Props help tell the story
This young Props Team has truly impressed me with their meticulous work on "The Private War of Corporal Cooper."
Led by Xavier Weatherley from Tauranga Boys College and supported by Lucille Ravenswood, Eilidh Duncan, and Anisha Jeffcoat from Tauranga Girls College, this dedicated group has thoroughly researched and sourced all necessary items for the production. Their effort shines through in every detail, especially as this is the first time they have been involved in a show at 16th Ave Theatre. They have come up with a notebook and pencil, replicas of the cards the soldiers sent home to let their loved ones know they were okay, and a Red Cross parcel containing tobacco, matches, sweets, and letters.
The team's ability to deliver everything I have asked for is commendable, including Xavier's interest in replicating grenades made from condensed milk tins like the New Zealand soldiers made, but unfortunately the script did not require them.
When I'm not at the theatre, I'm either involved in theatre-related activities or conducting relevant research. Today, I read an article about the importance of the Props Team, which resonates with my experience. My first theatre role was gathering props, and just like the author, Christoper Peterson, I have worked with directors requesting unusual items such as an elephant for "Around the World in 80 Days," alongside a train, ship, telescope; and pharmacy bottles for "One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest," and even a vomit machine for "God of Carnage."
But resourcing and making props is lots of fun, and if you would like to be involved in a future production at 16th Ave, please send the president an email on president@16avetheatre.co.nz. We would love to have join us. No experience necessary, just an eye for detail and an enquiring mind.
A Standing Ovation for the Prop Teams
By Christopher Peterson on Apr 12, 2025 05:46 pm
“The show doesn’t work without them. The magic? The world-building? The audience believing that what’s happening onstage is real? That’s the props team, working behind the curtain, making it all feel effortless.”
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