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Post by dantinney on May 1, 2019 13:11:00 GMT
I decided it was a good idea for one of the characters in my play to have a prop.
It is very hard to work out if a prop is too cliched or not.
What is everyone's opinion on a bunch of flowers as a prop? Is it too cliched? And if so, what can I use as an alternative?
Many thanks
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2019 13:51:48 GMT
What is the context of the situation? Why do they (she/he?) require flowers?
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5,707 posts
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Post by lynette on May 1, 2019 14:25:02 GMT
If a bride, then yes flowers a must! No, seriously, we need to know more. Hamlet has a book and there are also flutes there. Rory Kinnear added ciggies. Would the prop tell us something about your character that we need to know, even subliminally, that he or she cannot actually tell us or that another character cannot tell us? And remember that if it is significant then it must pop up again towards the end, a la Ibsen and the guns.
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Post by Deleted on May 1, 2019 14:27:31 GMT
If there is a narrative reason for the character to have a prop, then the nature of the prop will be dictated by the reason for the prop. If there is no narrative reason for the prop, then you're going against the spirit of Chekhov and also possibly going to create issues for the director and/or actor. (If the actor or director cannot see a need for the bunch of flowers, and the bunch of flowers is only written in stage directions and never referenced in the dialogue, they could very reasonably decide not to have it. Even if you write it into the dialogue, they're still probably going to want to know *why*, and if you don't have any reason beyond "I decided it was a good idea for one of the characters ... to have a prop" then that's just kinda weird.)
Props aren't arbitrary, they tend to serve a purpose. This character is a murderer, so they need to carry around a weapon. That character is an alcoholic so will need a whiskey glass and decanter nearby in most of their scenes. One character is a baker and regularly asks other characters to try the cake that she has made, perhaps to signify the baker's insecurity in her own ability or maybe because - surprise! - the baker is *also* a murderer and has poisoned this particular cake, but either way, you're probably going to want a cake.
Think about what you want the prop *for*, and if there isn't really a reason, then the play will probably be just fine without it.
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Post by talkingheads on May 1, 2019 21:21:10 GMT
If a bunch of flowers appear in Act One, they'd better make somebody sneeze in Act 3
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916 posts
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Post by karloscar on May 1, 2019 21:34:12 GMT
What kind of flowers? Different species signify different things. Real or fake? Native or exotic? Are they central to the plot or just an affectation? Unless you're doing a bio of Dame Edna Everage flowers are unlikely to be vital to your play.
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999 posts
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Post by Backdrifter on May 2, 2019 6:27:02 GMT
Maybe they could be carrying the bunch of flowers throughout and we don't find out why until the end.
But don't have the flowers concealing a gun, been done before.
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2019 11:21:35 GMT
With my writing hat on, I tend to write props in. Wearing my directing hat, I tend to take them out again. Sometimes what you think is necessary is a distraction.
Is it needed practically?
or
Is it important symbolically?
If so, write it in,
but be prepared to have you mind changed about it.
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