ABSTRACT
Most theatres have a sound department responsible for all the sound effects and music in a play. A props department needs to work with them when a sound effect has to be integrated into a prop, such as with a working radio or a ringing phone. Other sound effects may need to be performed live, either by the prop itself or through an offstage device. Long before sound effects could be played through speakers, the props department provided all sorts of live sound effects through a variety of interesting devices. A wind machine is a hand-cranked barrel made of wooden slats. A piece of canvas or moire silk fabric is stretched over it. As the barrel is turned, it creates a whooshing noise. The sound can be modified by using different fabrics and by adjusting the tightness. Whether musical instruments are provided by props varies widely from theatre to theatre, and many theatres handle the matter on a case-by-case basis.
