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“Givin’ Props” I love American Idol. Especially the judges! They are a very big reason the show works as well as it does. One of those judges, Randy Jackson, has a saying he always uses when a competitor gets it just right. You’ve heard the phrase. “I gotta give ya your props!” It’s a cool line. He’s letting the singer know that he or she did a great job. An outstanding job. Let’s talk a little about props. Not the Randy Jackson sort of props, but the props your actors use on stage. Stage props. Props are by definition any object that an actor handles, such as glasses, books, or weapons. Furniture and objects used to decorate the set like plants or lamps are set dressing. A personal prop is an object that the actor always carries with him such as a pocket watch or handkerchief. And sometimes props are just plain hard to get. Not that the props are hidden somewhere so secret it would take an invisible map on the back of the Declaration of Independence to find them. No. The big reason they are hard to obtain is that hardly anybody wants that job! “Frank, you play the lead in this week’s sketch. May, Tom, Linda, you’re our supporting cast. Leslie, why don’t you direct the sketch—and Bruno, you get the props.” “Do what!?” “Get the props. You’re the props master.” “I’d rather play the lead.” “Well, Bruno, look at it this way. You’re not a lowly lead…you’re a master!” That’s how it is sometimes. You hardly ever hear this conversation: “Frank, you play the lead in this week’s sketch. May, Tom, Linda, you’re our supporting cast. Leslie, why don’t you dir…” “Why do I have to play the lead? I want to be props master!” “C’mon, Frank, you’ve done props five weeks in a row, and we only did sketches for two of them! Give somebody else a chance.” “And I’m bored with directing. What I really want to do is props.” Now, granted, sometimes you may actually find someone in your church or drama team who lives and breathes props. Who never wants to be in the spotlight. They want to gather props! Hang on to this person. Bring them coffee at rehearsals. Give them a hug every time you see them. Give them free plane tickets to anywhere in the country. Okay, maybe that’s pushing it. But you really should be thankful for that person and let him or her know it. Being the person in charge of tracking down, borrowing, and then returning (in perfect condition) props is sometimes a daunting task, especially if your sketch is very prop heavy or you are the props master for your Christmas play or Easter drama. Remember, every single thing an actor uses on stage is a prop. From, as I said, glasses and books to a suitcase or an eight-foot-tall stuffed gorilla (I know, I had to find one once!). Some of these props your actors can provide. Others you may search for from Wal-Mart to eBay and still have trouble finding. Here are a couple of things that could help you in your continuing quest for props. Save props if you can. Find a place to store them, be it in your church or your parents’ garage. You never know when that eight-foot-gorilla will come in handy. When borrowing a prop, whether it’s from an actor in the sketch, your neighbor, or a local business, always return it in the same condition in which you borrowed it. Always follow up with that person or business with a thank-you call, card, or e-mail. Try for donations first. Borrow if you can. Buy if you have to. And if you buy, go to yard sales; they’re a great place to find cheap props. And try to identify someone in your team or congregation who really wants to do this. A job loved is a job well done. So let them do it. And, as Randy Jackson would say, “Don’t forget to give ’em their props!” |
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