The Spongebob Musical
We created more than 100 props by hand for The Spongebob Musical. Most props were used for one scene at most and all ensemble members had a variety of props. This show was near and dear to our cast and crew because the show was created in Dana Point! Our theme for the show reflected current society's treatment of the ocean, so we used trash and objects from home to create set pieces. Despite the challenge of creating so many props, the outcome of the musical was extremely rewarding!
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Photos taken by Clover Byrnes
When The Going Gets Tough on stage!
To decorate our set we painted cardboard disks and Bikini Bottom flowers to put around our stage to give the feel that the show was underwater. We also used trashcans to make coral reefs, we used paper mache and cut up pool noodles to make unique shapes and clusters that resembled the uniqueness of coral reefs. Larry is also lifting a "heavy" dumbbell that is made out of styrofoam.
We added a chair to the back of the Chum Bucket so Karen (Nicola) would be able to flip Plankton (Annika) during the opening number!
When The Going Gets Tough on stage!
I'm Not a Loser on stage!
For "BFF" we had to create an expandable couch for the iconic duo to create shapes in. We ended up purchasing a cardboard expandable couch that was extremely sturdy and fun to work with on stage.
The Jet Pack was discussed on another slide however, many cast members interacted with the Jet Pack including Patrick. During some numbers Patrick rode in on a hover board, every night we made sure it was charged and that it was being used safely.
I'm Not a Loser on stage!
Bikini Bottom Day on stage!
In the show Plankton & Karen are scheming as always. Their new invention is "The Avalanche Maker 3000TM". To make this machine we took three large boxes stacked onto each other to make the machine large and tall. We used two posters for the cone and cylinder on top of the boxes. We used puff balls and wiring to decorate the outside to look like buttons. The boxes and posters where objects we already had leaning into our show's theme!
For the show there was a lot of signs that had to be hand painted. Because there are no real set changes, the signs helped the audience know what locations we where in (Mt. Humungous, Krusty Krab etc) or it helped enhance certain scenes (BFF letters, Escape Pods R Us Magazine etc). All our signs where hand painted and designed by us!
Bikini Bottom Day on stage!
Super Sea Star Savior on stage!
Detailed List of SOME of our props! To see all props made click link.
Due to the large amount of props our team created a list of deadlines! They where listed in order of priority/difficulty. We transferred this list to a board in class and marked it off in class instead of the google doc. To view the list click the link!
Super Sea Star Savior on stage!
Little Shop of Horrors
During my time working on Little Shop, I was responsible for set dressing and keeping track of all the props. As the show heavily relied on props, I collaborated with another prop designer to efficiently execute all prop-related tasks. Since the show takes place in a flower shop that gradually gets fancier and busier due to an odd-looking plant, there are frequent changes to the set's appearance.
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For the beginning of the show Seymour walks in with a tray of potted plants and drops them on to the ground creating a mess. For this scene we used real soil to create realness in the scene. We reset the pots each night with soil and cleaned the set each night to ensure the soil was properly disposed of.
For the opening the number the show opens with Seymour (Tristan). The shop is first seen right before this number. Because the flower shop is on skidrow and during the first few numbers the shop is a rundown shop that is falling apart, we made the store seem empty and lifeless almost by only displaying a couple pots of dead flowers and no costumers.
During the song "Closed for Renovation", the flower shop os thriving and business is booming. I decided to add a green shelf to add more flowers. I also added more flower bouquets in glass vases to give a fancier feel to the shop. Though it can't be seen in the photo, the entire shop is filled with flowers and gardening items to show the success of the shop.
For the beginning of the show Seymour walks in with a tray of potted plants and drops them on to the ground creating a mess. For this scene we used real soil to create realness in the scene. We reset the pots each night with soil and cleaned the set each night to ensure the soil was properly disposed of.
It's Just The Gas
This is our props table with just some of our props. Our props table is labeled and organized to ensure the props don't get lost and that the actors know where their props belong
This is the props team putting some finishing touches on props days before the opening of our show!
It's Just The Gas
Opening Scene of Little Shop!
For this show, the plants are the most important part of the entire show. As props we where in charge of these plants! For this show we had a total of 4 different plants. The one pictured is our smallest plant!
This is Mushnik getting eaten by our large plant (Audrey II)
Opening Scene of Little Shop!
Large Plant on stage!
This is a list of all the props we had to obtain for this show!
Large Plant on stage!
The Crucible
As the prop master for The Crucible, my responsibilities included dressing the set, creating props, selecting which props to use, and conducting extensive research on the play. I painted all of the kitchenware, dyed paper, and even sewed some of the props. I read the script multiple times to ensure that no details were overlooked when selecting props and to verify that all props were appropriate for the time period and actors.
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For John & Elizabeth's house we used two tables and used set dressing that would be used in the time period. Because during the 1600's they had limited resources we used a minimal set. On the table we had traditional metal dish-ware, candles, and darker fruits to further embodies the darkness of the show. We also hand painted all the dish-ware to make it look rusty and over used.
Closer look at John & Elizabeth's house
For the papers I hand made all of them by handwriting each paper in ink and submerging each paper in coffee. I also let them air dry to add an antique effect to each paper. I repeated this process for about 40 papers which took hours and hours of trial and error.
For John & Elizabeth's house we used two tables and used set dressing that would be used in the time period. Because during the 1600's they had limited resources we used a minimal set. On the table we had traditional metal dish-ware, candles, and darker fruits to further embodies the darkness of the show. We also hand painted all the dish-ware to make it look rusty and over used.
For Betty's room we also used a very minimal set and to add to the room we added a frame to look like a window in the back center.
For The Crucible because there is very specific props we decided to use a prop tracking sheet that was color cordinated to allows use to be aware of the status on props. To see the complete prop sheet click the link.
For Betty's room we also used a very minimal set and to add to the room we added a frame to look like a window in the back center.
Vacancy in Paradise
In Vacancy in Paradise, every prop had a purpose. Though the show may have had a minimal amount of props, set dressing played a vital role in creating a world where characters could truly come to life.
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Photos taken by Clover Byrnes
For the set we decided to go with a 70's vibe. The play is set in a rundown hotel, we chose to make the hotel brown with a wood lining and sage green doors to compliment the brown tones on stage.
We chose to do whicker for all our furniture because whicker was trendy during the 70's. We kept with the orange/brown theme by using orange cushions for our chairs. The lamp pictured ended up not being used, we used a stained glass lamp that was colorful and gave off a more 70's vibe.
Stage left was the second half of our lobby. We added a large couch which is identical to the chair in previous pictures. We added a piano to make the lobby feel more homey. Other small details such as a mirror, books and flowers where also added to make the lobby seem welcoming.
For the set we decided to go with a 70's vibe. The play is set in a rundown hotel, we chose to make the hotel brown with a wood lining and sage green doors to compliment the brown tones on stage.
The "No Vacancy" sign was one of four signs we had to hand paint. Mitch carries this sign around throughout the play.
Boxie is a homeless man found by Wally who has an aggressive demeanor. He is a comedic character so we gave him props to enhance his character. In one of the scenes he steals someones clothes so we used extra clothes costumes took out.
On the green door to the left there is a hand painted "office" sign. In the center wall we hand painted the hotel's room rates and below the sign we added a sign with hooks on it to hang our room keys.
The "No Vacancy" sign was one of four signs we had to hand paint. Mitch carries this sign around throughout the play.