This week Daniel and Monty sit down with self-described Method props artist, set decorator, and producer, Sara Slagle. Sara and Monty have collaborated on numerous projects for 10 years, and Sara was the brains behind the world Rude Grooms created this summer with Romeo and Juliet. To learn more, follow her on Instagram @ehtoozee.

Topics include:

• How Sara found her way into props and design
• Method props design
• How fully realized, hand-crafted props help with immersion, and the power of physical objects on an actors’ performance.
• The dangers of burnout.
• The desire for effective world-building and realism in the theatre.
• How many things does Sara make by hand? Listen to the episode and tweet us your answers!
• Mishandled prop horror stories.
• The importance of CHECKING YOUR DAMN PROPS.
• Navigating whether or not to stay in your lane when problems arise
• The importance of communication between performers and technical artists. 
• How observation and noticing small details affect big decisions in a production.
• Theatre ghost stories!
• How suggestions lead to better direction.
• ACTORS- be nice to your production crew!
• The cost of kindness.
• The pros and cons of the current power dynamic structure in modern theatre.
• Switching hats between crew member and producer on the same production.
• The creative advantages of independent theatre vs. Broadway.

Music is by Kara Arena, Master of Music for Rude Grooms. Follow us @thiswoodeno on Twitter and Instagram, visit us on the web at thiswoodeno.com, like us at facebook.com/thiswoodenopod/, or support us on Patreon (patreon.com/rudegrooms) to join the conversation during livestream broadcasts of every episode.

This week’s shoutouts & further reading include:

• The Gallery Players
• Retro Productions
• Carl Forsman
• Comedy Central Presents: This is Not Happening
• Roy Wood Jr.
• Heather Cunningham
• Steven Walters (and the play “Booth” which inspired the podcast “1865”)
• Jessica Renee Russell
• Your Colonel (Monty’s Aaron Burr play)
• Shakespeare Dallas

This Wooden O is a production of Rude Grooms. Learn more at rudegrooms.com or follow us @rudegrooms on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/this-wooden-o/donations