Prop Agenda

How’d They Build That Prop?

Eric Hart — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 16:20:38 +0000

In this monthâ€s S*P*A*Minar, join Jay Lasnik, Props Supervisor and Props Teacher at Penn State University School of Theatre, as he shares how he and his crew of Penn State prop artisan students have built props for such shows as “She Kills Monsters”, “Angels in America”, “Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime”. Heâ€ll discuss his process of building props from the initial design presentation all the way through opening night.

Find out how the Penn State prop shop has tackled such projects as

a 6′ talking eyeball!
3′ tall magic mushrooms
an angel with a 18′ wingspan!
lightweight, (but strong) light-up boxes!
life-size bull puppets
and half of a dead dog!

When: Sunday, February 20th at 8pm EST

We are once again requesting pay-what-you-can donations to support this S*P*A*Minar programming. All money collected will be used to offset webinar operation costs with additional funds going to our annual grant program for early career prop people. Suggested donation amount is $3.

Donations can be made via PayPal Money Pool here.

Registration will remain open until 6pm EST on the day of the event and a link to the Zoom S*P*A*Minar session will be sent out to all registered attendees 1 hour before the start of the webinar.

All S*P*A*Minars will be recorded, and the video will be shared on YouTube the week following the event.

Angel wings designed by Kayli Warner for “Angels in America” (photo: William Wellman)

Vera, the Beholder designed by Bekah Ackuff for “She Kills Monsters”â€

Boxes designed by Rozy Isquith for “Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time”

Giant Lily Flower designed by Tania Barrenechea for “A Year with Frog and Toad”

Prop Building for Beginners

Eric Hart — Tue, 23 Nov 2021 17:35:55 +0000

I came out with a new book a few months ago, but I haven’t written about it here yet. It has been such a tumultuous year!

The book is called “Prop Building for Beginners: Twenty Props for Stage and Screen.” It is now on sale at Routledge.

I wrote this book because a lot of beginners want step-by-step instructions to build specific props. The world of prop building can be overwhelming, and sometimes you just want to know where to start.

I chose the kinds of items that people in theater or film often need to build. These are props that appear in a lot of stories and which are not always cheap or easy to buy.

The twenty props you can build from this book.

I designed and built all these items to make sure I was only using materials which are readily available throughout the world, as well as a limited number of tools. In fact, if you complete each project in this book, you will end up with a good understanding of the basic skills that every props person needs, as well as a simple toolkit that you will use on a daily basis.

Sample pages from the book.

I wrote this book for anyone who wants to begin the wonderful journey of learning how to build props. It is useful for teachers who want to introduce their students to the materials and methods used in prop making. And it may be helpful to the theater practitioner who needs to build some props but does not know how.

You can purchase “Prop Building for Beginners” directly from the publisher, from Amazon, from your favorite local bookstore, or from wherever books are sold in your country. If you’ve already bought it, leave a review on the site you bought it from!

Set Decoration: The Forgotten Narrative

Eric Hart — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 17:06:49 +0000

Do you love set decoration and set dressing, or do you dread it? Either way, this monthâ€s S*P*A*Minar is for you!

Next Sunday, Larry Heyman, S*P*A*M Member, Properties professor and set decorator will lead a conversation about the challenges presented by set dressing, set decoration and design. Heâ€ll examine the concept that set decoration and dressing is an extension of the narrative created by the director and set designer. Participants will discuss issues and concerns facing the modern properties director as they embark on â€œpaintingâ€ the details of the set from an artistic and storytelling perspective.

Weâ€ll talk about the details can be learned about a character by examining their surroundings. These details are not items usually found on the prop list, but are what help create 3-dimensional characters as opposed to a flat caricatures.

When: Sunday, November 14th at 8pm EST
Where: From the comfort of your home!
REGISTER here: https://bit.ly/SetDecorREG

Donations can be made via PayPal here.

Registration will remain open until 6pm EST on the day of the event and a link to the Zoom S*P*A*Minar session will be sent out to all registered attendees 1 hour before the start of the webinar.

All S*P*A*Minars will be recorded, and the video will be shared on Youtube the week following the event.

What’s Cookin’?

Eric Hart — Thu, 16 Sep 2021 11:30:22 +0000

One lucky webinar attendee will win a copy of Guest Presenter Karestin Harrisonâ€s book: The Fake Food Cookbook: Foods You Canâ€t Eat for Theatre, Film and TV!

During our hour long webinar, Karestin will talk us through how to use various materials to create fake food that looks so good itâ€ll make you hungry. Sheâ€ll share materials and resources with us, sharing with us different craft mediums that can be found at the local craft store as well as higher end products that can be ordered from ROSCO.

When: Sunday, September 19th at 8pm EST

Where: From the comfort of your home!

Donations can be made via PayPal Money Pool here: https://bit.ly/SPAMinarMoneyPool

Registration will remain open until 6pm EST on September 19th and a link to the Zoom S*P*A*Minar session will be sent out to all registered attendees 1 hour before the start of the webinar.

All S*P*A*Minars will be recorded, and the video will be shared on YouTube the week following the event.

Tufting, Tacking, and Trim

Eric Hart — Wed, 11 Aug 2021 16:28:27 +0000

Remember all those times youâ€ve had a big upholstery project coming up for a show and you just didnâ€t know quite where to start? Weâ€ve definitely all been there a time or two.

