Skills and Tools for Working with Props
I spoke with Prop Agenda creator and professional prop artisan and prop master Eric Hart recently, and part two of our recent interview follows below. Enjoy!
Angela Mitchell: What unique skills would you suggest to others who want to work with props on a professional basis?
Eric Hart: I think the most unique skill a props person can possess is the ability to both care so much about your work that you won't stop until every detail is perfect, while simultaneously being detached enough to not take it personally when a designer wants to change something or a director wants to cut it completely.
Angela Mitchell: That's a great way to define a tricky balance. Meanwhile, when you're creating items, do you have any specific skills that are most enjoyable for you, like metal or carpentry, etc.?
Eric Hart: I still enjoy carpentry a lot. There is always something more to learn about working with wood. I like how it looks on its own, and how much is possible to achieve with it. If I were stranded on a deserted island with a forest, I would be happy making furniture all day long.
Angela Mitchell: What tools MUST be in any prop-master's toolkit? Which should they include as valuable extras?
Eric Hart: I would say to be prepared for any prop emergency, you should have a hot glue gun, a cordless drill with different drill bits and driver bits, a hammer, a knife or two, an Exacto blade, and pliers.
It's great if you can fit a Dremel in there too. Some small paint pens and markers, different sizes and lengths of wire, little bits of material, like wood and metal and plastic. A saw can be helpful; depending on the size of your toolkit, you can go anywhere from a tiny folding saw to a small handsaw.
Different grits of sandpaper and files, especially a Sur-form. Mortite, gaffers tape and five-minute epoxy. Some sewing needles and threads.
I think some valuable extras include a jig saw and a powered sander. A reciprocating saw is pretty versatile if you don't mind carrying it around. A hacksaw is a must for cutting metals. A pop rivet gun is great for attaching things in a pinch. I guess I could keep going depending on what kind of work you're expecting to do. But the things I mentioned will probably fix the props enough for the curtain to go up; you can always break out the more specialized tools when the show is done for the night.
Angela Mitchell: That's great -- it's one of my favorite topics, finding out what supplies or tools craftspeople and designers keep on hand as their go-to items.
How closely do you tend to work with the director, the set/scenic designer, or the costume designer?
Eric Hart: It depends on the show and the particular people involved. I certainly work the most with the scenic designer, as they are the one responsible for determining the look and design for all the props. Some will take a very hands-off approach, just sending you some research and visual images and trusting that you'll make choices that are not at odds with the stage picture they're creating.
Others like to be involved with all the details, even jumping in at the last minute with a paintbrush or hot glue gun to nudge the props to perfection. I usually only work with directors when certain props have very specific needs for an actor, or when the director is creating a scene which is contingent on the use of props.
Some directors prefer to step back a bit from props and filter everything through the scenic designer. I work with the costume designer and department when there are crossover props, such as bags and purses, or when a character has a prop that needs to be in harmony with his or her costume. Shakespeare plays always have a lot of costume/prop interaction, because every other character has either a sword or a knife, which requires a sheath or a scabbard attached to the belt which goes around the costume.
Angela Mitchell: Eric, I know from your blog that you're a history buff when it comes to your work -- what little anecdotes or facts were most fascinating to you to discover when it comes to your work?
Eric Hart: I think it's interesting how props and prop people are almost universal throughout theatre traditions. From Ancient Greece to Shakespeare to Vaudeville, there always seems to be someone making and finding props. Even when other technical theatre elements are missing, like when actors have to supply their own costumes, or the show is done in a found space, or outside with no lighting, props remain a necessary component.
Yet today, they remain somewhat ignored, receiving the smallest budgets and the least recognition.
Angela Mitchell: I couldn't agree more. I posted something on this previously when you blogged about it after last year's Tony Awards. It's ridiculous there's not more official industry recognition for props work.
Eric Hart: It was less than forty years from the first sound designer to a Tony Award for Best Sound Design, yet there is still no Tony Award for best Props Design, even though props have been in use for thousands of years. The last time a props master won a Tony was Joe Lynn in 1949, and the category he won in, Best Stage Technician, is no longer awarded.
Angela Mitchell: Here's hoping if people keep speaking up on this, the industry will remedy that. Fingers crossed!
While we're on the topic of dissension, have you ever had to navigate a situation in which you were at odds with a set designer or director on a production? If so, how did you handle it?
