#93 Quarantine Happy Hour #1

In times of need and uncertainty, we turn to our friends for comfort, so it only made sense that we gathered a slew of friends of the pod to come together for a Quarantine episode of the podcast. Joining Cory for a Friday night drink is Buist Bickley, Darron West, Caite Hevner, Beowulf Boritt, Jason Lyons, Jen Caprio, Jen Schriever, Jason Lyons and Bradley King. Everyone shared how they are coping with the new normal caused by Covid-19 and how it’s taking its toll on everyone’s personal and professional lives. They chat about the work lost, the uncertainty of work in the future, and what it means for the theatre community at large. We hear from the parents of the group as to how they are working through this time with their young children, Beowulf tells us about making masks on his grandmother’s old sewing machine, Jason tells us how he’s working to continue the important education of his students and Bradley offers useful info on behalf of United Scenic Artists. And everyone shares what they are reading and watching to pass the time. There’s a lot of laughs and a lot of love in this group and it’s just a small slice of what all designers are feeling these days. Enjoy listening in on the chat while staying HOME and staying safe!

#57 Kathy Fabian

Welcome to Episode #57, New York blizzard edition! This week we welcome Props Queen Kathy Fabian! Kathy tells us how she went from being just a freelance props designer to creating Propstar, a full service design firm juggling multiple Broadway shows a season. She gives us an inside peak into her design process which includes budgeting a show, staffing it with the right kind of assistants, putting together a rehearsal props package, and how she handles that crazy time in tech between midnight and noon the next day! We’ve got fun prop stories that include traveling to Russia to find the perfect pieces for ‘Fiddler on the Roof’, creating raw eggs, animal carcasses, and fake cuts and bruises for ‘Rocky’, and camel wings for the circus! And learn about an amazing product called Model Magic. If you’re stuck inside today, cozy up with this new episode and stay warm!

#24 Buist Bickley

Prepare for maybe our most fascinating episode yet…it’s “It-Boy” Props Supervisor, Buist Bickley! Buist is one of the most sought after Props Designers on Broadway and boy does he have the stories to back it up. He and Cory discuss his work on ‘The Last Ship,’ ‘Act One,’ ‘The Nance,’ ‘Mothers and Sons’ and a whole host of other shows. Learn how he made “fake” cookie dough for Lily Rabe in ‘Seminar’ and an entire meal’s worth of “fake unhealthy” food for Katie Holmes in ‘Dead Accounts.’ From hand props to furniture to weapons to special effects, he’s involved in it all. Cory and Buist also chat about the logistical minefield of being of Props Supervisor including New York traffic laws, managing thousands of dollars worth of receipts, union houses, and actors who manage to channel all of their frustrations into that one prop they can’t stand! He’s a jack of all trades and he’s sharing his secrets on today’s show!