another place. Prices can get expensive - it's probably around $30 to $40 for each weapon for the run of the show, but that have a quite good selection. For R&J our director found a contact who gave us money to pay for the renting, but if we were willing to skimp on other areas we should be able to rent 2 or 3 ourselves. Shipping will take about 5 days, so rent them a bit before you want them to show up.
A couple general notes about renting weapons:
Keep the packing material around so you can pack them up neatly for the return trip.
Take care of them. They aren't ours and we don't want to be on the hook if they break.
Keep them safe. Make sure they stay in the office and people don't play with them. This can't be emphasised enough.
Make sure to rent one more than you need. Weapons do have a way of breaking we you least want them to.
If you're renting them for spring semester, the buffer for returning them can creep up fast. Either do it before leaving for spring break or right after you get back.
Weapons/Weapons chest
Shakespeare Ensemble has a weapons chest (in our office) which we use to store weapon props during and outside of shows. The chest has a number lock (ask officers if you don't know the password); CAC wants us to keep it locked between performances so make sure the Props Manager for the show is aware of this and does this.
Timing
Start gathering props as early as possible in the production. If there is a complicated prop you want to start working on it as early as possible in order to have it ready for the actors. If there are props that the actors need to practice with that aren't ready, rehearsal props, which are similar to the real props in structure and use, but not as detailed, are a great idea.
Being props designer will take around several hours per week, depending on the complexity of the show. Be prepared to spend a lot of time doing this job.
When getting consumable supplies for the show (drinks, food), get a set of supplies during tech week so you can experiment, and then again right before the show (so you will have the best estimate of how much you will need for the run).
Notes on Props (alphabetical order)
Glasses (particularly champagne flutes) that are poured offstage may look surprisingly less full onstage; make sure you experiment beforehand with how much is needed to make the glass look full. Also make sure to clean any glasses that will be used, and if the director wants real liquid make sure whoever has the props runtime job, knows what kind of liquid to get.
Metal Swords must be blunted via filling. Generally, sharp metal pieces on props must be filed until blunt in order to safe-ify them.
Tele-Q (telephone ringer) button is easy to 'slip' on; tell run crew to hold it down firmly if you do use this.