When you've got witches who need to boil and toil and trouble, you'll need a cauldron, some dry ice, and probably some good wax noses and warts. Eerie lighting and a blasted heath will help—and the sound of howling banshees wouldn't hurt.
You get the idea. Here's a list of places to go in the L.A. area to rent the right set piece, light instrument, sound set-up, natty period threads, etc.
The list was compiled with a special preference for businesses that regularly cater to local theatres and sometimes even offer theatres a money-saving break. And that's a special effect everyone would like to brew up.
LIGHTS
Angstrom Stage Lighting
837 N. Cahuenga Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 462-4246 www.angstromlighting.com
This company has full lighting equipment for rent or sale, including expendables, projection systems, and special effects. It also delivers.
Astro Audio/Video/Lighting
6615 San Fernando Road
Glendale, CA 91201
(818) 549-9915
This company specializes in club, DJ, dance, and theatrical lighting and sound rentals.
Entertainment Lighting Services
1140 Sheldon St.
Sun Valley, CA 91352
(818) 769-9800
Fax: (818) 769-2100
www.elslights.com
ELS rents and sells stage and film/TV lighting: rigging, staging, truss, power distribution, automated lighting, special effects, and expendables, and it offers full production support.
Hollywood Rentals Production Services/ Olesen Lighting and ESS
19731 Nordhoff St.
Northridge, CA 91324
(818) 407-7800
www.HollywoodRentals.com
Olesen has for sale or rent any lighting equipment you need. It also carries set supplies: paint, fabric, etc. (The paint is not for rent.)
NorCostco/California Costume, Stage Lighting, and Makeup
3606 W. Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 567-0753
www.NorCostco.com
PROPS AND SETS
Note that a great resource for props and set-dressing needs is the printed guide Debbie's Book, which you can sample at www.debbiesbook.com.
Alley Cats
7107 Case Ave.
North Hollywood, CA 91605
(818) 982-9178
As the name promises, this place specializes in "alley dressing"—i.e., newspaper kiosks, dumpsters, trash cans. It also has theatre seats in rows of four or two—some red and some purple.
Art Deco L.A. Prop House
7007 Lankershim Blvd.
North Hollywood, CA 91605
(818) 765-5653
Don't let the name fool you: This place has stuff from the 1930s through the '70s, from rugs to lighting to industrial props.
EC Props
11846 Sherman Way
North Hollywood, CA 91605
(818) 764-2008
The specialty here is industrial props—think the sort of things you'd need for a locker room, a factory, a police squad room, a loading dock.
Hand Prop Room, Inc.
5700 Venice Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90019
(323) 931-1534
As the name suggests, you don't go here for furniture but for things to put on the furniture: luggage, cameras, sporting goods, pictures and lamps, silver, china, guns, and lots of desk-dressing office materials. HPR also has larger items like bicycles, rowboats, and telephone booths, and it manufactures custom props.
Independent Studio Services
9545 Wentworth St.
Sunland, CA 91040
(818) 951-5600
ISS specializes in set decorations from period to contemporary furniture, fixtures, appliances, equipment, art, and hand props. It has almost 100,000 square feet of inventory, including one of the largest assortments of large and small bronzes, complete silver and crystal collections, and fitness equipment.
Omega Cinema Props
5857 Santa Monica Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 466-8201
This house specializes in interior furnishings and set decorations, from rugs to linens, and in outfitting restaurant and office sets.
Paul's Models & Props
7668 San Fernando Road
Sun Valley, CA 91352
(951) 206-9156
Paul's specializes in custom building and special effects lighting (black lighting, lasers, fiber optics).
Period Props
P.O. Box 6461
Burbank, CA 91510
(818) 848-7767
Pinacoteca Props
5735 W. Adams Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90016
(323) 965-2722
The specialty here is framed art pieces, from painting to mixed media, as well as custom frame work.
Santa Fe Wrecking Co.
1600 S. Santa Fe
Los Angeles, CA 90021
(213) 623-3119
www.SantaFeWrecking.com
Santa Fe Wrecking sells a great deal of architectural salvage and used building supplies perfect for set pieces. It has a lot of doors, toilets, windows, bathtubs, and other items. But don't go there expecting to find furniture—it's a salvage yard.
