Props

The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre | 1996 | 700+ words | Copyright

Props, usual term for stage properties. It covers anything essential to the action of the play which does not come under the heading of costume, scenery, or furniture. Hand-props are those which an actor handles—letters, documents, revolvers, newspapers, knitting, snuff boxes, and so on. These are given to him as he goes on stage, and taken from him as he comes off, and are not his personal responsibility. Other props—stuffed birds, food in general, dinner-plates, telephones—are placed on stage by the property man, who is responsible for all props under the direction of the stage-manager. He has for storage a property room backstage, from which he is expected to produce at a moment's notice anything that may be required. He must also prevent the removal from it of oddments by members of the company.

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PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Props." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. 11 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Props." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Encyclopedia.com. (February 11, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-Props.html

PHYLLIS HARTNOLL and PETER FOUND. "Props." The Concise Oxford Companion to the Theatre. 1996. Retrieved February 11, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O79-Props.html

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