The depths of the Prop Loft are not for the faint of heart. Only the bravest souls venture above…and within. On the Loft sits three sets of towering black plastic shelves with large transparent plastic bins stuffed wherever they will fit, and overflowing with small props. Many attempts have been made to bring order to the Prop Loft. All attempts start alright, but as time passes, the grand effort ends with an announcement of “This is impossible! I QUIT!” or with silent resignation as the year ends—props all over the place. If you have ever worked with small props at Bethany, you understand.
Written by Sofia Johar; Edited by Simon Dutkiewicz
Revision 1.1
I have worked with small props multiple times over the years. I was the Props Master in my Freshman year, during Women of Lockerbie and Godspell, and during Elephant and Piggie, the musical of my Sophomore year. Each time, I made small attempts to organize—to overhaul bit by bit, and make it all a little less of an overwhelming quagmire of towering bins… As I mentioned earlier, it never really works; And, I must stress, that was not for lack of trying.
I was annoyed at first. Like, seriously?! STAY ORGANIZED!!
But I, familiar with the Prop Loft, and considering all of these attempts and grand failures, was led to but one conclusion: The Prop Loft has a mind of its own. It is sentient. Every time I tried to organize, it seemed as though the props would rearrange themselves back to chaos overnight. It was as if the Prop Loft did not want to change, it wanted to remain in disarray.
I have since given up on organizing the Prop Loft. Between a busy schedule and being in the cast rather than crew, I haven’t had the time to attempt another overhaul. Not to mention, I’m a little worried it might eat me.
If you work with small props at Bethany Christian High School, you must approach the Prop Loft with courage, determination, and a splash of fear. You can try to organize if you so choose, but be warned that what lies ahead is a treacherous uphill battle.
Maybe the solution is to accept the chaos and learn to coexist with the Prop Loft. Approach it with an open mind, and all that.
There is a new props master for the 2025 BCS musical: Riley Davidzhar (9th). If she is reading this, from one props master to another, I wish you luck.