Tuscarora Props Master on the Intracies of the Fall Play

LEESBURG, VA: Senior, Jose Guerrero is Tuscarora High School’s prop master for the theatre department. His job is to make the props for the theatre productions and ensure they are safe and usable. 

“Basically, if it’s something you hold in your hand or a very small set piece that wouldn’t be for construction, that’ll mainly be for my job,” Guerrero stated. 

Guerrero became more involved in theatre throughout high school, he dived fully into the performing arts. For the fall play in his junior year, Trap, he helped build the set. For the spring musical that same year, Beauty and the Beast, he helped with the set, was in the ensemble, and played Maurice’s understudy. 

“A certain person, named Gwenalyn Abrams, forced me into this, and I’ve enjoyed it ever since,” said Guerrero.

After an interview with Mr. Justin Daniel and Mrs. Alyssa Sera Josep, Guerrero got the job of Prop Master for his senior year. 

“I had a friend last year, her name was Peyton Voorheis. She was a very good Prop Master and she made me very much enjoy making them. I didn’t help much with her, but she did teach me so I wanted to try following in her footsteps,” Guerrero stated.

Guerrero immediately jumped into Lord of the Flies when his senior year came around, getting ready to make all props necessary. He spent hours researching and building props for the show to make it the best he could, hoping to possibly receive a Cappie nomination.

“Lord of the Flies being a prop heavy show is fun, and it’s kind of overwhelming being my first show, and basically my last fall play making props but, it’s incredibly fun and I’m just happy with what I’ve been doing so far.”

He and his team have enjoyed making props, even going so far as naming some of his props, such as Wilbur the dead pig that Jack and his crew kills offstage during the show. 

“Phillip, no doubt” Guerrero said about his favorite prop he has made, “Phillip is the name I gave to my duct tape mannequin. It was just fun making it, it’s fun to see how he turned out and it was also the fact that I had to hold one of my friends down for three hours and basically use him as a dummy for it.”

He is very excited for the Lord of the Flies performance and for his props to be shown to the audience. He has worked hours on making custom spears for each actor and their character, along with a grave, the pig’s heads, a dead pilot, the very important conch and many more props. 

“People should come to Lord of the Flies because it’s a very fun show. I can tell a lot of people put an incredible amount of passion into this and I just love seeing the show growing into what it truly is,” Guerrero stated.

To see Lord of the Flies, purchase your tickets using the link https://tuscarora.booktix.com/view/5/6dec76a7fd855557/ and come see the shows on November 10th, 11th, 12th, 17th, 18th and 19th at 7pm.