Stepping onto a stage and reciting the lines of a famous playwright may be one way to take part in the production of a play, but it is by no means the most important. Without the necessary props, even the performance of the greatest of thespians may fall flat. After all, without a gun, the bad guy would have to point his finger and say "bang bang," which may well elicit derisive laughter from the audience instead of the intended shock and horror. Here's a quick how-to guide on prop making.
Instructions
1. Read the script. It may seem obvious, but without knowing exactly what props are needed in each scene, there's no way you can possibly make them. Read the script and make a list of every single prop you might need.
2. Grab actual items whenever possible. The spoons in your kitchen drawer can easily "become" props simply by virtue of being on the stage. While you can always create facsimiles of simple items, there's no substitute for the real thing.
3. Create an illusion of the actual item if the real thing simply isn't practical. For example, if you're doing a play where the main character drives a car, and your actors are third-graders, bringing a Porsche onto the stage isn't going to work, even if you could pull it off. Using plywood, MDF or even heavy-duty poster board and a little bit of paint, you can create a two-dimensional outline of a car that your young cast can stand behind to create the appropriate illusion.
4. Remember that bigger is usually better. If you're creating a rocket ship, don't make it so small that someone in the back row of the theater wouldn't be able to see it without a telescope. The big-ticket items need to be just that--big!
5. Keep set changes in mind. If the whole play takes place in one location, then it doesn't matter how much that safe in the middle of the room weighs. It's not going anywhere. However, if you have to get it offstage in a short amount of time because the next scene takes place on a Hawaiian beach, that safe had better be light enough to move quickly.
