At UNCSA, working with props lists is standard. But when I arrived at EHS, there was only an informal system for organizing props. So, I created these color-coded Excel files in order to organize and track each individual prop throughout the design and performance phases. As I became more familiar with being a props master, I began to better understand how crucial a props list was. It really helps order and clarify what needs to be done, where props are supposed to be, what materials are needed to make a prop, what actor will be using the prop, where the prop will go during the show, and more. This is an excerpt from the props list from the EHS production of A Monster Calls.

My current schedules list props in chronological order of when they appear in each act and scene, which character uses it, and where it enters on and exits off stage. Additionally, the Excel file lists whether the prop has been constructed or obtained, where it was borrowed from (if applicable), and any relevant notes about the prop that need to be known by the props crew, director, or actors. This is an excerpt of a props list/schedule, which I created for the EHS production of Frankenstein. As you can see, it has a few less categories because it was an earlier version. My hope is that this section reveals that not only am I a highly organized person, but I also continually strive to grow and improve.

Another idea I instituted at EHS was making sure there were labeled props tables in each stage wing. Our EHS actors had a tendency to misplace props after they were done with them, and this system ensured that we had all props available for the next scene and/or performance. Also, this system allowed the props team and actors to easily locate the props needed at any given moment because they were always returned to the same space.