On Props

A prop is defined in the theatre or on screen as something an actor handles personally. This definition separates it from set or other elements.

Props are a part of the layered, meaningful and tangible dimensions of a character's world: the props surrounding a character must be given meaning, a personal connection and a story,

Once an actor immerses themselves in the Given Circumstances of a character, they must decide which props they will use and how they will use them. Stanislavski would put this in the category of what he called the Language of Physical Actions. Behavior with objects that illuminate and add dimension to a character who is living in a three-dimensional world.

Endowing props with significant and personal meaning is a key a part of the actor's craft. Is the coffee cup just a coffee cup? Sometimes. However, sometimes it has been given a history and a connection to your character: you father's favorite mug, or a cup obtained in the context of another important life event. The cup then becomes a holder of memory and a part of how your character behaves in a scene.

In early acting exercises we work on Études, which are silent slices of life where an actor does something that is usually private, but in public. While this exercise is primarily meant to teach that acting is not "performing", but rather living truthfully and honestly in moments.

When the actor employs props in an étude, they should consider the true nature of the relationship they have with said prop.

This is the beginning of learning how to endow props with meaning and significance, leading towards a character living authentically in the world they find themselves in.