PROP FABRICATION

Celeste, the Blinking Puppet

This was my final project for a Theater Props class I took in the Spring Semester of my Junior year of Undergrad (May 2025). Our task was to create a prop that had a changing element to it, and I decided on making a blinking puppet. I first had to cut out the body patterns from foam and attach the individual pieces together. I then cut & sewed fleece fabric in order to create the puppet's skin. Before attaching the fleece, I installed the eyes & blinking mechanism into the puppet's head. Then the fleece skins were placed over the foam and attached where necessary. Hair, clothes, and accessories were then added as Celeste slowly began to take life. Eyelids were then attached in two seperate places -- one place a little above the eye to anchor to the puppet's face and secondly to the metal blinking mechanism. Extra fabric was left in order to maintain a range of motion with the blinking. Other additional accessories were added and Celeste was complete!

Fake Eggs Benedict

This was a fake food project for my theater props class, taught by the amazingly talented Props Master Jay Duckworth. The english muffins were made out of salt dough, baked, and painted. Ham was created by cutting pieces of very thin foam and then covering the top and edges of the "ham slice" in spackle. They were given a coat of paint & gloss Modge Podge. Eggs were made with air dry clay, as well as a coat of paint & gloss Modge Podge. The hollandaise sauce was made by mixing paint and Modge Podge together, then pouring it over the eggs, ham, and english muffins. The paprika dusting is red eyeshadow sprinkled on top, and garnish is color & cut up craft paper.

The Merchant of Venice 1906 Contract

This was a paper prop project where we were assigned a random year to go along with a Shakespeare play and a prop from that show. My task was to make the contract between Shylock, Bassanio, and Antonio from The Merchant of Venice but set in 1906. I started with researching what different loan contracts looked like in Venice at the time. I then used different elements from research images to edit together a document that could be printed on paper. I then tea & coffee dyed a piece of paper and distressed the edges before printing the design onto it. I signed the paper in the areas where there signatures would be, and added a wax stamp as a final touch & seal on the contract.

Gutted Fish

Originally an emotional reaction moodboard for Riders to the Sea, this piece is a fish with it's abdomen cut open and red fabric guts pouring out. After the initial sketch, cardboard and hot glue were used to mold the shape of a fish's body. After completing the figure, the belly was sliced open and pulled back to be open. Then a layer of thin painters tape was applied all over the entire structure to smooth and unify. A base coat of white paint was applied before painting the entire body and interior of the fish. A piece of fishnet-crochet made with thin, red yarn was then attached to the inside and outside edges of the fish.

'Polycule' Board Game & Box

For a show called Missionary Woman, written by Meg Rosensweet and directed by L.D. Kelley. I had the pleasure of helping this hilarious show out with some last minute props creation, thus producing the Polycule Gameboard & Box! This was created just by purchasing a cheap board game and painting it to fit with the rest of the set, characters, and feel of the show.