Beatrice Ruobin Huang: Ancient Art for a Modern Audience.
Skene Staff
Opera director Beatrice Ruobin Huang reflects on loss, collaboration, and creating meaningful connections between music, story, and audience.
Opera director Beatrice Ruobin Huang reflects on loss, collaboration, and creating meaningful connections between music, story, and audience.
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by Jay Duckworth.
After over a decade at The Public Theater and Shakespeare in the Park, and after working with a couple dozen stage managers over the 40 years I have been a props person, I think I’ve found the best layout for a props list that suits everyone’s needs: directors, production managers, stage managers, and artisans. The reason I use this method is to keep information readable and easy to decipher. I used it on Hamilton, Fun Home, Latin History for Morons, and Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson.
We divide the column into categories. When the location changes, we fill in the cell to show where we are. The scene may change—à la French scene—but a new location almost always means new set dressing.
The first three columns are basic: Act, Scene, and Page Number. Those are standard. If you’re doing a play like Machinal, where the divisions are called Episodes, just let the stage managers know that you’re using “scene” and make adjustments if needed.
Then come the two most vital columns: the Prop # and the Prop. The prop number is extremely important because there may be multiples—swords, daggers, chairs, tables, etc. To avoid confusion when one item appears in multiple scenes, we number the props to help stage management. This not only aids in tracking items but also helps with rehearsal notes, allowing us to single out one specific piece for quicker, more efficient fixes.
Reading a note like “The chair is squeaky and wobbly; can we address it before tomorrow’s rehearsal?” gives me anxiety—especially when there are 50 chairs in the show. Whereas “Chair #4 is squeaky and wobbly. Can we look at it before rehearsal?” immediately identifies the problem and lets us address it quickly.
The last three columns are Quantity, Who, and Description. Quantity and Who are self-explanatory. Notes should include any textual information and crossovers that flag other departments—for example: “1945 cathedral radio needs a speaker and needs to light up.” With that note, you can contact LX and Audio and let them know what’s required for cross-departmental items.
There are also Prop-Stumes (costume-prop combinations), but that deserves its own article altogether. For now, this format provides the best foundation for a props list that truly serves the team. You can customize it by adding columns for rehearsal, stand-in, or final props so that stage management can easily share updates with the director when asked.
The second piece of paperwork I recommend is for you and your team: the Work Sheet. The worksheet is a timesaver—especially when working summer stock or rehearsing multiple shows at once. It breaks down your tasks into different categories of work:
This document needs to be updated daily before the crew arrives. Keeping all your tasks in one place allows artisans to sign their names next to a task and start working immediately. If anyone has questions about a project’s status, you can quickly check who’s working on it.
Even better, it empowers your coworkers. When someone finishes a task and the props head is in a meeting or out shopping, the artisan can simply strike through the completed task and move on to the next prioritized job.
Both of these forms can be downloaded for free:
This article is part of our ongoing collaboration with Jay Duckworth, “The Proptologist”. You can also read his companion piece, This Above All; To Bi Own Self Be True, exploring queer life and chosen family in theatre.
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