ABSTRACT
The prop shop lives in the hierarchy of the theatre organization. It is only one of the legs in the multiappendage creature called “production” needed to mount a show successfully.
The evolution of the properties position is murky, and it is only in the last few decades the status of having someone directly responsible for the props has been codifi ed. In the past, too often all the props were left to whoever could scrounge together the list of items needed, and anything needing to be built was requested from the scene shop or costume shop who did it around their other priorities. Sometimes stage managers were required to fi nd props as part of their job of supporting the rehearsal and performance process. Today all that is changed. The prop shop is a separate entity working in a close collaboration with its cohorts in costumes, scenery, electrics, and sound.
