Sarah Burnham on Designing Props for Mimesophobia

Sarah Burnham shares some thoughts with us on the unique challenges of designing props for Mimesophobia.

When most people go to the theatre, they remember the actors, the script, or perhaps how cool the set or costumes were. Very often they don’t realize that a lot of thought, time and effort has gone into everything the actors are handling or sitting on, from the label on the cigarette box, to the chair that you only see for 30 seconds. Those small details (or big ones, as far as furniture goes) are what I was charged with handling as props designer for Mimesophobia. With a show like this one, you don’t really know just what you need until you get into the rehearsal process -- you have an idea, but so many things are discovered organically, that you’ve got to be flexible. And you've got to be resourceful -- you know exactly what you want, you can see it in your mind's eye, but you definitely don't have the $400 it would take to buy it brand new. This is when the hunt begins; resale shops, other theatres, friends, family, the guy that you met in a bar who just mentioned once that he had this thing. You go, you find, you take pictures -— it's not quite what the others were thinking (remember, your mind's eye has to mesh with everybody else, especially the director and scenic designer) and so then you start the process again.

In an ideal world, you have weeks to do this. In the real world, you're balancing part-time and temp work, everywhere you need to go is only open during the time you're supposed to be working, and the bed you thought you were going to get to borrow falls through. You get creative. You find what you want -- the front room of your apartment turns into a storage facility. The neighbors wonder if perhaps you're moving (whether that's still moving in, or moving out, they're not sure). The storage facility moves from the front room of your apartment to the theatre, and the world of the play begins to really exist as more than just an illustration. The actors, the lights, the set, they all come into play -- the audience arrives. Once again, the props fade into the background. And you sit, and smile, because you've accomplished what you set out to do.