Sometimes a production needs food on the table. Not necessarily edible food – just prop food to fill the space and make the audience aware that the characters are about to partake in a meal. Whether it’s Fezziwig’s feast in A Christmas Carol, “Be Our Guest” in The Beauty and The Beast or the Capulets’ feast in Romeo & Juliet – props artisans are often called to make a tableful of fake food.
Karestin Harrison poses with a cornucopia of her prop food projects at USITT
One such props artisan is Karestin Harrison who is currently co-writing a book on the subject with scenic designer/artist Tammy Honesty. They shared with us two simple recipes for whipping up a couple of prop dishes to serve to your audience.
If you'd like to see more fake food recipes, explore Harrison and Honesty’s book, The Fake Food Cookbook: Props You Can’t Eat for Theatre, Film, and TV! Inside, you'll find more than fifty recipes for inedible food and a dozen edible beverages. The book is available for sale now - click here to order your copy today!
To learn more about the Rosco products Karestin Harrison used in the recipes above, visit the Rosco Paints and the Rosco Scenic Products web page.
Jenny Knott November 23, 2016 Questions?
Scenic Paint & Coating Product Manager: A graduate from the University of Missouri, Kansas City with an MFA in Design and Technology, Jenny has been a freelance scenic artist for over 30 years – working for regional theatres including Missouri Rep (now KC Rep), Arena Stage, the Guthrie and Goodspeed Opera House as well as union scene shops. Jenny is a member of United Scenic Artists 829 as well as a past member of USITT’s Board of Directors. Jenny continues to paint, which keeps her current with emerging scenic artists and helps her discover new ways of approaching paint challenges. “Bring on the goop and let’s get creative.”