Prop Making — Emily Lohrbach

Prop Making

Most recently, Emily had the privilege of working as a crafts artisan for five shows at the Santa Fe Opera. Before that, she spent five seasons in the props department at the Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, getting to work on 33 shows during that time, beginning as an artisan before progressing to become the head of the department. She enjoys the diversity of work that props provide, from woodworking and faux finishing to sewing and sculpting, and she finds a special sense of joy in getting to turn materials like insulation foam and paper towels into everyday items like bricks and lettuce leaves.

Photo by Bronwen Sharp,
The Magic Flute — Photo by Bronwen Sharp, The Magic Flute

Photo by Bronwen Sharp,
The Magic Flute — Photo by Bronwen Sharp, The Magic Flute

Photo by Bronwen Sharp,
The Magic Flute — Photo by Bronwen Sharp, The Magic Flute

Photo by Ellie Vice,
The Magic Flute — Photo by Ellie Vice, The Magic Flute

birdcage backpack (welding rods, dowels, wood, spray paint, leather, twine)

Photo by Ellie Vice,
The Magic Flute — Photo by Ellie Vice, The Magic Flute

Photo by Ellie Vice,
The Magic Flute — Photo by Ellie Vice, The Magic Flute

dead rabbit (insulation foam, apoxie sculpt, resin, warbla, fur)

dead pheasants (polyfill, faux fur, leather, feathers, apoxie sculpt)

mouth padlock (molded plastic, spray paint, pacifier mouthpiece on back)

Photo by Ellie Vice,
The Magic Flute — Photo by Ellie Vice, The Magic Flute

molds for clay dragon scales (final scales made using the resulting plaster scales to vacuform plastic covered in color shift car vinyl)

Photo by Ellie Vice,
The Magic Flute — Photo by Ellie Vice, The Magic Flute

Photo by Ellie Vice,
The Magic Flute — Photo by Ellie Vice, The Magic Flute

Photo by Ellie Vice,
The Magic Flute — Photo by Ellie Vice, The Magic Flute

Photo by Ellie Vice,
The Magic Flute — Photo by Ellie Vice, The Magic Flute

Photo by Bronwen Sharp,
Eugene Onegin — Photo by Bronwen Sharp, Eugene Onegin

Photo by Bronwen Sharp,
Eugene Onegin — Photo by Bronwen Sharp, Eugene Onegin

Photo by Bronwen Sharp,
Eugene Onegin — Photo by Bronwen Sharp, Eugene Onegin

Photo by Bronwen Sharp,
Eugene Onegin — Photo by Bronwen Sharp, Eugene Onegin

sheep skull, partially eaten (resin, plastic ball, air dry foam, power mesh coated in crystal gel)

Photo by Bronwen Sharp,
Rodelinda — Photo by Bronwen Sharp, Rodelinda

Stab-able, sliceable roast (upholstery foam, styrofoam, tissue paper, crystal gel, resin bones, muslin, velcro)

Photo by Bronwen Sharp,
Lili Elbe — Photo by Bronwen Sharp, Lili Elbe

Photo by Bronwen Sharp,
Lili Elbe — Photo by Bronwen Sharp, Lili Elbe

Photo by Bronwen Sharp,
Lili Elbe — Photo by Bronwen Sharp, Lili Elbe

Photo by Bronwen Sharp,
Lili Elbe — Photo by Bronwen Sharp, Lili Elbe

(air dry foam, acrylic paint, resin, faux leaves)

Ship's wheel (sonotube, wood, bearing, acrylic and spray paint)

Film camera (MDF and lauan, joint compound, miscellaneous parts, acrylic paint)

Globus cruciger, scepter, pillow (fabric, lauan, upholstery foam, batting, styrofoam, plastic and metal beads and adornments, Bondo, acrylic paint and spray paint, dowel)

Severed heads (styrofoam, burlap, acrylic paint, crystal gel, amber shellac)

Deer skull piece (resin, clay, faux fur, acrylic paint)

Bricks (Insulation foam, acrylic paint, caulk, sand)

Carved wood pickaxes long enough for choreography

Candlestick phones for choreography (Dowels, plumbing hardware, dollar store toys, Bondo, magnets, molded and cast earpieces)

mummy, needed to have snake come out of mouth (resin, fabric, clay, wire, pvc, acrylic paint)

Evita coffin head (styrofoam, air dry clay, acrylic paint, wig)

(interfacing, amber shellac, denatured alcohol, markers, acrylic paint)

(air dry foam clay, acrylic paint, resin)

(matboard, lauan, wood details, diffusion film, spraypaint)

Painted resin cast candle holders, after