Have any resources that should be added? Email info@philadelphiascenicworks.org
The Philadelphia Resource Sharing Committee to invites you to participate in a Green Theatre Initiative for the 24/25 season. This Initiative is a part of our continuing efforts to help the Philadelphia theater community become more sustainable both financially and environmentally.
The high level of attention shown to our colleagues at the Wilma for their “no waste” production of The Good Person of Setzuan demonstrates the effect we can have on the overall cultural conversations surrounding sustainability and environmental impact. At the same time, Curio Theatre and Hedgerow Theater have forged a partnership this year to store and use discarded materials (lumber, sheet goods, unopened paints and fabrics) from NYC film studios to build their sets. What is unique is that both Hedgerow and Curio designers are not asked to design based on inventory as all materials received are broken down into raw materials. Since this partnership began in January of 2024, four shows have been built without having to purchase any lumber, paints, or sheet goods.
We also believe that exploring new methodologies of work like these will not only help our budgets now, but will also benefit us all in the future as we adapt to changing times. We are aware of the limitations of individual action on overall climate impact, but if we can take small actions together as an industry, our ability to make an impact greatly increases.
We invite you to commit to one or more of the Green Theater Initiatives listed below and/or share with us what you’re already doing. If multiple Philadelphia theaters commit to participating, RSC members and their participating organizations have pledged to push Green Initiative related content, including mentions of your organization and individual pledged shows, to their audiences. Each member has a different capacity for support, so this could include but is not limited to social media posts, newsletter mentions, inclusion in press releases, and/or assistance with your own PR activities, like postering. The RSC is also in the process of figuring out how to further support efforts like this, potentially with financial assistance, donated resources, or even special recognition awards.
Please reach out if you have any questions, ideas for additional Green Theatre Initiatives, or would like to discuss this further. You’re also welcome to attend an RSC meeting (Mondays 11-12 on zoom) if you would like to talk more with the group about this initiative.
Menu of Initiatives:
Build one set out of primarily found/recycled materials
Store or donate the materials from one set after the show comes down (rather than dumpstering)
Source 100% of props for one show from borrowed/rent sources, like the Shared Inventory Database
Construct 100% of costumes for one show from thrifted clothes and/or recycled materials
Reduce paper waste by converting from a full Playbill to a one-sheet with QR code or fully digital playbill
We are open to new ideas! What are your organization's goals for sustainability?
For more ideas on improving sustainability in your organization’s operations, check out the resources at The Philadelphia Green Theatre Alliance and the Sustainable Production Toolkit!
Once you have determined what your organization is able to commit to, please email us at phillyresourcesharing@gmail.com so that we at the RSC can track participants’ efforts and make good on our side of the bargain.
Local Scene Shops
Flannel & Hammer - Local, small scenic fabrication shop in West Philly
Philadelphia Scenic Works - Local, small scenic fabrication shop in Kensington
Proof Productions - Local, large scenic fabrication shop; does mostly commercial and Broadway work
Scenery First - Local, large scenic fabrication shop; does a lot of touring and cruise work
CNC Services
Flannel & Hammer - Local, small scenic fabrication shop in West Philly
Philadelphia Precision CNC - Commercial CNC Shop
Philly CNC - Commercial CNC Shop
Proof Productions - Local, large scenic fabrication shop; does a lot of commercial and Broadway work
Scenery First - Local, large scenic fabrication shop; does a lot of touring and cruise work
Stonedog Studios - NJ Scend Shop
Set Rentals
Backdrop Printing
Soft Good Fabrication
Avista Custom Theatrical - local props fabrication and rental house; also specializes in soft good fabrication
RoseBrand (non local)
Event Services
Shipley Enterprises - pipe and drape, tents, lighting, chuppahs, mandaps, draping, dancefloor & decals
Lumber
Tague Lumber
Fessenden Hall
Lowe's
Home Depot
Steven Kempf
Theatrical Suppliers
M. Cramer & Associates - professional makeup, lighting equipment & systems, audio/video equipment & systems, curtains & rigging, and window treatments.
