How-to

Making a Breakable Glass

By Eric Hart | Published: October 5, 2009

I’m props mastering a show called “Slave Shack”, at the Algonquin Theatre in the Gramercy Park area. One of the scenes calls for the actress to fling a scotch glass against the wall, where it breaks. I decided to buy a number of thin glasses and spray them with Plasti-Dip. It’s a rubber coating which [...]

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Gnome Building

By Eric Hart | Published: August 31, 2009

For the upcoming production of “Broke-ology” at Lincoln Center, I was asked to build a three-foot garden gnome. They had a prop from the original production at the Williamstown Theatre Festival, but it was starting to break and crack in certain places. The gnome undergoes a lot of abuse during each performance, so they needed [...]

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Coating Foam

By Eric Hart | Published: August 24, 2009

My wife and I are currently working on a project for a new show which is essentially a Styrofoam sculpture. It got me thinking about the various ways to treat and coat foam. You need to coat foam with something. If you tried to paint raw foam, it will eat all the paint up. If [...]

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How to read a script

By Eric Hart | Published: August 17, 2009

A prop master develops a prop list by reading the script. The director, designer, and/or stage manager may come up with their own prop list; you still need your own so you can get working right away, and so you can make sure the rest of the production team has considered all the props that [...]

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How to Make Stage Blood

By Eric Hart | Published: August 12, 2009

Asking how to make fake blood is kind of like asking how to make food. Sometimes you need a light breakfast, sometimes a heavy dinner. You need to ask yourself what the blood needs to do. While trying out new recipes can be fun, it is not terribly useful unless you know what you are [...]

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  • About

    Eric Hart

    I am Eric Hart, a freelance prop maker in North Carolina.

    This site is a way to share my work and the things I've learned over the years. It's also a way to connect with other prop makers, props masters, and artisans, as well as a collection of all things of interest to props people from around the internet.

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