ABSTRACT
Once the prop list is updated and all the information from various sources compiled, the “build” can begin in earnest. Depending on the availability and interest of the designer, the properties director juggles the decision of how to complete each prop depending on what is in stock, the availability of items in the community from other organizations or theatres, what is within the skill of the prop shop personnel to build, the advisability of altering stock pieces, the availability and expense of materials to build the props, the necessity of having the item in rehearsal quickly, and/or the expense of purchasing the item or materials needed to build the item. Every variable of that decisionmaking process can change as the prop build progresses.
