Live Like Pigs: Prop design

Live Like Pigs: Prop design

Section: Representational Prop Design

• “Live Like Pigs” makes use of representational props to depict the poverty-stricken living conditions of the Carter family. These props reflect the socio-economic status of the characters.

• Every object, including rundown furniture, broken toys, and worn-out household items, serves to strengthen the sense of hardship and destitution.

Section: Non-Naturalistic Use of Props

• In line with Brechtian aesthetic, props in this play are also used non-naturalistically to increase the audience’s critical recognition of the play’s themes.

• Chair, table, or pots and pans could be used symbolically, representing the deteriorating social and financial state of the family rather than serving their inherent utilitarian function.

Section: Use of Props for Gestus

• Props are often used in Gestus, to show socio-political critiques. This could take form of a character treating an object in an unusual way, or emphasizing certain aspects of it to show the socio-political comment.

Section: Prop Manipulation

• Actors manipulate props to mirror the harsh environment, emphasizing their role as performers and distancing the audience from emotional identification with characters.

• Through prop manipulation, actors are able to depict the struggle and endurance of their characters under adverse conditions.

Section: Brechtian Simplification through Props

• Brechtian theatre tends toward minimalistic, symbolic design choices. In “Live Like Pigs”, this could point towards a limited number of multi-purpose props that suggest the poverty and limited resources of the Carter family.

• Such simplified prop design serves to focus the audience’s attention on the socio-political issues being discussed, rather than the aesthetics of the production.