BMI Supply
RoseBrand
Tools & Such
RAF Supply - Reconditioned tools at a discount
Lowe's
Home Depot
Steven Kempf
Makita Service Center - maybe can do replacement batteries and chargers if you have failures
Informational/How-Tos:
Rigging Inspections
Hewshott - https://www.hewshott.com/usa/ - inspection, no repair
Sapsis Rigging
Local Costume Rental
Pierre's
The Walnut Street Theatre - has a large costume inventory and pays someone to manage its rentals
Villanova
Academy of Vocal Arts - has a large costume inventory
Media Theatre - has a large costume inventory
Delaware Theatre Company - has a moderate costume inventory
Non-Local Costume Rental
TDF Costume Collection - NYC costume rental warehouse, has a mail order option
Oregon Shakespeare - OR costume rental warehouse, has a mail order option
Thrift Shops
Second Mile Center, 214 S 45th Street
D&D Thrift Store, 5456 Walnut Street
Goodwill, Whitman Plaza, 330 Oregon Ave
Information
Sound Vendors
ElectroSound
ClearSound - Philly local rental house with lighting, sound, and video
M. Cramer & Associates - audio/video equipment & systems
Starlite - Moorestown, NJ based, close to PA
Lighting Rental & Production Houses - These places specialize in lighting. All of them have rental gear, and most will provide you some level of design and production service.
10th Floor Production - a Fishtown-based "group of collaborators with members who specialize in large scale lighting and video production, interactive media design, creative scenic construction and much more"
Starlite - Moorestown, NJ based, close to PA
EarlGirls
PinPoint
ClearSound - Philly local rental house with lighting, sound, and video
BEW Productions
Main Light - DE
LightAction - DE
4 Wall - NJ, near NYC
PRG - NJ, near NYC
Hayden Production Services - NJ, near NYC
Christie Lights - NJ, near NYC
M. Cramer & Associates - lighting equipment & systems
Video Rental Houses - These places specialize in video/projections/media. All of them have rental gear, and most will provide you some level of design and production service.
10th Floor Production - a Fishtown-based "group of collaborators with members who specialize in large scale lighting and video production, interactive media design, creative scenic construction and much more"
ClearSound - Philly local rental house with lighting, sound, and video
4 Wall - not local, locations in Lititz, NJ, & MD, big commercial company
PRG - not local, NJ, outside of NYC
Starlite - Moorestown, NJ based, close to PA
Much of this list was curated by J Bean Schwab, so give them props! (Pun intended!)
Walnut Street Theatre Props & Scenery Rentals – Offers furniture, scenic backdrops, and props for rental;
Prop Manager: Shannon O’Brien ogtstore.com+15walnutstreettheatre.org+15 nyc.gov+15.
Avista Custom Theatrical Services hosts one of the largest prop inventories in the state, and does custom work including upholstery and drapery.
Run by Jen Burkhart and Amanda Hatch
The Arden Theatre
Kate Nelson, production manager
Platt Student Performing Art House
PAC Shop email: pacshop4100@gmail.com
Villanova University Scene Shop
Jacob Rothermel, jacob.rothermel@villanova.edu (Technical Director)
Delaware University Theatre Department
Liz Baehr, lizbaehr@gmail.com
The Resource Exchange – Reclaimed art, fabric, lumber, and theater materials; great for oddball items
Bargain Thrift Center – Steady thrift-store staples for budget-friendly finds instagram.com
Free Your Stuff (West Philly) – Local free-exchange source, often features fabric, props, and materials phillygurlsews.com+1giggster.com+1.
Thunderbird Salvage – Salvage store with antiques, hardware, and reclaimed goods yelp.com.
Restoration Row – Philadelphia-area community focusing on reused building materials theresourceexchange.org+4gridphilly.com+4communityforklift.org+4.
Provenance – higher-end architectural salvage with 19th and early 20th century rustic goods, industrial parts, and reclaimed raw/milled lumber
https://provenancephl.com/
Facebook Marketplace (local to your area and beyond)
Free Resource and Buy Nothing Groups on Facebook
Wayfair
Amazon
Michaels
Blick
Artist and Craftsman
Home Depot
Lowes
Hobby Lobby
Home Depot
Lowes
Grainger
McMaster-Carr
ACME Brooklyn Prop House – Thousands of furniture, tabletop, and decor props; weekly rentals themeprops.com+15acmebrooklyn.com+15acmebrooklyn.com+15.
Newel Props – 65K sq ft showroom of vintage and mid-century furniture, art, lighting yelp.com+4newelprops.com+4communityforklift.org+4.
propNspoon – Fabrication, rentals, logistics, and warehousing across NY/NJ propnspoon.com.
Fennick Studio Props – Period pieces for institutional and set-design (Passaic, NJ) fennicknyc.com.
Lost + Found Props – Tabletop and surface rentals from Brooklyn Navy Yard lostandfoundprops.com.
Area Props NYC – Boutique rental house with eclectic decor items nyc.gov+1areapropsnyc.com+1.