Well we have some great news for you! Because this month S*P*A*M Member Jessica Rosenlieb will join our S*P*A*Minar team to share some great tips and tricks for theatrical upholstery. Weâ€ll take a look at tools of the trade, materials, resources, and the process to tackle your big upholstery projects. This webinar will cover upholstery basics as well as a few advanced techniques will give us some ways to save time and money.

When: Sunday, August 15th at 8pm EST

Where: From the comfort of your home!

Donations can be made via PayPal Money Pool here: https://bit.ly/SPAMinarMoneyPool

Registration will remain open until 6pm EST on August 15th and a link to the Zoom S*P*A*Minar session will be sent out to all registered attendees 1 hour before the start of the webinar.

All S*P*A*Minars will be recorded, and the video will be shared to the S*P*A*M YouTube channel the week following the event.

Making Your Paper Props Shine

Eric Hart — Fri, 09 Jul 2021 13:30:00 +0000

Have you ever struggled with making your paper props authentic? We all know that they can be an overwhelming and intimidating part of the prop master’s job.

Well good news! This month S*P*A*M Member Natalie Kearns joins our S*P*A*Minar team to take a look at the variety of paper props that may come up and will introduce some tips and tricks to give your props an authentic look while still meeting the demands of stage use. While this presentation will be geared to early-career artisans, freelancers with tight budgets, and those still learning the world of props, there will hopefully be some new tips and tricks for everyone who is interested in learning more about the wide world of paper props! So join us and register now!

When: Sunday, July 18th at 8pm EST
Where: From the comfort of your home!
REGISTER here!

Donations can be made via PayPal Money Pool here.

Registration will remain open until 6pm EST on June 20th and a link to the Zoom S*P*A*Minar session will be sent out to all registered attendees 1 hour before the start of the webinar.

All S*P*A*Minars will be recorded, and the video will be shared on the S*P*A*M YouTube page the week following the event. Videos for all previous S*P*A*Minars can be viewed there as well.

Is This a Dagger I See Before Me?

Eric Hart — Thu, 17 Jun 2021 13:56:04 +0000

In this Monthâ€s S*P*A*Minar, Thomas Fiocchi, resident Props Technologist at Ohio University and creator at Fiocchi Swords will give us an introduction on how to make stage safe combat weapons in our prop shops. I know we say this a lot, but you really donâ€t want to miss this one!

When: Sunday, June 20th at 8pm EST

Where: From the comfort of your home!

Donations can be made via PayPal Money Pool here.

Registration will remain open until 6pm EST on June 20th and a link to the Zoom S*P*A*Minar session will be sent out to all registered attendees 1 hour before the start of the webinar.

All S*P*A*Minars will be recorded, and the video will be posted to the S*P*A*M YouTube page the week following the event. You can also view all the previous S*P*A*Minars there for free.

Props You Can Make at Home

Eric Hart — Thu, 29 Apr 2021 16:10:24 +0000

On April 18th, I gave a presentation for the monthly webinar series given by S*P*A*M. “Props You Can Make at Home” was all about building props when you have no shop and few tools, and it uses mostly locally purchased materials.

The entire webinar is now posted to the S*P*A*M YouTube page if you missed it.

Props You Can Make at Home

Eric Hart — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 16:23:56 +0000

How do you build props when you have no shop, few tools, and basic materials?

In this monthâ€s S*P*A*Minar, I will show you some tips and techniques to build props cheaply and safely right in your home, with materials you can buy locally.

When: Sunday, April 18th at 8pm EST
Where: From the comfort of your home!
REGISTER here: http://bit.ly/PYCMAHregistration

With this S*P*A*Minar, weâ€re also doing our first-ever giveaway! One lucky attendee* will win a copy of my new book: Prop Building for Beginners: Twenty Props for Stage and Screen.

We are once again requesting pay-what-you-can donations to support this S*P*A*Minar programming. All money collected will be used to offset webinar operation costs with additional funds going to our annual grant program for early-career prop people. The suggested donation amount is $3.

Donations can be made via PayPal Money Pool here: https://bit.ly/SPAMinarMoneyPool

Registration will remain open until 6PM EST on April 18th and a link to the Zoom S*P*A*Minar session will be sent out to all registered attendees 1 hour before the start of the webinar.

All S*P*A*Minars will be recorded, and a video will be shared on the S*P*A*M Youtube page the week following the event. You can watch all previous S*P*A*Minars there for free.

*Attendee must be present at the S*P*A*Minar to win.

Ask a Prop Manager Anything

Eric Hart — Thu, 18 Feb 2021 13:59:20 +0000

Ask a Prop Manager Anything S*P*A*Minar!

If youâ€ve ever had a question you wanted to ask a Prop Manager, hereâ€s your chance! Itâ€s our first ever prop manager AMA!

Join us Sunday, February 21st, 2021, 8pm EST. Register now!

Panelists will be

Lori Harrison, Prop Master, San Francisco Opera
Ben Hohman, Properties Director, Utah Shakespeare Festival
Nikki Kulas, Prop Master, First Stage
Jen McClure, Properties Supervisor for the Yale Repertory Theatre and Yale School of Drama

The S*P*A*Minar will be moderated by: Karin Rabe Vance, Freelance Properties Manager

Stay tuned this week for spotlights on each of our panelists!

Donations can be made via PayPal Money Pool

Registration will remain open until 6PM EST on February 21st and a link to the Zoom S*P*A*Minar session will be sent out to all registered attendees 1 hour before the start of the webinar.

All S*P*A*Minars will be recorded and video will be shared on the S*P*A*M YouTube channel. You can check out all previous S*P*A*Minars at the channel as well!