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THE PROPS DEPT.
PROPTOLOGIST
MAD PROPS
KCACTF Keynote
USITT Keynote 2017
​​Making the body of King Penthius.
The Artist Bug out Bag
Stage Directions Magazine
I have been a contributing writer to Stage Directions Magazine since 2014. Feel free to click the links below and contact me if there is a subject you have an interest in maybe we can figure out a solution together.
DRILL PRESS LATHE
There were a number of candle stands in the new musical Hamilton. But because of the size of the candles we had to use we needed to make all of the candle holders our selves. Because they were not real candles I thought it would be faster and cheaper to make them out of foam.
After a lot of trial and error I was able to make a stand that supported my tools and I used a threaded rod and luan plates to compress the foam into place to be turned. Here is a video of one of the candle sticks from start to finish turned.
ROSCO Blog about Candles for Hamilton
MAKING HISTORY
I was lucky enough to speak at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia October of 2018. I spoke on some of the challenges presented to us in Hamilton like the letters in "Burn" that could only burn for 2:09 and how color theory played a huge park in the design of the show. If you look at the first cabinet battle you can see Hamilton & Jefferson dressed in the colors of the Incredible Hulk because Green and purple are statement colors that are complementary.
USITT PROP LAB
I had the great honor of curating the very first Props Lab in the 60 year history of the United States Institute of Theater Technology. Because of Dave Grindle and USITT's generosity I was able to bring down some of the best prop people in the country. Michelle Bisby for molding & casting, Adam Dailey for robotics, Rick Sordelet for weapons and safety, Thomas Fiocchi for innovative design, Eric Hart for engineering and I taught blood work and delivery systems. We were able to have 4 hands on sessions both days of the lab and it turned out to be a great success.
HAMILTON DESK
Hamiltons Clerk's desk at the top of the show became Washington's desk and later Hamilton's writing desk. The switches were quick and easy because we used a top board that was pre-dressed with props affixed to it. The green cover for Washington's desk is from his desk at Valley Forge.
There are small holes on the desk because some of the items needed to be bolted through the desktop so they could stay in place as the desk floated around the stage in the song Hurricane.
Flower Wall
David Rockwell's incredible design of Midsummer Nights Dream at Shakespeare in the Park had a wall cascaded with flowers over it for the weddings at the end of the play. With our interns help we took apart flowers and attached the petals to scrim with a price tagging gun. It was the quickest way to ge the results we needed. On the far side of the picture is the designers rendering on the near wall is the actual photo in situ.
Trick Suitcase
