During this experience, I have taken on a role with far greater depth than a props manager. I created the props, but I was in charge on their placement and positions onstage and during rehearsals. I was in fact the only one who knew exactly which cardboard boxes were supposed to be placed where for pre-set and throughout the duration of the show, not even the stage manager knew where to place them. Pseud Motley suggests that on performance days “in professional companies, it is usual to have a special assistant manager, whose duty it is to arrange and look after the props” (Motley, 1976, 15). For Bleeding Edge, I took on this role, the creation, location and conservation of the props were my responsibility.

Being the props manager for Inka was definitely a learning experience. I feel proud of what I have achieved, taking on a role that was in many ways very daunting, however, if we were to perform Inka again, there are certainly changes that I would make. Melissa Erdman claims “it’s heartbreaking when furniture breaks onstage”, (Piepenburgsept, 2012) and having watched paint slowly, but continuously chip off the boxes throughout Inka, I can confirm this to be true. If we were to perform Inka again I would reconsider the boxes used throughout the show. This would almost definitely involve a downsizing, perhaps reducing the number to just 6 boxes if necessary. I would also find a way in which they could be flat packed after each show, rather than having them fixed into a 3D shape. That way we would be able to utilise the space provided by them to store costumes or company member’s belongings for transit.

Bleeding Edge Theatre Company (2018) Inka [Tech rehearsal] Lincoln 16 May 2018.

For my role as a performer, I believe my characterisation went on an incredibly long journey that only really came together the week before the show. Portraying Grace, the mother of three children was challenging, evidently being a departure from my position in real life. For quite a while, I struggled to understand her motivations, however, after lots of discussion with Marcus about the approaches I could take, the terrified mother, the strong independent female, I believe I eventually did find my own interpretation of Grace. With some additional lines added 2 weeks before the performance, rather pleasingly I discovered a much greater depth to her. Ultimately I believe I was able to understand her motivations and emotions, even though they were not relatable ones. In this way, I found the role incredibly challenging, but also highly enjoyable.

I believe Inka was successful in embodying the goals of Arts Council England (ACE). On their plan, ACE say they “have the confidence and the courage to take risks and explore new ideas and we encourage others to do the same” (Arts council England, undated). I believe we were successful in doing so. The Inka device is an entirely original idea by our theatre company, the performance took risks, and we put hours of our time into exploring, seeking to create something which fulfilled their policy of excellence. Our technological theme is relatable to all audiences. It’s everywhere you look in the world right now, we are as human beings overwhelmed by the amount of technology we have access to. The theme is current, the very idea of an Inka being created does not delve too far into the fictional realms, it could genuinely happen in the near future. In Bleeding Edge’s future, we hope to continue as a theatre company, taking Inka to new possibilities. I have thoroughly enjoyed my role in the company, it’s been a truly wonderful experience.

Works Cited:

Arts council England (undated) The Arts Council Plan 1015-18. Arts Council England. Available from https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/sites/default/files/download-file/Corporate-Plan_2015-18_Arts-Council-England.pdf [accessed 23 May].

Motley, P. (1976) Theatre Props. London: Studio Vista.

Piepenburgsept, E. (2012) Blood to Rain, in a Bag of Tricks. The New York Times, 10 September. Available from https://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/11/theater/theater-props-masters-gather-at-the-public-theater.html [accessed 24 March 2018].