Category Archives: News

Props in the news

News

New Webinar: Bloody Hell!

Bloody Hell! It’s time for another S*P*A*Minar: our monthly webinar series on all things props.

Just in time for Halloween, Jen McClure, S*P*A*M member and Properties Supervisor for the Yale Repertory Theatre and Yale School of Drama, will talk about stage blood effects!

Stage blood recipes and pre-made gore make-up products abound, but once you have your fake blood liquid, then what? In this S*P*A*Minar, Jen will show you ways to store and dispense your stage blood to execute a wide variety of blood effects for live performance. Trigger warning: this class will contain simulated blood and injury effects.

Starting with this S*P*A*Minar we are requesting pay-what-you-can donations to support this programming. All money collected will be used to offset webinar operation costs with additional funds going to our annual grant program for early career prop people. Suggested donation amount is $3.

Donations can be made via PayPal Money Pool.

REGISTER for October’s webinar here.

Registration will remain open until 6PM EST on October 18th and a link to the Zoom S*P*A*Minar session will be sent out to all registered attendees 1 hour before the start of the webinar.

All S*P*A*Minars will be recorded and video will be shared on their YouTube channel the week following the event.

News

Upcoming Prop Webinars

Introducing S*P*A*Minars: A monthly webinar series on all things props!

We’ll be kicking things off this coming Sunday at 8pm EST with Nikki Kulas, Prop Master at First Stage in Milwaukee, WI, talking about Puppets!

Life is Hard, Puppets Aren’t: Tips and Tricks for Puppet Building.

If you’ve ever wondered what type of stitch to use on puppet seams or how to make your puppet’s eyes, then Nikki is here to help! In her webinar, she will talk puppets, and do some demonstrations of quick puppet building techniques that will help extend your puppet’s life.

Register here: http://bit.ly/SPAMinarPuppets

Registration will remain open until 6PM EST on the 20th and a link to the Zoom S*P*A*Minar session will be sent out to all registered attendees 1 hour before the start of the webinar.

All S*P*A*Minars will be recorded and videos shared here the week following the event.

Life is Hard, Puppets Aren't

Upcoming S*P*A*Minars include:

October 18: Bloody Hell! A variety of ways to execute blood special effects. Jen McClure, Prop Master, Yale Rep

November 22: Texture 101 Taking your props to the next level Ben Hohman, Properties Director, Utah Shakespeare Festival

December 20: I Eat Glue 35 years of props and costume crafts Jay Lasnik, Props Master, Penn State University

Calendar of Future Webinars

News

“Anything But Costumes” Closing

Anyone who has worked in props on the East Coast recognizes the name “Anything But Costumes.” Tucked away on a small farm in New Jersey halfway between Philadelphia and New Jersey, this prop rental company serviced theaters, films, and television shows in both cities, and everywhere in between. Props people on Off-Broadway and Off-Off-Broadway relied on their low prices and wide selection to keep their shows in budget, and knew they could fill out their set dressing with just a single trip.

Word spread this week that they are closing at the end of the summer. The pandemic has already made it difficult to imagine a time when theater will return and all of us will get back to the work we love, but it is now even harder to imagine propping these shows without such a reliable and necessary resource available to us.

The owners, Linda and Lowell, sent out the following statement with their plans:

After 25 years Anything But Costumes will be closing this summer.  We have lost our lease and COVID-19 has just made business extremely difficult. We had hoped another party would take over and continue our mission of supplying schools and theaters with less expensive props.

We will be selling all the props and also lots of other stuff, like shelving, ladders, hand trucks, supplies, craft items, fabric, display cases, lumber, etc. If you are interested in buying items you can make an appointment to come here and look or you can buy from our online catalogue. The purchase price would be twice the rental price shown in the catalogue.   At some point we will probably have an auction later in the summer.

 

News

SPAM Grants Deadline Change

The following is an official announcement from the Society of Properties Artisan Managers (S*P*A*M), of which I am a member:

S*P*A*M has decided to temporarily suspend the awarding of the Jenn Trieloff and Edie Whitsett Memorial Grants.  Many producing organizations operating on a Summer schedule have suspended operations due to the uncertainty created by the global pandemic and its economic fallout. Theatres that normally begin producing in the late summer and early fall are in a state of flux and unsure of when – or even if – they will be undertaking their 2020-21 seasons.  It is for these reasons that the Society of Properties Artisan Managers has reluctantly reached the decision to postpone the deadline for and presentation of the  Jen Trieloff and Edie Whitsett Memorial Grants. The new deadline and presentation date will be announced as soon as possible.  All current applications will remain active and we encourage the submission of new applications.  Because of the uncertainty surrounding employment opportunities, we will be adding an additional requirement to the application process.  In addition to providing a cover letter, résumé and  link to a portfolio, before the grant is awarded we will ask for confirmation of the internship or apprenticeship from the applicant’s employer.  We believe that it is not only possible but vitally necessary for theatre professionals at all levels to remain strong and hopeful and to support one another as we navigate these uncertain territories.  S*P*A*M regrets any confusion or inconvenience caused by this change in plans.  Stay safe, be kind to one another and Prop On.

News

2020 Grants for Early Career Prop Professionals

It’s grant time again! Announcing the annual prop grants honoring Edie Whitsett and Jen Trieloff! Times are very uncertain right now, but most of us will be back to work by the summer or fall. If you have a props apprenticeship or internship lined up, then you should definitely apply for these grants.

The Jen Trieloff and Edie Whitsett Grants are annual $1000 awards given to individuals wishing to further their career in theatrical properties. These grants are to assist with expenses related to completing an internship, such as transportation, housing, or other necessities.

Jen Trieloff was Properties Director for American Players Theatre in Spring Green, Wisconsin and Forward Theatre in Madison, Wisconsin and served as Prop Master and Prop Designer for Madison Rep and Madison Opera and Ballet among others. He was an accomplished craftsman and scene designer whose work was seen on stages inside and outside of Wisconsin.

Edie Whitsett was the longtime property shop manager and a frequent designer at Seattle Children’s Theatre. She also created sets for Village Theatre, Seattle Opera, ACT Theatre, Pacific Northwest Ballet and other arts entities. Whitsett’s honors included an Artist Trust fellowship, a commission for an art installation at the Seattle Public Library’s central branch and two Seattle Times Footlight Awards. To honor Edie’s commitment to children’s theatre, this goal of this grant is to award it to someone who is interested in working with children’s theater, but it is not limited to only that.

This grant is overseen and awarded by the Society of Properties Artisan Managers and is for $1000 towards internship expenses.

Individuals wishing to apply should submit the following:

  • Cover Letter including details on your internship (where and when), any additional compensation that might be receiving during that time and an estimate of anticipated expenses.
  • Resume
  • Digital portfolio of recent properties work (a PDF with portfolio images or a link to a website).

Please submit application to: Jim Guy, SPAM President, at SPAMgrants@gmail.com.

All items must be received by May 15, 2020 and grants will be awarded June 15, 2020

For a full list of member theatres, please see our website at www.propmasters.org.