Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamie Karas.
Jamie, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
When I was younger, I always enjoyed going to the Christmas plays downtown with my Nana, but it wasn’t until my older brother needed to see a play at his high school when I realized that it was something I could actually take part in.
As we left the school’s auditorium, I saw that students were running the Sound and Lighting boards and thought “I NEED to be apart of this.” When it came time to register for classes, I remember telling my guidance counselor about the play and asked how I could get involved. She was slightly confused, because I didn’t mean the acting part (I guess she didn’t get that question often), but said there was a class that had students working and organizing the auditorium that I could enroll in.
The theatre quickly became my second home and I was in there as much as possible. I started with Paint Crew, moved onto Construction – where I spent most of my years, and by the time I graduated, even had some Lighting and Sound knowledge. When it came time to apply for colleges, I realized the only consistent things during High School were my German classes and Theatre. I knew that Theatre wasn’t just a phase (and frankly, had more confidence in it than my German) and crossed my fingers as I sent in applications.
I dreamt of being a Technical Director, but after being accepted into Northern Illinois University, I almost changed to Stage Management before I stumbled onto Props and realized that I enjoyed the finer details of shows. When I graduated from NIU, I had one job lined up during the summer. I figured I would take it one show at a time and apply to other places once I got back; after all, the real world is a lot bigger and faster moving than college.
When that job was over, it was by chance that I ran into alumni and he offered me a job as an extra carpentry hand for a show at Next Theatre (which, sadly, has since closed). Knowing that I was interested in props, he asked me to do props for the next show he was working on. One of the actors in that show was actually directing a show with Teatro Vista and asked if I could do props for him next.
On that show, the production manager passed my name onto Lookingglass’s props master since she was in need of an assistant. And just like that, my name kept getting passed around. I kept hearing “it’s hard to find a good props person” from a lot of people and different companies and realized that this was something I could keep doing. I kept meeting new people and new companies and each time, my name would get passed around.
Which is how I got to where I am today. A co-worker from the House Theatre recommended I apply for Loyola University’s Prop Master position. I went for it and realized that I’d recently worked with the Costume Designer on another show and we had a good experience together. I was accepted for the role and still do freelancing when Loyola’s shows aren’t going on.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
While I haven’t had trouble getting work, I wouldn’t say it’s been an easy/smooth road. When I graduated from college, I moved in with my grandparents (who are among my biggest cheerleaders) in the suburbs, because it would be an easier commute to the city for shows.
Sometimes I would take the train because I couldn’t afford gas or to park my car downtown, but I’d have to make sure I wouldn’t miss the last train back (and there were a number of close calls). It also took a long time for me to figure out how to schedule shows since so many theatres run on the same timeline (overlapping was a common occurrence).
Starting off, the budgets weren’t always enough and the pay was usually less than the budget (especially for props). It has gotten a little better as I’ve worked with bigger theatres, but making a living in theatre is incredibly difficult and you can’t survive on it alone.
I spent two years as a waitress and finally quit when I accepted a theatre job that would take me to Virginia for the summer. With the restaurant, my days would typically start at 5 am, leave the restaurant anywhere from 3-5pm, and then head downtown for rehearsals/tech and not get home until 11 pm or midnight at the earliest. Lack of sleep and burning the candle at both ends happened a lot. Once I moved in with my boyfriend and his roommates downtown, it got a lot easier.
And then the job itself. Transporting items was one of the problems I discovered early on. I started off with a 4 door Saturn and knew that if I was going to do Props as my career, I would need a vehicle that could accommodate the bigger things that would need moving. As luck would have it, my dad’s neighbor was selling his GMC Sonoma that summer and I jumped at the chance for an upgrade. I had to replace her just last year, but having a truck was one of the best decisions for my Props career.
Yeah, the early days were rough. Thankfully, after 7 years, I’m not faced with as many struggles now.
Jamie Karas Props – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I’ve freelanced in Prop Design since I graduated in 2011. I focus solely on Props. Depending on the show, I will shop, find or build what is needed. There’s a good chance that if I don’t have something already in stock, then I know where to look in the world for it. It helps that I’ve worked with enough theatres that I can borrow from them too.
I have knowledge in sewing, painting, constructing, building, drafting, photoshop and drawing. I also like to think my research and communication skills are pretty good. I like to make sure the small details are there. Things that you only notice if they’re missing. Props are such a big part of the world that when no one says anything (because it’s usually a “that looked weird” kind of comment), I know I’ve done my job right.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Typically, success happens when you accomplish your goal.
My goal is simply to make magic happen on stage. To make people wonder “How did they do that??” and “Did you see that!? That was amazing!” and to leave the theatre feeling like they witnessed something special.
With theatre, I think that success happens after I’ve seen how the audience reacts and if it’s in a way that we were hoping for. Afterall, as fun as it is to put on a show, our main reason is because we want to share these wonderful stories we’ve found and hope that it will make people think, feel, or forget about the outside world for 2 hours. If people leave the theatre and I overhear a “that was a good show” I feel I’ve done my job.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://karasprops.com/
- Phone: (630) 310-2535
- Email: jkaras89@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/prop_it/
Image Credit:
Michael Brosilow, Joe Schermoly, Brandon Wardell
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