The Backstage Badger

Budget

Budget is a word that comes up a lot in theater. It is noticed quite early that the budget is never enough. There is never enough money in the world. Sometimes the budget has to be redistributed because it is mainly a costume show. For example Millikin University just did Cinderella and by golly it was a costume show. I know our Costume designer that it still was not enough. There were places that could have had fancier fabric it was just not affordable. Things will be cut because of the budget. It is just a fact of reality. There can be a magnificent idea but it takes money to make it happen. This is when priorities are made. With Cinderella we thought well what will the audience expect? Things that most people expected: glass slippers, carriage, grand staircase, and magic that will create a fairy-tale. We delivered except to be honest there are not pumpkin shaped carriages out in the world. We decided on renting a white carriage that was drawn by our beautiful horses (not real horses) but ones that looked so amazing with the wired inside and the white fabric on the outside. They looked magnificent. There were things cut because of time and because of money but we pulled it off. It had what it needed and we worked with the budget to make it a reality.  

Topics to discuss

Readers I was wondering if you could give me some help on deciding what topics to discuss in my feature article. I was thinking that I could discuss researching the era that the prop is in. This is very important because you can compare the object you are considering to others from the era. I also thought that I could talk about deciding the importance of the prop actually being authentic or it just looking so. This is something to consider especially when thinking about budget. If it is just suppose to look authentic because the space isn't too intimate then the small technicalities of the differences between a fake and the real thing wouldn't be noticed. This can make your life so much easier, for fake is easier to find and cheaper. Then if it is suppose to be authentic, then how can you be sure? I was thinking I could discuss checking the history of the object. I also want to discuss props shops, and if they are reliable.
If you have any suggestions I would love to hear your feedback!

Future Feature on Researching Props

I am going to do a feature on researching for the props you are going to use in a production. It will be kinda a how to from experts who have more experience then me. I think it is always great to see how the professionals do it so that you can replicate the system they have in your own works. Props aren't suppose to stand out to the audience. The actors are suppose to be the main focus. The props help tell the story but shouldn't be noticed. If the prop is not time period or doesn't fit in the scene it can take the audience out of the world of the show. This is why it is great to research the time period and place. When you know what is going on there at that time it helps put the world in place that you are going to help create as a props master.

Ideas for features

I was just brainstorming about feature ideas to write about on here that would interest the student in theater.

Here are some ideas:
Film vs Theater props
Prop shops and the authenticity  of the the time period that the props are suppose to be
How to conduct research for props needed in a show
What specialties are good to have in the props profession examples: making food, guns, certain time periods

So true

Quotes from experts

“There are sacrifices and you will not often work a 'normal’ schedule, as each show will have different demands. You might consider going into educational tech theater, where the hours can be more regular,” said The University of Montana.

I threw this quote in because of my friend who went into education because of the more regular hours and to have a permanent home. I think that education is an excellent option, especially after being in the field for awhile.

 “If you want a "traditional" life, where you go in a 7am and home by 5pm, this aint for you. Also, if you want to live in a certain area of the country, this aint for you. If you want the home life, you will end up going to where the work is,” said Footer.

This quote is from someone in the field. He is expressing the way of life that will soon be mine. I think that this is what my friend was trying to express to me before I went off to college. There needs to be a lot more effort into relationships to be able to work a crazy schedule and to travel. A lot of professional teachies don't have a husband or wife or kids. 

(http://www.umt.edu/theatredance/designtech/career-in-technical-theatre>.

http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/general-advice/8076-economically-safe-pursue-career-technical-theatre.html>.)

Life in Theater

I have a friend that taught me a lot about the strains of theater. I told him that I wanted to go into technical theater and he told me that it wasn't a safe choice. I hadn't really asked him to expand on the whole 'you wont have time for relationships' statement till recently. He told me his story. He had trouble getting his foot in the door after school. There weren't many theaters wanting to hire someone fresh out of college. You need experience to get a new job and to get experience you need the job. This is a problem for most technical theater people. He did what most have to do, get a job why he kept looking. He sewed pillows. He eventually got a job at a small theater. He noticed early on in his career that he wanted a life outside of theater and his job was in the way. There was a position for a technical theater teacher at a school he knew and so he took it. This job brings him happiness and that's what he was looking for.

