Staff Spotlight: Sue Brockman, Props Director

CTC: What is your role at CTC?
Sue Brockman: I am the Props Director at CTC. What are props, you ask? If we look at your bedroom: the walls, floor, ceiling, windows and doors are scenery. The pajamas you are wearing are costumes, every other item in the room is a prop: pizza box, the pile of dirty/clean clothes, furniture, pictures, drapes, pencils etc. Looking out the window you see more props: vehicles, bird baths, flower planters, you get the idea. I work with the designers and directors to help create their vision.

CTC: What does your job involve?
SB: My role includes the budgeting, hiring, shopping, researching and scheduling the builds in the prop shop for the season. I have a staff of 3 Props Artisans and hire extra help when it is necessary. I coordinate the information between the directors, designers and other departments on what needs to be created for the props on each production and relay that to my staff. I coordinate the maintenance of the shop and our storage areas. I try to be a good resource for the theater community in answering their questions on props.

CTC: What is your favorite part about your job?
SB: Bringing a story to life and the wonderful experience of meeting new people, places and history that I learn along the way. Discovering new materials and processes for problem solving the prop requests that we need for each show. We need to build the props to last for 80-100 shows, but yet durable and simple enough for the actors to use easily.

CTC: What do you love most about CTC?
SB: I love that we as an organization have a single purpose of creating and producing the best work we can to uplift and support our kids of all ages, from 3 to 80, and doing this as a team. The magic that happens when all of the production elements work together to create a perfect heightened moment—when you set in the audience and everyone responds at the same time in the same way. It gives me chills.

CTC: How can someone prepare for a career like yours? 
SB: I tell the kids that if you love taking something apart and don’t put it back together the same as it was, you probably are a props person. Looking outside of the box and loving art and science creates a good props person. Go see good and bad theater. The best experience is hands on and seeing how it is being done, volunteer. Ask a lot of questions, there are no stupid questions in life.