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       Animal Farm was a unique production for the props department in that there was never a clear-cut design plan. The artistic team wanted to harbor a fluid, creative environment that kept the production's vision alive and ever evolving. This allowed me a wide breadth of independent creativity, the best example of this being the Bolshevik banners that were to be carried in during the opening number and adorn the set for the rest of the show.

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Original Concept Draft of the Bolshevik Banners

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The director had requested a WWI-era military stretcher. I was fortunate enough to be able to find this example through a local pawn shop connection. The canvas was dry-rotted  and unable to bear weight, so in order for the stretcher to serve its purpose I had to completely replace it.

DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.

Below are entries from my weekly journal as props master:

 

 

Week 1

 

     This week was spent taking care of anything that could be done in Robin's absence. First my assistants and I gathered what we could find out of the Dana basement. We then prepped the farm tools by sanding them down, blunting the sharp edges, and applying grip to the base of the axe handles so Benjamin had more control. I also made some runs to Triad Stage to return the rug from Rumors and to pick up props for Animal Farm. The feather dusters began falling apart during the second day of rehearsals, so my assistants and I disassembled and reconstructed them using a hot glue gun.
 
Tools improved upon:
- coordination
- time management
- organization
 
This week will begin by getting up to speed with Robin and going according to her plans.
 

My questions are what exactly is to be done about the military decorations? Are there going to be additional guns that will be used in the execution scene? Do we still need the Russian newspaper?

Week 2
     I began this week by revising the props list, taking out items that were no longer needed and adding others. Marching drums were one of the new additions, and as we had not had luck obtaining instruments from our own music department, I contacted UNCG to see if they would be willing to help us out. The rest of the farm tools were painted and then sanded to provide weathering, they still need to be stained. The fabric for the banners was cut and shaped and are now ready to have their designs applied. I linked up with Brian and we formulated a plan to get the toy goose project under way. We were also able to successfully test fire and utilize the blank-firearms in rehearsal.
 
Tools improved upon:
 
- Organization
 
- Communication
 
- Resourcefulness
 
Self Assessment:
 
Things are moving right along and I feel that I am on top of the game. The only areas I am getting slowed up are when I have to wait for an artistic decision.
 
Next week I want to have all performance props complete. This should not be an issue as I have very few items left, the only possible delay could be the marching band instruments.
 
Questions:
 
none at the moment.
DRAFT: This module has unpublished changes.