Facility Info

The Prop Shop and Prop Storage are located at the CPH Production Center about 5 miles from the Allen Theatre Complex. There is a large format printer on site for printing off large pictures or posters or making our own period newspaper. There is a 2,500 square foot construction area with work tables, standard power tools including a SawStop table saw, 14” band saw, combination disk and belt sander, drill press, welder, planer, lathe and a collection of hand tools. There is also a separate 1,250 square foot “clean room” with two industrial sewing machines for working on fabric projects including upholstering furniture, making curtains, bedding, table clothes, etc. Adjacent to the “clean room” is a dye room with dye vat and a washer and dryer. CPH houses an extensive stock of furniture, hand props and set dressing in our 14,000 square foot Prop Storage area. These props are used by the Scenic Designers in all of our original productions and available for rental to theatres, film companies, opera companies, dance companies, schools and other organizations in the community. All Prop Shop staff are responsible for the upkeep, organization and cataloguing of stock items.

Staff Descriptions

The Prop Shop Supervisor is responsible for overseeing the Prop Shop and making sure that it functions efficiently, attending all meetings regarding the production and attending the technical rehearsals. The Prop Master maintains the budget for the production, manages rentals of props to outside companies and supervises the other members of the prop shop.

The Props Artisan is responsible for pulling rehearsal and final show props from storage as well as completing any notes that come up during the rehearsal process. They also are in charge of crafting unique hand props for shows such as fake food, toys, trick props and special effects, weapons, musical instruments, flower arrangements, paper props or any other specialty prop the show may require. The Prop Artisan works together with the Scenic Designer to aid in dressing the set.

The Props Carpenter is responsible for constructing, maintaining or altering large-scale projects. These projects generally include furniture, large custom pieces, platforms and carts. Special skills needed for the job often include knowledge of basic to advanced woodworking, welding and rigging. They also typically install large specialty items in the space during load in.