Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-11-07
TIE PROPERTY MAN.
One Of the Most Important Individu,
ais About Theatre.
The Responsibility OF the Positions
Things 60 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
at the Property Mana
Stage Banquet.
LIhilnlnlnhin TiIneS.1


b,lsiucs. tho oth.r dov "Rv the nronorty
man is meant fine rar.on whose lut,i if i. f,
fu,,,i.b tbo ,,,,,o,tio. fn,. oil tl,o nav. ,r,-
durrI and IA 400, tint th.v oro ri,rod rn,-
vcuioutIy nt houd to l,n rGodv when ,ynntoI
Propertirs are rycrythin,, used in n play OK.
celt the scenery. The carpets, furniture aud
curtains guns and pistols, pocket-buoks,
money, candies, matches, cigars pianos,
pictures, food and drink LISTERS, musical in
strumcnts-all these and countless other
things come under the head of properties.
THE PROpERTY-ROOM.
EVERY theatre has what is called n prop
crtv-roon where these things are kent. 1t
has very much the apprarance of n uavn-
lr. krI'- .lun excc,,t tl,of nothing is yyra1p,d
M and tb,,r. is mo- rnrn,or Come in here
and see for yurr,plf. " me continued. as he led
fine ,,oy. int "A lino,,. room, ot tno hocl, of fine
stare. where there was n most HETEROGENEOUS
collection Oh such article, as be had named.
"F,v p,op'e have any i,loa of the care and
responsibility Of n propertv man. He has
more on bi. mind than ouyLoGv else about
a thcatr. There are $50 different things
large and small. that he mus; remember. and
woe brtidc him if me FORGET, any one of them
or ais tn hny, if in it., lrop,r Dlare Mt the
right time PEOPLE who visit the theatre have
no iGe1 how dcI,rudput they are ON the prom
eriv man for th.il. pleasure, for if he forget,
ANYTHING or doe, not have everything lust as
il II ull he. il will Give ris, to a coutrctenl,,.
which VIII rctarl the acti IN of the scene and
mar its whole effect.
, cuu1Cr oF PISTOLS
.r7,.,,.,,,.l,. : i. ,,o.. Of Iii d,,+,, r., Of.
tomb e. oil tl, i,...,.,,,i ,,.,l 80, +I,n .ta,a In
tho ,..it.c,I,,rt nc tIo NAV. tbo Ir.din,,
u,,,, is f., ,,..,.,,n tbn Ic,,Iin, l,d,. from tho
+u. nr tbo ,.ilIoiu L,. LiI,n,r hin, with 81
,i+.l h,.t ,l'n ,,,,,,,,,+,. ,,,,, .',l,,.t. +t1,
no., ,j.t,J j., III anlI,c+iot ,Ina,s AMI
I,,,I. !. ,,,,,r,,ii,. f,.s i n,T - tl,',,,'I,,
,,.,, =, ,,,.I.,, -,,., tl,o+ i ,,,,.+ -;
f. lnnI, Il a,r,i,, and u, ,,,rr.',I,.
rn,ntn,toLl. rroun Of mind ,,ivn. if tn m,
1,,,Ii,,', ,,,,,,, ~. lao Co.. 80. ,.,,,+
',,, ,rI,,, .,:,ia,i ,.,.,.,,+ ',,,,;,.-.. ,rl,,
lr,djn,r man erie, ont in his most terrible
voice: Die villainr and pulls the trigger.
but the pistol doesn't 20 Off. SO the villain
must either fall and die without having beer
shot, or else he must live ON, succeed in alb
Quoting the beautiful maiden and thus ruin
the play. | am sorry to say that property
men, Icing somewhat given to profanity,
divide their firearms into three classes-the
sure, the very sure and the id sure. The
first are given to the most unimportl Mt of
the supers, the second are given to those of
somewhat greater Importance, while only the
last are ever given to the people who play
important parts and whose guns must 20
oil in order to carry out the plot Of the play
Writing letters IS another important duty
of the property man The letters which peo-
pie read on the stage are all written for them
by him. Actors do not commit them to
memory, but simply read them when they
are handed to them upon the stage. In the
multiplicity of bis cares the property man
sometimes iorgets to write one of these let
tiers, and when the actor to whom it is
handed opens 1t he tnds only a blank sheet
of paper His wits must serve him then, and
if he knows the general purport of the letter
he can improvise it. Ii not he can
only affect t. read and eXcluim when he has
finished: lis we'll
SWEARING AT PROPERTY MEN.
"NInr. fou,t is found with the nronartv man
finn with oil fine other ,t1orb1s If tbc .tae,o
NM toontbar \ urouortv man is avroctad to
know how to make ANYTHING and evervthinr
If there is Il crown and scepter required, if
golden goblet i, needed, or if there is a
demand for han lsJme drawing room man
tel the property m-n must make them all,
and 10 one outside f the profession can have
any idea # the skill with which a first rate
property man can make a most deceptiyc
imitation of almost anvthiny. Turkeys. and
chickens, either with their feathers ON or
dressed and roasted for the table. fish and
vegetables of all kinds. pies and cake,-all
are within the Resources of his ort rs iud,ad
il wollli Lo harl to mama unvtI,ino that il
not.
several DAYS befora tho nrod,c+io, Of
na,v ,lov there Is ,i>en to tba ,r,,,ort,, ,no,,
a complete list Of all the properties re1ujreI
/ -,