Prop Food

[Fan Club Of Sorts]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 7:05pm

hey everyone i’m working props on a high school production of brighton beach memoirs i know many shows use actual food on stage but i’m not sure if we are going to be allowed to have food on stage because we are renting another schools theatre. i was wondering if any of you had suggestions to make the fake food look real. in the show we use mashed potatoes, oatmeal cookies, liver, ice cream, nuts (someone actually has a nut allergy), lemonade, milk, butter, bread, and soup.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 10/13/19 at 7:22pm

If it needs to be consumed, you can’t fake that. Even alternatives to make something look similar will have to be edible as well. Even liquids. I mean, you can use tea for whiskey and ginger ale for champagne but both still are real liquids and have to be consumed. You can’t fake that.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 10/14/19 at 1:55am

https://www.amazon.com/Fake-Food-Cookbook-Props-Theatre/dp/113821227X/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=fake+food+cookbook&qid=1571032471&sr=8-3

Here is a great resource on fake food props.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/14/19 at 2:29am

It is usually far easier and less expensive to prep real food (regardless of whether its eaten or not) than buy or create fake. Sometimes you just have to get creative with substitutes - like the nuts. And remember...the audience is often far enough away to make pretty big substitutions.

That being said...both my props people and my actors love real food on stage.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 10/14/19 at 11:19am

I always preferred canned pears when I had to eat on stage. The were easy to eat and very digestible.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 10/14/19 at 12:15pm

Dollypop said: "I always preferred canned pears when I had to eat on stage. The were easy to eat and very digestible."

I'm going to guess that not very many high school kids have the same worries about digestion issues that you may have, Dollypop

[dramamama611]

Posted: 10/14/19 at 1:33pm

By the way... crumbled graham crackers will be a great substitute if the peanut allergy person HAS to eat the peanuts.