Day Two as the TP Props Master began with me calling every beauty parlor whose numbers and owner names I had in a handy spreadsheet compiled by a playhouse volunteer. I first called up those places which had contributed to the 1991 production - a surprisingly fruitful endeavor given the consideration that 23 years had worn away between then and now - and from there branched out to locations in Fayetteville and then Chambersburg.
Past show papers are a tremendous boon to the Props Master who is remaking a production. Luckily the file drawer next to the props shop computer contained a folder for Steel Magnolias 1991 which included the original set plan and notes (pictured above), a few rehearsal notes for the prior props master from the stage manager, check lists of notes from technical rehearsals of props things to fix and add, notes on the 1991 production's salon source interactions, rental forms, and a packet of receipts thick enough to send a good-sized yellow jacket to his untimely end with one reasonably enthusiastic swat.
From the set plans and the designer's notes, I gathered that I should shake down the area's salons for dryer chairs (2), styling chairs (3), practical* sinks (2), and salon mirror-counter units or counter islands. The 1991 production had fortuitously stumbled across a salon which had donated two counter units with sinks installed and
*Practical, when used as a technical theatre term, means that the unit functions as it would in the real world. In this case, the sinks are called "practical water" props because they will be rigged with plumbing that will enable them to dispense water when operated by the actors just as any kitchen sink would.
At 9:00 am began our day of cold calls. I find it's best to call businesses in the morning when you want something from them; they're feeling more industrious and have more time to speak to you when their customers are still in the process of climbing out of bed. All together I called up 14 beauty salons in the area: 4 were disconnected numbers, 4 I left messages at, 1 (the appropriately titled Steel Magnolias Salon) was sympathetic but didn't have any useful large equipment to spare, and 5 had equipment they'd be willing to lend us for the run of the show in exchange for complimentary ("comped") tickets and credit given in the "Thanks" section of the playbill. Huzzah for getting something for nothing! I organized a pick-up schedule for that afternoon and the following day.
Around 12:00 pm, once the Telephone Games had concluded, I busied myself until lunch with putting away the hodgepodge of props coming in to me from the strike of last year's set. I also made a list of rehearsal furniture props to pull from our storage units down the road. Rehearsal props are props which approximate the size, shape, and function of the props we intend to use in the show; they are, as the name suggests, to be given over to the care of the stage manager or assistant stage manager for use by the actors during rehearsals. Rehearsal props exist to spare the real props the fumbling, experimentations, and man-handling of the actors and director; they don't need to be pretty.
At 2:30 pm, I and my handy dandy production intern helper swung ourselves into the company van and headed down the road to A Touch of Paradise, a local beauty salon. The owner, Tessie, was absolutely lovely and had called me back during lunch to volunteer her spare hydraulic styling chairs for the show. After wandering back and forth across Route 30 for a good 40 minutes only to finally locate the salon's whereabouts no more than 2 miles from the theatre, we made away with 3 gorgeous black styling chairs, a rolling white manicure cart, and a little counter-top waxing machine (nobody gets waxed in the show, but it'll make for an authentic piece of salon set dressing).
Before returning to the TP, Production Intern and I dropped by the Chickentown storage units and pulled a two-person sofa (or "loveseat"), a coffee table, and an end table of no particular importance for use as rehearsal props. We also dropped off a wooden fake upright piano from the previous show.
So concluded Day Two on the props watch at TP! The quote of the day is from my house mate during our discussion of alcohol preferences:
""I'll get DOWN on some Riesling, son."
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