Scenery West
11461 Hart St.
North Hollywood, CA 91605
(818) 765-8661
www.SceneryWest.com
Custom fabrication shop for theme parks, trade shows, theatre, and commercials.
20th Century Props
11651 Hart St.
North Hollywood, CA 91605
(818) 759-1190
www.20thCenturyProps.com
With more than 100,000 square feet of stock and access to set manufacturers, 20th Century has a terrific inventory that includes vintage lamps, lighting instruments, furniture, appliances, hand props, outer-space items, an airplane, a submarine, etc.
Woody's Electrical Prop Rentals
7255 Clybourn Ave.
Sun Valley, CA 91352
(818) 503-1940
As the name suggests, Woody's has props with lights and switches and other electrical props.
COSTUMES
Costume Alley Inc.
3481 Old Conejo Road
Newbury Park, CA 91320
(805) 480-1180
Costume Rentals Corp
11149 Vanowen St.
North Hollywood, CA 91605
(818) 753-3700
www.CostumeRentalsCorp.com
Gilbert of Hollywood Costumes
11345 N. Chandler Blvd. (at Tujunga)
North Hollywood, CA 91601
(818) 506-6668
Glendale Costumes
746 W. Doran St.
Glendale, CA 91203
(818) 244-1161
International Costumes
1423 Marcelina Ave.
Torrance, CA 90501
(310) 320-6392
Make Believe Inc.
3240 Pico Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90405
(310) 396-6785
NorCostco/California Costume, Stage Lighting, and Makeup
3606 W. Magnolia Blvd.
Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 567-0753
www.NorCostco.com
Shelly's
2089 Westwood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90025
(310) 475-1400
The Theatre Company
1400 N. Benson Ave.
Upland, CA 91786
(909) 982-5736
Valentino's Costumes
13812 Saticoy St.
Van Nuys, CA 91402
(818) 508-9933
Western Costume Co.
11041 Vanowen St.
North Hollywood, CA 91605
(818) 760-0900
SPECIAL EFFECTS COSTUMES & MAKEUP
Total Fabrication
13136 Saticoy St., Unit P
N. Hollywood, CA 91605
(818) 765-0091
Creators of creatures, specialty costumes, armor, walkarounds, mascots, puppets, makeup effects, and props.
MAKEUP & HAIR
For most makeup needs, the following shops should suffice. You may also want to check with the Milton Agency, an agency repping hairstylists, makeup artists, and costume designers for theatre, film, and TV. 6715 Hollywood Blvd., Ste. 206, Hollywood, CA 90028, (323) 466-4441. Makeup specialists also include:
The Joe Blasco
Make-Up Center
1670 Hillhurst Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90027
(323) 467-4949
The Ben Nye Company
5935 Bowcroft
Los Angeles, CA 90016
(310) 839-1984
Cinema Secrets
4400 Riverside Dr.
Burbank, CA 91505
(818) 846-0579
Frends Beauty Supply
5270 Laurel Canyon Blvd.
N. Hollywood, CA 91607
(818) 769-3834
Beauty supplies, theatrical special effects, wig rental, wig styling.
His & Her Hair Goods Co.
5525 Wilshire Blvd.
L.A., CA 90036
(323) 931-1021
Custom-made wigs, wig- and facial-hair making supplies.
Toi
(323) 254-5118
Contact: R. Rodchomcup
Custom-made wigs.
SOUND RENTAL
There are more than 100 companies in Los Angeles that rent and sell sound systems, from wireless microphones to amplifiers and speakers. Most have the ability to support theatre productions, but not all have experience with theatre spaces. Make sure to ask. Sound companies are listed under the heading "Sound Systems & Equipment" in the L.A. County Business-to-Business Yellow Pages. (They are not, however, listed in the regular Los Angeles County Yellow Pages—don't ask us why.)
Astro Audio/Video/ Lighting
6615 San Fernando Road
Glendale, CA 91201
(818) 549-9915
This company specializes in club, dance, and theatre lighting and sound rentals, as well as dance floors, and big screen and video projectors.
Hollywood Sound
1541 N. Wilcox Ave.
Hollywood, CA 90028
(323) 466-2416
Equipment rental.
Jon Sound
Jon Gottlieb
(818) 760-7263
Jon Sound is owned and operated by the Ovation and Drama Critics Circle award-winning sound designer Jon Gottlieb, who provides sound design, system consultations, and audio equipment rental.