Stage Designs 

Most  stage designs are versatile and may be redesigned to produce unique backdrops for parties and events, tailored to any theme. For me, each scene indicated by an author should be considered correctly, just as each note in his orchestral score and in each sentence of his poetry,” he wrote of his approach to staging Wagner in his book The Stage — My Life” (1996). He did pioneering work with lighting, projections and holography, paving the way for some of the technical stage wizardry that is common today. In The Stage — My Life,” which takes the form of a conversation with the music scholar Kurt Pahlen, the designer discussed his approach.

Mr. Schneider-Siemssen had a special ability to translate the visions of directors into stage imagery, Mr. Schenk said in a telephone interview, praising his versatility, especially in returning to works he had designed before. One famous play has an elaborate set that shows the stage from the front in one-act and from the back side in the second act. In a stage play the sets just have to suggest the location and maybe the mood of the scene. 
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Although we weren’t speaking of costumes in this article….It’s not uncommon to see some of Shakespeare’s plays performed with only the actors wearing period costumes. For instance, fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel make good use of stage enhancements. That is exactly what they did on the Miner Family Stage and they set the bar pretty high. They easily pumped out one of the tightest, most energetic sets of the day – mark my word, these guys are destined for greatness.

THEATRICAL PROPERTY

The term has readily transferred to television and motion picture production, where they are commonly referred to by the phrase movie prop or film prop In recent years, the increasing popularity of movie memorabilia (a broader term that also includes costumes) has added new meaning to the term “prop,” broadening its existence to include a valuable after-life as a prized collector’s item. Typically not available until after a film’s premiere, movie props appearing on-screen are christened “screen-used”, and can fetch thousands of dollars in online auctions and charity benefits. 

I remember a troupe performance I saw in which the choreography to each and every song used a different prop, and the effect was much too busy. The performers looked more like trained seals showing off thoeir collection of tricks than like dancers offering a dance perfrmance. I would encourage you to put at least one dance that uses no props at all in between each prop-oriented dance. Props are most effective when they’re used to provide a change of pace. Be prepared with all show props for first and subsequent technical and dress rehearsals (all props in place and prepared to begin at each rehearsal’s start time).

The Props Table

If consumables are used in a performance, the Props Designer is responsible for obtaining a purchase order, check, or petty cash from the Department Administrative Assistant and making arrangements for purchase (see Petty Cash policy ). Props Designer consults with the Director of the production regarding when consumables should first be used in rehearsals. Props Crew notifies the Props Designer when restocking is necessary. During the rehearsal period, the Props Crew behaves as any other crew (electrics, paint, set construction, etc.) in attending work calls held by the Props Designer These work calls may include building or shopping for props.

Set decoration can and should be really rich and detail-oriented,” he says of his affinity for putting the intimate touches on scenery. “It can be a major contributor to the effect that the play has,” he says. Other props departments throughout the country have shops that are variations on Guy’s setup at Milwaukee Rep, but not all have the budgets to retain such diverse staff. In smaller shops the props master has a very hands-on job. Before the end of the semester the props master must turn in their paperwork package as defined and discussed with the faculty props designer.