Marilyn Armon of the Westbrooke community in Centreville received a surprise phone call from her daughter last Monday night. "Mom," said Faye, her daughter, "I think I’m getting an award!"
Faye Armon, part of Centreville High's first graduating class in 1991, was seated at the Obie Awards at Webster Hall in New York City. Told by her press agent that a ticket would be waiting for her at the door, Faye attended the ceremony without realizing that she was under consideration for an award.
Faye, a prop-designer for the Off-Broadway play "Bug," watched as the actors in the play won Obies for Best Ensemble Cast. Using her cell phone, Faye called her mother, a drama teacher at Franklin Middle School, and said, "Mom, the whole cast won Obies!"
SOON AFTERWARDS the entire design team of "Bug" was announced as a winner, and as the designers rose to walk on stage, Faye hesitated and wondered if she should follow them out of their seats.
"I didn’t think that I would be part of the winning circle because the prop designers are the step-children," said Faye. "Prop designers are not ever considered designers." With the rest of her design team on the way to the stage, Faye held back. Then an announcer called her name.
She left her seat and walked on stage, and after listening to speeches from the rest of the design team – people representing sets, costumes, lights, and sound – Faye approached the podium. "Thanks for recognizing props!" she announced to the audience. "Rock on!"
THE OBIE AWARDS were created in 1956 by former Village Voice critic Jerry Tallmer to honor the then up-and-coming Off-Broadway theater movement. The awards are non-competitive — the awards committee does not make formal nominations, and judges are free to award multiple awards in any category they choose. This is the first year the committee has presented an award to a prop designer.
Although prop designers are rarely listed on title page of a play bill, Faye created so many props for "Bug" that the production company decided to include her on the title page anyhow.
The play takes place in a dilapidated hotel room, and the design team tried to make the set as realistic as possible. The effect was noticed; almost every critic’s review of the play included praise for the photo-realistic set.
"Props are not the easiest thing," said Faye. "You have to be perfect. Prop designers belong on the play bill."
FAYE ARMOM, 30, began her theater career at Centreville High School, where she worked under drama teacher Skip Maiden and starred in "Fame," "The Fantasticks," and many other plays. "She was the star," said Jennie Armon, Faye's younger sister, a senior at George Mason University.
Faye, a Radford graduate, moved to New York City five years ago to continue acting. "I went on a tour of "Romeo and Juliet," and when I came back, I decided that I didn’t ever want a day job again." She started working at the Cherry Lane Theater in Greenwich Village, and among other things, found herself working on props.
"It interested me to be a part of the productions, and slowly I stopped acting," said Faye. She soon started creating props all over town, and landed a job as an art director for the Discovery Home and Leisure Channel, handling all design aspects for six episodes of "Cookin’ in Brooklyn", a TV show based on New York City chef Alan Harding.
In addition to television, Faye began producing props and set designs for independent movies. She just completed costume design work for "Windows," and recently did design work for "Jihad!" which just won Best New Film at the New Jersey International Film Festival.
Though her work is slowly being recognized, Faye still believes that prop designers do not receive their fair share of appreciation. "It really bothers me when I’m not considered a designer because so much goes into these little articles that these actors take in front of the camera."