Importance of History

Ron Arias talks about Jane Goodall in his article a woman who has an overwhelming passion for what she does. The way she started out studying prehistoric remains with Dr.Louis Leakey,the famed curator of Kenya's natural history museum, is something like a base for a props master. Most props masters are very interested in history because the plays often are an example of a time period. If you are working with Shakespeare everything has to be period. A props master needs to be able to look up and research to know what every prop would really look at in that time period. Eric Hart has worked on many shows including Shakespeare where he has done various amounts of research for objects in his shows. Eric Hart has so many different skills that help him in the props master theater world. He has written books on what it is like to be a props master on addition to that. I know I will have to write a profile on him in later blogs to elaborate on the works he does.

The prop's the thing: Eric Hart at work on the head for "The Bacchae" for Shakespeare in the Park, in 2009.

Photo by Michael Krikorian

Helm of Yngol, Skyrim

This helmet is made by Harrison Krix. I encourage you to check out his blog and see all the process shots for this helmet. There is so much detail, thought and time put into this helmet. http://volpinprops.blogspot.com/
The detail on this helmet makes it look like real metal. The rivets create beautiful texture. The rust on the helmet is very realistic, and gives it a feeling of rustic mystery. Well done Krix.

Aubrey 2

This is Aubrey 2 from Little Shop of horrors that was made by the Rainbow Youth Theatre Society. The color scheme is different from other Aubrey 2's that I have scene but I like the brighter colors. The paint job is very intentional and thought through with a very exotic look. The bumps on the plant are well defined. The prop piece is definitely a sight to see and that's how Aubrey 2 should be since so many people  come to see her.

Tree

This is one of my personal props pieces. This tree face is from Wizard of Oz that I did my freshman year of high school. I like that you make so many different things with cardboard ans masking tape.

Faces

Emery Becker, a sophomore theater major from Indiana State University created these  puppet heads of Thomas Jefferson. They are made with paper mache. I think the paper mache is great for making faces because it is wrinkly and textured to begin with just like a face. There are so many crevices around eyes and lips and paper can be manipulated to form them. She used six layers of paper to be able to define the faces and to keep them sturdy for the show. This is always something to think about when making things for theater. You always have to evaluate the durability that is needed. Overall I think the heads are very realistic. 

LIPS

This image is from Home Artworks. These inflatable lips are six meters across and 4 meters high. I think these lips are brilliant with the use of light and the texture that the lips have. These lips would look amazing with a Rocky Horror picture backdrop for a set.

Theatre imitates real life

Theatre is life. Theatre is personality. Theatre is relationships.
I start off by saying this because it is the truth. Most plays and musicals are based off of real people or people like the writer. Writers write about what they know. All plays and writing peices are unique because the author comes from a different background.
I feel like books, articles, and essays are very similar to a play by the way they tell a story about where that person is in their life, or if it is not personal it tells about a current issue in society. As I said before theatre is life.
When I read I get into the author's head. I try to identify with them in some aspect. When you can identify with the author or a character than it is more interesting to me. I can identify.
 I read Library Card by Richard Wright. This article tells about one who strives for knowledge on different points of view. As I work in the theatre world I jump into the characters heads to see what they believe in and what will help the audience know that. Plays work from so many types of views because of the contrasting actors in the play. The protagonist believes one thing and often the antagnoist believes in a completly different thing. The more I read and the more I learn the more I can see why someone has that point of view.
I also read Mother Tongue by Amy Tan. Amy tan writes about speaking in a different language to her mother which is broken english so that she understands her. I feel like this is very intersting because directors go through this with their actors of how to say their lines. Say it is a very shy self-conscious charachter, she/he is not going to talk incredibly loud. She/her would most likely be quiter and softer in speech. Also another language a director always looks at is the charachters body language because it conveys who that person is and how the audience should perceive them.
The more I read and the more I live the more I can identify with others and the reasoning behind their actions.