Open Forum

I've had a couple of people ask me "Why Props? Of all the tech areas, that seems like an easy one to do." 

And to a certain point, I agree with that statement as you can often source props from home, friends, family, other theaters, and other easy-to-shop places so for a modern show that only needs a few things, it can be a fairly simple task.

But it is also where careful attention to detail can mean the difference between happy success or death - just like with rigging or electrics. And I'm starting to see a lot of injuries where more knowledge would have prevented that tragedy. 

So for this summer's Technical Theater classes at the University of Wisconsin -  Madison, I'm honored to have some of the top props people in the industry to talk with, give guidance, and show how to make props magic happen on any budget. We'll learn about prop safety, weapons, fire, food, hand props vs personal props vs scenic dressing, how to store/maintain them, and much, much more. It's an area often overlooked and one that needs more knowledge shared. Please join us! 

More info here: https://www.theaterhealthandsafety.com/uw-madison

------------------------------
Kristi Ross-Clausen
Safety Maven/Consultant
IATSE 470/Actors Equity Member
Alliance for Wisconsin Theatre Education
Association for Quality in AV Board
AVIXA/USITT
Teacher, Author, Speaker
www.theaterhealthandsafety.com
Appleton, WI
------------------------------

My issue with props and set dressing for many years has been that they are often seen as generic: a chair is a chair, a clock is a clock, a book is a book, without any regard for the period, the story, the characters using them, or the overall style of the production. I'm delighted that there's going to be a class on this very important part of theatrical storytelling.

------------------------------
George F. Ledo
Set designer
www.setdesignandtech.wordpress.com
www.georgefledo.net
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 05-04-2024 15:37
From: Kristi Ross-Clausen
Subject: Props is tops

I've had a couple of people ask me "Why Props? Of all the tech areas, that seems like an easy one to do." 

And to a certain point, I agree with that statement as you can often source props from home, friends, family, other theaters, and other easy-to-shop places so for a modern show that only needs a few things, it can be a fairly simple task.

But it is also where careful attention to detail can mean the difference between happy success or death - just like with rigging or electrics. And I'm starting to see a lot of injuries where more knowledge would have prevented that tragedy. 

So for this summer's Technical Theater classes at the University of Wisconsin -  Madison, I'm honored to have some of the top props people in the industry to talk with, give guidance, and show how to make props magic happen on any budget. We'll learn about prop safety, weapons, fire, food, hand props vs personal props vs scenic dressing, how to store/maintain them, and much, much more. It's an area often overlooked and one that needs more knowledge shared. Please join us! 

More info here: https://www.theaterhealthandsafety.com/uw-madison

------------------------------
Kristi Ross-Clausen
Safety Maven/Consultant
IATSE 470/Actors Equity Member
Alliance for Wisconsin Theatre Education
Association for Quality in AV Board
AVIXA/USITT
Teacher, Author, Speaker
www.theaterhealthandsafety.com
Appleton, WI
------------------------------