Dial phones, typewriters, and gallows! Oh my!

Hi everyone!

I am Michael Rosegrant, the Head of the Props Team for this show! Here is a little peek into what we have been doing thus far:

First, I went through the entire script and highlighted every reference to a prop in the show:

Then I was able to create a rudimentary props list that contained 74 different props! I then went over the list with our director, Mr. Monk, who told me what props were unnecessary. Here is a photo of what I call my "annotated" props list in which I described each prop and highlighted them based on how we will get them. (Pink=make, yellow=buy and then modify, and green=buy):

Then I met with my team to assign each prop to a person. We went right to work building and purchasing our props. The first items Carly Carter (a member of the team) and I bought were two antique phones and an atomizer (which is basically an antique perfume spray bottle).

Afterwards, Noah Fraize, one of our team members with experience in engineering and set building, and I went on to build our fully functioning gallows! Gallows were what people in the 1930's used for execution by hanging. To ensure safety, we keep the rope that will hang a sandbag locked up:

Once we acquired more and more props, the actors could begin to incorporate them into their rehearsals: 

Here is our director, Mr. Monk testing out our working typewriter!

Our phones and typewriter set up on the table used for rehearsals

Another responsibility of the props team is set decoration. But Michael, I read that Mia and Ben are in charge of the set? They certainly are! While they focus on the overall design, structure, and building of the set, we are finding items that will help give the proper ambiance of the setting. This includes telephones, extra typewriters, a great deal of newspapers, stacks of papers, and wall decorations such as a map of Chicago. We will be able to work on this over Spring Break when we have completed most (if not all) of the set.

The next big step in our process will be taking inventory of all of the props this Friday, the 4th, and finding out what we will need to get by next Friday, the 11th.

Check back in later for more photos of our props!