Stage props can be classified into three basic categories: "hand" props manipulated by actors with their hands and carried about the stage; "set" props only employed to impart a heightened sense of place and time to the set or background; and "special effect" props, which perform some special trick necessary to a performance. Production artists, called prop masters, use a variety of methods to procure props for a stage production.
Instructions
1. Kit-bash the props. "Kit-bashing" is the modification or reverse engineering of an existing object usually acquired from an everyday source. Just about anything that can be purchased at a local hardware, variety or "junk" store can be disassembled and/or modified for use as something else. A toy remote-controlled car, for example, can be kit-bashed for its servo devices, transmitters and receiver parts and turned into an animatronics crow for a musical like "The Secret Garden." As long as you can take it apart, modify it and put it back together, almost anything can become a wonderful stage prop. The benefit to kit-bashing is cost and time savings, especially when it comes to special effect electronic props.
2. Sculpt props with special materials. Designers can create props using raw materials or substances that are manipulated using chemistry. A substance like Flex-Glue can be used to create realistic, durable faux leather out of cheap muslin cloth, for example. Catalytic or "A/B" foam products create objects by mixing two otherwise inert resins and pouring them into a suitable mold. The two foams, "A" and "B," create a chemical reaction that produces hard urethane or rubberized foam props, like unbreakable wine bottles or spoil-proof cheeseburgers. Automotive "Bond-O" can be used to create molds and mass-produce props like gladiator shields and faux books for lining bookcases on a set. Papier-mâché and plaster-impregnated bandages are both standard materials used by prop masters.
3. Scavenge for props. Most theaters keep a museum of old props in stock for reuse. You can often find vintage items at antique and collectible stores; many stores will rent special items for a period of time, with a security deposit. Making the rounds of neighborhood garage sales is also a time-tested way to hunt for props. Placing items on a "most wanted" list and then distributing it to cast and crew members is another effective strategy. Loans and trades with other theater companies is a good approach as well.
4. Buy the prop, but only as a last resort, due to expense. There are professional prop workshops throughout the country that will manufacture special props for you, sell common props in stock (like breakaway bottles), or rent special pieces for the run of a production like the giant, man-eating plant puppets required for "Little Shop Of Horrors," or an electrically-powered raft for "Big River."
