Prop malfunctions

One of the most difficult things about performing is working with props.  If you are in the Nutcracker, you may have to work with a variety of items including toys, boxes, glasses and dishes, swords and other mock weapons, wands, crowns, scarves, hoops, flutes, and ribbons.  In this post, I will explain some ways to minimize prop malfunctions and recover if you do have a failure.

--Get to know your props in the studio.  It is common for companies to allow dancers to learn choreography without props before bringing in the additional items.  If you can, try not to go more than the initial rehearsal without adding your props.  Ask if you can use an item to represent your prop if the actual pieces are in storage or only to be used for the real show.  (A water bottle makes a good champagne glass, a sweater can take the place of a scarf, and a short foam roller can represent a doll or Nutcracker.)

 If your prop or mock prop is an unbreakable item (and it will not hurt the floor if you do so), you can throw it on the floor on purpose a few times.  This can help get the “dropsies” out of your system before you actually start rehearsing.  This may also get you familiar with what it sounds like when an item hits the ground so you will not be so shocked by it if it happens during rehearsal or on stage.

If the props are breakable items, obviously you do not want to throw them on the floor.  Rather than getting the “dropsies” out of your system, you want to try to prevent them from the start.  Always go to rehearsal well-nourished and alert to prevent yourself from dropping things due to fatigue.

Listen carefully to the director’s and other dancers’ advice on how to handle a prop.  Often times you will be specifically told how to hold something and use it so that it looks good and remains secure in your grip.

If you accidentally drop a prop during rehearsal, try to recover gracefully.  Do not make a face or ask to stop.  For the first few rehearsals, you do not have to have a perfect character response (more on that later) to a prop fail, but try not to make the malfunction into a bigger deal.

--Make the most of your tech/ dress rehearsals.  You should have your real props when you are rehearsing in the theater.  Learn where the props are kept backstage, and find out if you need to set them yourself or if a stage hand will do it for you.  (If a stage hand does it for you, it is a good idea to personally talk to the stage hand and make sure he or she knows how to set the props the way you need them.  I once performed as a mouse in the battle scene, and it was my job to run off stage during the battle to retrieve the rat king’s sword, then come back on and present it to him.  During the first dress rehearsal, I learned that the stage hand who was supposed to set the sword in the wing so I could easily grab it had set it far in the wing on a table with a variety of other props.  With the darkness of the wing and my mouse mask, I could not find the sword on the table.  I was late for my cue, and the rat king was late to start the battle.  After that rehearsal, I began setting my own props because I no longer trusted a stage hand to set props exactly as I needed them.)

Now that you have all your real props, note any changes or issues that come up.  Is your real prop heavier than the mock one you were working with in the studio?  Is your actual Arabian scarf a lot more slippery than the one you practiced with?  Make sure you recognize these things, and if they cause problems, bring them up to the director.  Dress rehearsal is all about ironing out the kinks before opening night. 

--Before each performance, try to stay calm.  You will probably feel more nervous before performances than dress rehearsals, which can contribute to fumbling fingers or shaky hands.  Eat a light, balanced meal with a significant amount of protein before you head to the theater.  Know if caffeine helps or hurts your concentration and shakiness, and imbibe or abstain appropriately.  Make sure you are warm enough backstage, as coldness and shivering can make you shakier.  Put on a little bit of hand lotion (not too much) along with your costume and makeup (this will make your hands less dry and slippery).  Check your props to be sure they are set appropriately.

--If you do have prop malfunction, remain calm and in character (don’t become yourself again for a moment if something goes wrong).  Regardless of your role in the show, you can get out of any prop fail with grace and charm if you act like a drag queen.  Move smoothly as you correct the issue, and if appropriate, use humor or other character acting to move on.

--If you dropped it and it didn’t break, pick it up and carry on.  If you’re a party parent and your champagne glass went tumbling, smoothly grab it and laugh or shake your head as you continue with what you were supposed to be doing.

--If you dropped it and it went rolling across the stage, let it go (the same goes for situations where you drop it mid-travelling step and end up far away from the prop).  You can keep dancing as if you have a prop, but with empty hands.   If you saw another dancer drop it and it ends up rolling next to you, pick it up for safety reasons.  You can mime pleasure that you now have two glasses of champagne, or discretely layer your own mirliton ribbon over the extra one.  If it is inconvenient for you to hold on to the extra prop, slide it off stage at the earliest opportunity, or pass it back to the original dancer if convenient.

--If you dropped it and it broke, quickly evaluate the pieces.  If a toy horse’s head snapped off, pick up the stick and carry on with the choreography using the stick as all other dancers use the horse.  Try to slide the broken pieces to the edge of the stage with one or two quick swipes of your foot.  If whatever broke is in a million pieces, just sweep them aside with your foot and keep dancing sans prop.  If the prop that broke is something that carries the story (like the wooden nutcracker), salvage what you can (even if it is just a head or a leg) and keep dancing.  If you can think quickly, you might put a hand to your mouth to mime shock, then change your expressions to sad rather than happy to reflect your character’s reaction to the mishap.

If another dancer’s prop broke and you notice, try to react in character.  (If you are a party child and another party child’s toy horse lost its head, act surprised or as if you think this is funny.)  If you are near any broken pieces on the floor, assist with discretely sweeping them away from center stage. 

--If an action with the props doesn’t work (like making a shape with mirliton ribbons or neatly fluttering your Arabian scarf), just move on as if it worked fine.  If your prop is tangled up, try to keep moving and discretely untangle it as you go.  If your prop is tangled in a big knot with someone else’s and you have no possibility of untangling quickly, just gently toss the props aside (as close to the wing as you can) and move on with the dance.  Hold your arms and hands as if you are still working with the prop.  Try to make sure the props leave the stage with you when you exit.

--When you leave the stage with your problematic props, do your best to put them back in good order.  If your scarf is all tangled up, untangle it before putting it away.  If your toy horse is headless, put the head back on the stick and tell someone in charge that in will need to be glued back together.  If the prop is now destroyed, apologize and move on. 

Good luck working with your props this Nutcracker season and in all your future performances!