Theater question

[skip.knox]

Is there a collective noun for all the stuff in a touring show?

I know props is from properties, and I could use that word, but is there a better or alternative term?

Context: my performing company is robbed on the road. They've lost all their... stuff. I need a better term than stuff. Historical and non-English terms welcome.

 

[pmmg]

Production maybe. We've lost all of our production but the actors.

Think a troop would say production and set pieces.

 

[Insolent Lad]

Among themselves, maybe something simple like gear or trappings? Or equipage, to be a little more fanciful?

 

[skip.knox]

Given there's no single word, I think it's a good idea to use a variety of words, along with a circumlocution or two. Just enough to move the dialog along.

 

[A. E. Lowan]

I did a lot of theater in high school and my wife did it professionally from middle school on. There are a lot of words you can use to describe the trappings; gear, sets, costumes, etc. And don't forget the 'alternate' terms, which run long to swearing. "What happened to our crap?" will usually be the first question asked, followed by specifics. "I found Todd's crown, but it's busted to hell and gone."

 

[FifthView]

How about....kit? Not necessarily used historically, but it's a sort of versatile collective noun for implements, tools, and whatever necessary stuff.

I found a site describing medieval theater productions and learned that the word "mansions" was used for creating generic backdrops and settings:

For the Mystery plays, there developed a common type of scenery that was used in many places in Europe, called mansions. A mansion was a kiosk-type of construction that would open up and the inside would be used as the backdrop for a particular scene. These would be created to establish a basic background, or scenic location, for the story being told. (from History of Theater: Middle Ages)

These would be standard settings likely to appear in different plays.