Eclectic Props – TV, film, and theater prop rental shop eclecticprops.com.
Silla Fine Antiques – Vintage furniture, art, and sculpture available for film/TV rental sillafineantiques.com.
Materials for the Arts – NYC creative reuse center supplying props, art, fabrics jesscrafts.com+2nyc.gov+2facebook.com+2.
AuH2O Thriftique
City Opera Thrift
L Train Vintage
Cure Thrift
Tokio7 – Mix of budget and mid‑tier thrift shops sustainablejungle.com.
Urban Archaeology – High-end architectural salvage inhabit.corcoran.com.
Olde Good Things – Antiques and reclaimed architectural elements, multiple Manhattan locations ogtstore.com+3inhabit.corcoran.com+3brickunderground.com+3.
Big Reuse – Nonprofit surplus home goods and materials in Brooklyn brickunderground.com+2inhabit.corcoran.com+2bigreuse.org+2.
Demolition Depot
Salvage Style
Mother of Junk
“Some resins and reinforcing materials such as fiberglass can be found at car accessory shops and boat suppliers. For fabrics and soft goods, search for fabric stores, upholstery suppliers, leather stores, haberdashery shops, and cane suppliers. Department stores often have small selections of craft supplies, fabrics, and tools among other items. Hobby stores can be helpful, whether for general hobbies or for specific ones such as model railroad shops. Antique restorers will carry several cleaners and finishes for wood, leather, metal, and fabrics, as well as some tools. If you are interested in leather or vinyl, you may have luck at small shoe repair shops; they often carry polishes, spray paints, and other supplies you can’t find at more general stores. Pharmacists and drugstores carry useful materials, some of which are hard to find elsewhere: mineral oil and glycerin (both sold in the laxative section), plaster bandages, shoe polish, acetone (nail polish remover), alcohol, and so on. Grocery stores will also carry some needed supplies, such as aluminium foil, gelatin, and various containers, cups, and mixing implements.”
GoShare - local shipping around Philly
https://rockit.global/ - entertainment shipping
http://roadie.com/ - "Roadie is a UPS-owned same-day delivery platform that connects people with stuff to send to drivers already heading in the right direction."
Lyft - You can use ride share to deliver items from one location to another without having to send a person in the vehicle, as long as you have a person at each end (one to give the item to the driver and one to receive it.)
Uber- You can use ride share to deliver items from one location to another without having to send a person in the vehicle, as long as you have a person at each end (one to give the item to the driver and one to receive it.)
https://resourcephilly.org/ - Find where to donate, repair or recycle your stuff or where to buy, rent or borrow secondhand, bulk, recycled or sustainable items in the Philadelphia region
Resource Exchange - Reuse Center
Avista Custom Theatrical - Props Shop
Philadelphia Scenic Works - Non-Profit Scene Shop
General
Airtable - database software that can be used for contact, scheduling, and so much more. There's free and paid tiers. Community member Nick Jonczak loves his expertise for setting up airtable systems and generously has offered to help any one interested! nicholas.jonczak@gmail.com
Ticketing Software and Customer Relations Management (CRM)
Good for ticketing one-off events / small companies (no ongoing database)
Good for small to midsize companies (offers proprietary database)
Audience View Professional (formerly OvationTix) - Created by TheaterMania. Intergrated CRM with ticketing, patron management and donor development
Patron Manager - Salesforce platform. Integrated CRM with ticketing, patron management and donor development.
Good for larger companies (offers proprietary database)
Tessitura - Robust platform for ticketing, marketing, development and patron management. There is a Philadelphia Tessitura Consortium.
Merchandise
Camden Printworks (T-shirts)
Printers
General
Airtable - database software that can be used for contact, scheduling, and so much more. There's free and paid tiers. Community member Nick Jonczak loves his expertise for setting up airtable systems and generously has offered to help any one interested! nicholas.jonczak@gmail.com
Ticketing Software and Customer Relations Management (CRM)
Good for ticketing one-off events / small companies (no ongoing database)
Good for small to midsize companies (offers proprietary database)
Audience View Professional (formerly OvationTix) - Created by TheaterMania. Intergrated CRM with ticketing, patron management and donor development
Patron Manager - Salesforce platform. Integrated CRM with ticketing, patron management and donor development.
Good for larger companies (offers proprietary database)
Tessitura - Robust platform for ticketing, marketing, development and patron management. There is a Philadelphia Tessitura Consortium.
Merchandise
Camden Printworks (T-shirts)
Printers