Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2023 - 62

BOOK REVIEWS ERIKA GUAY, EDITOR
Prop Building for Beginners: Twenty Props
for Stage and Screen
By Eric Hart
Routledge, 2021, 214 pages
Hardcover $170; paperback $48.95, eBook
$36.71
Reviewed by Phillip Grayson
A lantern built by the reviewer following
the instructions in Hart's text. | Photo by
Phillip Grayson
Properties, whether found, borrowed, or
constructed, are very important to establishing
the period and style of a production.
Props can range from historically accurate
Victoriana for The Importance of Being
Earnest (not to mention the cucumber
sandwiches) to weapons in myriad Shakespearean
works, to the fan mail from the
future in On The Verge.
Although this is Eric Hart's most recent
book on properties, you may have
read his previous texts, The Prop Building
Guidebook and The Props Effects Guidebook.
In essence, this text is a cookbook
for building 20 props that range from
books and letters to an upholstered stool
and food props, such as a loaf of bread and
roast chicken. Each description includes
a bill of materials, complete step-by-step
instructions, and full-color illustrations.
Many projects, including the skull (for
Hamlet maybe) and the dead bird (perhaps
for The Seagull), use patterns or templates
with an overlaid grid. These patterns are
also available as pdf files at www.rout
ledge.com/9780367366926.
In total, if one builds all 20 projects,
you will have mastered a full range of
prop constructing techniques, including
woodworking, sewing, painting, and dying.
One of the best features of this volume is
the chapter on safety in which the author
recognizes the common risks in prop fabrication
and identifies ways to reduce the
hazards. For example, Hart's finishing
techniques do not require the use of spray
paint.
I decided to try my hand at building
one of the projects, the lantern. The design
is based on the one Paul Revere used
in his midnight ride, but it could fit any
production from medieval times to World
War I. Because it is constructed from paper-based
products, it is environmentally
62 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | SPRING 2023
friendly. The first step is to assemble all the
materials and tools on Hart's list. Your local
big box or art supply store should have
everything available. Next, cut out all the
pieces following the supplied dimensions.
Assembly requires white glue, rubber cement,
and hot melt glue. Finishing the
lantern requires acrylic paint applied with
brushes and sponges. I was pleased to find
that the instructions were well-written, and
the lantern was easy to build.
Besides the 20 projects, the book also
includes chapters on materials such as
paper, cardboard, wood, foam, clay, glue,
tape, paint, and fabrics. Each chapter is an
overview of available materials and which
tools work best for each material. There is
also a complete glossary of terms used in
the text.
While the book is a primer for prop
construction, the scope and sophistication
of the projects make it valuable work for
all aspiring artisans. I would highly recommend
this text to those working with high
school and college students, those seeking
a starting point to making properties, and
even seasoned professionals.
Phil Grayson started his career in the '70s as a
props master at the Loretto Hilton Repertory
Theatre in St. Louis. He then joined Grady Larkins
Studio building props for Busch Gardens in
Tampa and Williamsburg. He also served on the
faculty at James Madison University, Eastern
Mennonite University, and Bridgewater College,
and is currently retired. Reach him at philg555@
aol.com.
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http://www.routledge.com/9780367366926 http://www.routledge.com/9780367366926
Theatre Design & Technology - Spring 2023

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