Props to Pages: Properties Director Ben Hohman Publishes Book
By Liz Armstrong, guest writer
Properties Director Ben Hohman has been at the Utah Shakespeare Festival for over 30 years, working with his staff to build everything from a Model T Ford (in Ragtime) to board game pieces (in Clue) to a life-size bear puppet (in this season’s The Winter’s Tale).
The past couple of years, however, Hohman tried his hand at something different, shifting from props to pages. This past Tuesday, July 23, Hohman’s book 101+ Tips and Tricks Every Prop Maker Should Know was released.
Although the book is targeted to those that work in the theater industry, there’s plenty of Festival lore included. For a behind-the-scenes look at the props the Festival has had on stage, how-to’s, and life lessons, we encourage Festival patrons to pick it up as well.
The Process
Hohman had considered writing a book years ago, but it wasn’t until he presented a workshop at USITT, a theater conference he attends every year, that the opportunity to do so finally came about.
“I did a workshop on how we use texture in props at the Festival. A book editor had watched my presentation, and I got an email asking if I knew anyone who was interested in writing a book or if I had any ideas for one,” Hohman said
Hohman pitched three ideas, and soon he was working on 101+ Tips and Tricks Every Prop Maker Should Know. At first 101 ideas seemed like a lot, but Hohman soon realized that, due to his time at the Festival, he had more than enough tips and tricks to share.
“I’m used to explaining things hands-on in my shop, but having to write it down so someone else could pick it up and do it without having seen it is a little more challenging,” Hohman said. “I learned that I’m not a great writer, I’m a much better demonstrator, so luckily I had my wife and editors to [help].”
The process took longer than Hohman thought. He began writing 18 months ago, through the Festival’s 2023 season.
“My last deadlines were right before we got into heavy buildup for this season,” Hohman said. “Last summer, there were days that were really challenging balancing technical rehearsals and deadlines.”
Hohman compared the experience to getting a show onstage on time, noting there’s lots of little details at the end you have to rush through. Just like countless shows Hohman’s done at the Festival, he pulled it off.
The Content
“Two-thirds of the book is aimed at people building props in the film or theater industry,” Hohman said. “I’ve included products or equipment or tools and tricks of how to do things faster, cheaper, or easier.”
A lot of these examples spur from Festival shows, like how the props team built the giant tree in Fred C. Adams’ production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in 2011.
“There’s close to 100 photos and illustrations to show people certain things like pieces of equipment, theater knots, or how to set a dining table for casual, semi-formal, and formal meals [for example],” Hohman said.
The rest of the book is a little more philosophical, explaining why props are important to not only telling a story, but telling it well.
At the end of the book, there’s a glossary of prop terms. One example is “antimacassar,” which refers to the “lace doilies you would see on your grandma’s couch.”
“There are also some things in there that could be for the general reader, like life lessons that you could apply to more than just props,” Hohman said.
To include other perspectives, Hohman interviewed nine people who are in different parts of the prop industry.
One of these voices is Walter Stark’s, who wrote the foreword. Stark worked for ten years in the Festival’s props department and was incredibly passionate about his work. In 2023, he passed away after a long battle with cancer.
“He said props created magic for the audience,” Stark’s partner, Judith Kilpatrick said. “He was immensely proud to be a part of the process, to the point of working his last seasons for only room and board.”
When Hohman decided to write the book, he went to Stark.
“I asked him if it was a good idea and if he would write the foreword,” Hohman said.
Stark was a scientist, and Hohman wanted that analytical viewpoint of prop-making to be included in the book. Stark reached out right after Christmas in 2022, letting Hohman know he’d sent him the foreword for the book. At this point, Hohman had only turned in the first chapter of his book.
Hohman found out Stark had given him the foreword so far in advance because his cancer had come back and he only had a few weeks to live.
“I told him to not worry about the book and to spend time with his family, but he said he wanted the [foreword] to be perfect for me,” Hohman recounted.
Ultimately, Stark pushed Hohman to do the book and share his knowledge with others and was a large part of why the book was published.
The Future
Writing another book isn’t off the table for Hohman. He has several ideas for future books, including anecdotes from his prop experience.
“We’ve done some crazy things and I often share with my staff a prop experience that didn’t work, like to not run with burlap sacks that are on fire,” Hohman joked.
For now though, he plans to keep working as the Festival Properties Director, presenting his highly popular props seminar during the Festival’s season, and teaching workshops. Hohman is content to have crossed “writing a book” off of his bucket list.
“I am happy that they decided to publish it and that this information is going out into the world,” Hohman said. “I think there are a lot of things in there that people will find useful.”
To purchase the book, click here.
To see props Hohman and his team created in action for this season, purchase tickets at bard.org/plays or by calling 800-PLAYTIX.
