Two of the integral scenes in Gertrude and Claudius center around animal interactions. From a romantic horse ride in the snowfall to an intimate conversation in the mews amongst the falcons, these scenes move the plot forward and bring the two characters closer together. We sat down with Props Master Kurt Bippert and Props Artisan Jamie Everett to gain a better understanding of the construction of these incredible creatures.

An Interview with Our Props Department

Orlando Shakes: What led to the decision of the wooden horses and the foam falcons? Did you watch any rehearsal for inspiration or was the decision made another way?

Kurt Bippert: The decision was made by the set designer, Jim Hunter, as far as how they were going to look. Originally we discussed the idea of the birds being actual taxidermy falcons, but our budget did not allow for this. That is when the idea of the sculptural representation came into play. They match the look of the horses and the overall scenery.

Actors Paige Lindsey White and Gene Gillette ride wooden horses on the revolve during a performance. Photo by Tony Firriolo.

Orlando Shakes: Were there any unexpected challenges in the construction of the birds and horses?

Kurt: Budgetary constraints prevented us from having the falcons CNC (Computer Numerical Control) cut from wood, which we would have preferred, so we opted to go with EPS foam which we then coated in plaster and painted. The horses were designed by Jim Hunter, which were then CNC cut and assembled.

Jamie Everett: For the horses, it was a happy surprise! The original design called for a steel structure, which would have made them too heavy. At first, we thought we might need it that way to support the weight of a human on the horse, but we actually didn’t, which is a good thing, because they are heavy enough as they are!

Actors Paige Lindsey White and Gene Gillette rehearse on mock horses. Photo by Lexie Hoag.

Orlando Shakes: How have the actors responded to the props?

Kurt: From the start of the rehearsal process, the actors had rehearsal horses that were the same height and seat size to work with. This made the transition to the production horses much smoother and allowed the actors plenty of time to get comfortable on horseback.

Orlando Shakes: What solutions did you use to move the horses on and off stage for the scene?

Jamie: We were going to put them on casters, but since the turntable is moving, we didn’t want inertia to fling the actors and horses off the stage. We decided to put carpeting on the bottom so they could still slide easily into position.

Orlando Shakes: How are these scenes significant to the storytelling in the production?

Jamie: The bird scene is when Claudius sees Gertrude for who she is for the first time, and the horse scene is when they first realize that there is something between them.

Come take flight in the riveting love story of Gertrude and Claudius to see our spectacular stage “animals” in action.