Eric Hart: It's not a props person's place to be at odds with the director or designer. Usually, if a situation begins to arise, it's because someone is requesting something which is physically impossible.
If that's the case, I will make a few suggestions, each with a different kind of compromise.
Maybe one choice involves a slight change in the appearance of the prop, maybe one involves a slight change in blocking. If they aren't biting the hook I'm offering, I'll give them a short-term solution and tell them I'll keep thinking on it. More than once, I've been faced with a problem that seems impossible to solve at the end of the day, only to come up with a brilliant yet straightforward solution the next morning.
If I find myself disagreeing with a designer or director on the choices they are making (as opposed to their requests for the impossible), I typically just hold my tongue. What usually happens in those situations is that once I see the show, either the costumes or the lights, or the way the actor plays a scene, it proves that the designer or director's choices were actually right. They have the luxury of seeing the production as a whole during their process, while I am only working on small portions of it. That's not to say I won't then offer suggestions on what can be improved with the props.
Angela Mitchell: How much of what you bring to props is found, bought, or made? Percentage-wise?
Eric Hart: It depends on the show. A realistic, contemporary show will have much more bought or found items, while an evocative Shakespeare or Greek tragedy will need more built items. Every show has a bit of each, though. Sometimes it's surprising what needs to be made, like in the case of contemporary shows, often the needs of the furniture are beyond what they were built for, such as when actors jump on chairs or push tables over, so it's better to build those, even if you are copying the look of something found in the store.
Angela Mitchell: I've worked as a props master in the past, and for me the biggest challenge was of course budget, but also simply getting lost in trying to find items -- thrift stores can be dangerously fascinating places! Has this ever happened to you?
Eric Hart: There's this large outdoor flea market held up in Connecticut called Elephant's Trunk. It's only held on weekends during the spring and summer. It's huge; I spent a whole day there once, and didn't even manage to see everything. It's so hard to pass by so many interesting items while trying to focus on the list of things you need to find.
The same thing can happen when I'm doing online searches as well. I can get so wrapped up in all the minutiae of a specific place and time in history that I neglect to look for the actual props I need.
Want to learn more about Eric Hart's secrets behind the world of props? Check out part 1 of my interview with him here, and part 3 of our interview here.
I spoke with Prop Agenda creator and professional prop artisan and prop master Eric Hart recently, and part two of our recent interview follows below. Enjoy!
Angela Mitchell: What unique skills would you suggest to others who want to work with props on a professional basis?
Eric Hart: I think the most unique skill a props person can possess is the ability to both care so much about your work that you won't stop until every detail is perfect, while simultaneously being detached enough to not take it personally when a designer wants to change something or a director wants to cut it completely.
Angela Mitchell: That's a great way to define a tricky balance. Meanwhile, when you're creating items, do you have any specific skills that are most enjoyable for you, like metal or carpentry, etc.?
Eric Hart: I still enjoy carpentry a lot. There is always something more to learn about working with wood. I like how it looks on its own, and how much is possible to achieve with it. If I were stranded on a deserted island with a forest, I would be happy making furniture all day long.
Angela Mitchell: What tools MUST be in any prop-master's toolkit? Which should they include as valuable extras?
Eric Hart: I would say to be prepared for any prop emergency, you should have a hot glue gun, a cordless drill with different drill bits and driver bits, a hammer, a knife or two, an Exacto blade, and pliers.
It's great if you can fit a Dremel in there too. Some small paint pens and markers, different sizes and lengths of wire, little bits of material, like wood and metal and plastic. A saw can be helpful; depending on the size of your toolkit, you can go anywhere from a tiny folding saw to a small handsaw.
Different grits of sandpaper and files, especially a Sur-form. Mortite, gaffers tape and five-minute epoxy. Some sewing needles and threads.
I think some valuable extras include a jig saw and a powered sander. A reciprocating saw is pretty versatile if you don't mind carrying it around. A hacksaw is a must for cutting metals. A pop rivet gun is great for attaching things in a pinch. I guess I could keep going depending on what kind of work you're expecting to do. But the things I mentioned will probably fix the props enough for the curtain to go up; you can always break out the more specialized tools when the show is done for the night.
Angela Mitchell: That's great -- it's one of my favorite topics, finding out what supplies or tools craftspeople and designers keep on hand as their go-to items.
How closely do you tend to work with the director, the set/scenic designer, or the costume designer?
