Changes aHead

The Bacchae opens this Monday in Central Park. For those of you who follow this blog, you’ve seen some of the cool work we’ve been doing in the prop shop for this show. Let me say, it wasn’t easy.

I’ve arranged a small series of the various states and stages the head of Pentheus went through.

The first skull prototype
The first skull prototype
The head of King Pentheus
The head of King Pentheus
Head with cast of Anthony Mackie's face
Head with cast of Anthony Mackie's face
After the face was torn off
After the face was torn off
Final head
Final head

Changed are inevitable when making props. It always seems to be the nicest or most interesting prop you’ve been working on; after spending days or even weeks perfecting what will become the highlight of your portfolio, the prop gets cut, or worse, attacked with hot glue and gaff tape.

It’s natural, and preferable, to be proud of what you build. However, we must also remember that the production is the ultimate goal of our work. If a prop needs to be sacrificed for the show, let it happen. You can never be so attached to a prop that you place it ahead of the needs of the production.