"The Detail is in the Props," in the new issue of DramaBiz Magazine

The May 2008 issue of DramaBiz Magazine features my article about props in the theatre. One of the things that interested me while researching the piece was how theatres store all of the props that they design and/or collect over the years:

In Chicago, the Steppenwolf Theatre Company has an area for furniture, a separate area for smaller items or hand props, and another area for fabric, bedding and pillows. “We have lots of shelving units full of large clear plastic bins (so you can see what’s inside) with lids (to keep the dust out),” says DiLuciano. Like items are kept in each bin. There’s also a furniture area where items like dining room tables, sofas, and beds are grouped together. While not everything is listed in a computer database yet, DiLuciano notes that it would take an additional full-time staffer to photograph, catalog and inventory everything in the rapidly-changing collection. “As it is now, we have to take advantage of pockets of time when we’re not working on a show to maintain order in these areas,” she says.

The photo above is from the play “Southern Comforts,
” with actors Karen Grassle and Edward Sarafian. The production was staged by TheatreWorks in Palo Alto, California. According to Properties Master Adriane Roberts, “The big project was completely reupholstering the couch and chair. Many of the props in the scene were collected but other things we worked on were lamp repairs, false books on the shelves so the crew could move them in and out easily, and appropriate family pictures on the walls.”