Eric Hart: It depends on the show and the particular people involved. I certainly work the most with the scenic designer, as they are the one responsible for determining the look and design for all the props. Some will take a very hands-off approach, just sending you some research and visual images and trusting that you'll make choices that are not at odds with the stage picture they're creating.
Others like to be involved with all the details, even jumping in at the last minute with a paintbrush or hot glue gun to nudge the props to perfection. I usually only work with directors when certain props have very specific needs for an actor, or when the director is creating a scene which is contingent on the use of props.
Some directors prefer to step back a bit from props and filter everything through the scenic designer. I work with the costume designer and department when there are crossover props, such as bags and purses, or when a character has a prop that needs to be in harmony with his or her costume. Shakespeare plays always have a lot of costume/prop interaction, because every other character has either a sword or a knife, which requires a sheath or a scabbard attached to the belt which goes around the costume.
Angela Mitchell: Eric, I know from your blog that you're a history buff when it comes to your work -- what little anecdotes or facts were most fascinating to you to discover when it comes to your work?
Eric Hart: I think it's interesting how props and prop people are almost universal throughout theatre traditions. From Ancient Greece to Shakespeare to Vaudeville, there always seems to be someone making and finding props. Even when other technical theatre elements are missing, like when actors have to supply their own costumes, or the show is done in a found space, or outside with no lighting, props remain a necessary component.
Yet today, they remain somewhat ignored, receiving the smallest budgets and the least recognition.
Angela Mitchell: I couldn't agree more. I posted something on this previously when you blogged about it after last year's Tony Awards. It's ridiculous there's not more official industry recognition for props work.
Eric Hart: It was less than forty years from the first sound designer to a Tony Award for Best Sound Design, yet there is still no Tony Award for best Props Design, even though props have been in use for thousands of years. The last time a props master won a Tony was Joe Lynn in 1949, and the category he won in, Best Stage Technician, is no longer awarded.
Angela Mitchell: Here's hoping if people keep speaking up on this, the industry will remedy that. Fingers crossed!
While we're on the topic of dissension, have you ever had to navigate a situation in which you were at odds with a set designer or director on a production? If so, how did you handle it?
Eric Hart: It's not a props person's place to be at odds with the director or designer. Usually, if a situation begins to arise, it's because someone is requesting something which is physically impossible.
If that's the case, I will make a few suggestions, each with a different kind of compromise.
Maybe one choice involves a slight change in the appearance of the prop, maybe one involves a slight change in blocking. If they aren't biting the hook I'm offering, I'll give them a short-term solution and tell them I'll keep thinking on it. More than once, I've been faced with a problem that seems impossible to solve at the end of the day, only to come up with a brilliant yet straightforward solution the next morning.
If I find myself disagreeing with a designer or director on the choices they are making (as opposed to their requests for the impossible), I typically just hold my tongue. What usually happens in those situations is that once I see the show, either the costumes or the lights, or the way the actor plays a scene, it proves that the designer or director's choices were actually right. They have the luxury of seeing the production as a whole during their process, while I am only working on small portions of it. That's not to say I won't then offer suggestions on what can be improved with the props.
Angela Mitchell: How much of what you bring to props is found, bought, or made? Percentage-wise?
Eric Hart: It depends on the show. A realistic, contemporary show will have much more bought or found items, while an evocative Shakespeare or Greek tragedy will need more built items. Every show has a bit of each, though. Sometimes it's surprising what needs to be made, like in the case of contemporary shows, often the needs of the furniture are beyond what they were built for, such as when actors jump on chairs or push tables over, so it's better to build those, even if you are copying the look of something found in the store.
Angela Mitchell: I've worked as a props master in the past, and for me the biggest challenge was of course budget, but also simply getting lost in trying to find items -- thrift stores can be dangerously fascinating places! Has this ever happened to you?
Eric Hart: There's this large outdoor flea market held up in Connecticut called Elephant's Trunk. It's only held on weekends during the spring and summer. It's huge; I spent a whole day there once, and didn't even manage to see everything. It's so hard to pass by so many interesting items while trying to focus on the list of things you need to find.
The same thing can happen when I'm doing online searches as well. I can get so wrapped up in all the minutiae of a specific place and time in history that I neglect to look for the actual props I need.
Want to learn more about Eric Hart's secrets behind the world of props? Check out part 1 of my interview with him here, and part 3 of our interview here.
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