Chandeliers and chairs hang from the ceiling; paperbacks and hardbacks of all sizes, colors and subjects are stacked in bookcases; television sets and computers representing decades of technological change fill shelves along with dozens of baskets, doors and windows of all sizes and types — all awaiting their moment on stage.
10 comments:
I love hearing stories about warehouses like this because it makes you think about all the props you've ever used in shows and how much work is required to collect all the objects that help transform a stage into someone else's world. The most overlooked or underestimated props, like pencils or small boxes, can sometimes be the ones that are the most pivotal in creating the desired illusion onstage. Walking through a warehouse like the one in the article must be like walking through shelves full of different stories, since each object holds a special place in the play it's used in. It's interesting to think about how one of the props they mention, the 1930's wheelchair, doesn't really play much of a part in the show it's used in other than to reference that this is President Roosevelt. However, it is indispensible in setting the scene and establishing the environment of the show.
It's interesting to think about this warehouse compared to CMU Drama's prop storage. I think that we would be able to take a lesson from this We B Props. Just like the article mentioned, we may have comparable stocks, but We B Props stock is highly organized, they know where everything is, and it is all catalogued. I think it's cool and great for the theatrical community in Pittsburgh that even though the We B Props is affiliated with City Theatre that they are in a way encouraging theatre to be produced and make higher quality productions. Having a prop storage warehouse like this in Pittsburgh shows that this city is something to pay attention to in regards to theatre and the arts. There is a demand for higher quality artistic productions and I'm not sure if the supply is quite there yet. Hopefully we will see a serious, wider emergence in the next few years here.
This warehouse probably makes Pittsburgh an even better prospect for filming or producing theatrical shows -- it's not every day that you can find in a smaller sized city two entire 3,600 square foot warehouses dedicated to old props and oddities. The fact that it's organized and neat makes the company even more attractive, because it allows prop masters and scenic designers to be efficient in their search for exactly the props they need for a specific show or design. There's also a sentimentality to the company that I find endearing, and the fact that it's in South Side makes perfect sense, because South Side has so much raw space that can be spent on really cool and innovative artistic endeavors. I wonder if We B Props loans out their wares outside of the city of Pittsburgh, and how difficult that can be to transport and maintain items that might be in high desire at all times. Is there a hierarchy system that the company follows when an item is desired by both a high school and a major production? Probably. I'd love to go and take a look at the warehouse and walk through the halls. It'd definitely be like Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Prop shops are very important to have in an area around you or at least know of a good one. There are only so many shows that different companies do. Most of the time they use the same type of props or at least very similar even though each production is probably a little different. There is no reason for every company to make their own props for a show that has been down so many times. There is a lot of time and money spent on making props especially in relation to the run of a show. Having a prop warehouse that has most props is extremely convenient. The props are high quality and very realistic looking and you also return it after your run is over. Most theatre companies do not have enough space to store props when they are not being used. Prop shops are extremely helpful to most productions.
Props is the best! it's great to have a prop shop that contains everything where you can be like "yeah I want that thing. Yeah we can pull it from the shop" It's like.... MAGIC. Also, prop is great to use as a cash flow generator of a company because yes like we know you can rent them out, you can yard sell it (like they had earlier in one of the articles we read last week). I think props storage is also a magical land where if that place is well organized it could look like a serious museum and not it can look like a nightmare, yet fascinating. I used to visit a props storage where nothing is organized and it looks like things are just piled up and buried underneath each other and very dusty BUT believe it or not the props master was able to remember every single items and can just walk in and pull whatever he wants from under the ocean of stuffs like it's the easiest thing in the world and I had no idea how could he do that.
I always love reading about prop companies like We B Props. Props related stuff is something I’ve always wanted to be able to do more of and the idea of giant spaces filled with them are incredibly enticing to me. Being able to explore those places is like being able to walk through history. Which is an idea I find incredibly attractive, being able to learn about history while holding the thing your learning about is an amazing feeling. In this article the writer compares We B Props to Aladdin’s cave, I think that perfectly describes my opinion of prop storage areas, a place full of countless wonders. I really like the idea of having a place where multiple theaters and theater programs can go to get the props they need. It lets them worry more about putting on the best show they can and less about where they’ll get the props they need to do it.
I have to say, I would not want to be the person to pull a chair from that pile. It’s probably very stable, but it looks like one wrong move and you have all the chairs on your head. But We B Props is amazing. To think that it started out with some people who wanted really authentic props so they went out and didn't quit until they found the perfect thing. And now they’ve amassed so much they can share it with all their local theaters. The best thing ever is being able to pull a prop from a shop and having exactly what you want. And it’s free! Or you can rent it for so much less than the time and money it would have taken to scour all the antique stores and garage sales in the area. Prop shops are incredibly important for theaters that just don't have the space to store props after a show has closed, especially all the little things that don't cost much but add just that little extra that really makes the show come together.
Well that’s cool. I didn’t know we had that in town.
What I really want to see is a commonly owned, operated, and sourced props warehouse for all the universities in town. Sure, it would be more work than simply maintaining our own (which we do) but wouldn’t it be great to have a common source of pieces that everyone could share? It would require real full time staff, but wouldn’t it be worth it?
I don’t know. We certainly wouldn’t have as much access to it as we do our own setup, but we’d have access to so much more.
But back to the article. I think it’s important that Pittsburgh has places like this. Places like this that can rival some of the New York rental places are important for making Pittsburgh a name that people think about when they think about the arts. I think that what most people don’t realize about this is that it requires a lot of work and dedication to get it right.
We B Props sounds like a great resource for theater companies and smaller productions throughout the Pittsburgh area. What I think is most interesting about this prop warehouse as opposed to any other is the well maintained level of props the article talks about. Having been through many prop storages, I know that every collection has its own spectacular period pieces, but it's not often that they are in great condition considering the use and abuse not only in their own time, but also from their time on the stage. Because period pieces are so often needed, and some are even essential to a play's structure it's exciting to know there's a prop storage out their that prides themselves with maintaining old props. As far as I know CMU has never borrowed props from We B Props, but I think that would be a great resource for the school to tap into and expand the school's prop base. Although it's not explicitly said in the article, I have a feeling that the props at We B props have been so well maintained because Tony Ferrieri is very selective about who he lends his props to. It might be hard to convince him to start lending props to the school, but I think an established connection could greatly benefit both parties.
This sounds like a really cool place. I know from experience that upkeep and organization of prop storage is a huge job- not only finding pieces that might be useful but also making sure that all of the items kept are in good shape and organized is a full time job. Another article a while ago was on the topic of a huge prop shop in LA that serviced the film industry, and it spoke about their bank of employees just hired to upkeep their stock. It's good to hear that there is a prop shop in town that has a stock of items that are in good quality and have been selected with such care. It's also a good resource for companies that have very little prop storage, as they can provide not only the prop for the show, but also the storage for it when it is no longer in use. It would be interesting to see if in the long run it is more expensive to rent props for use rather than buying and building a stock of one's own, considering the storage and the upkeep of the items.
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