Sometimes in plays, props take on a life of their own – they seem to develop a personality and demand a certain amount of respect from all who handle them. Lights up on “Miss Bag” – a large, colorful handbag with LED trim. In Ain’t No Mo’, the fabulous flight agent Peaches introduces Miss Bag with flare, and she (even the designers and crew members refer to Miss Bag as “she”) plays a significant role in the story. How do you give an inanimate object so much power and presence on stage? We spoke with the designer, fabricator, director and actor portraying Peaches to find out.
Ain’t No Mo’ explores a present in which the United States government has offered Black Americans one-way plane tickets to Africa. What ensues is a series of poignant, outlandish, funny and heartbreaking scenes in which Black Americans wrestle with this option. These scenes are woven together by Peaches as she welcomes ticket-holders onto the final flight heading to Africa. When Peaches, played by Chandler Collins, first introduces Miss Bag, she’s addressing the entire audience as if they, too, are about to board the flight.
“I would like to introduce you to Miss Bag,” Peaches calls out (as written by playwright Jordan E. Cooper). “Miss Bag will be the carrier of our entire story as a people in this country as we make this glorious transition. Anything that you may have in your possession that might fall into that category, please drop it on in and it will be sure to meet you at your destination.”
“Miss Bag carries all of Black American culture – our history, our joy and our trauma. She holds our entire story!” shared director Mikala Gibson. Gibson has found ways throughout the play to tie the prop in and establish its significance – Miss Bag sits on the otherwise empty stage as audience members find their seats. She’s the first prop they see as they enter the world of the play.
“She is kind of her own character,” shared scenic designer Brittney Barton, who made the original designs for the prop. “Miss Bag is fabulous and represents Black culture in America, so we wanted to make sure she had that weight as well.”
The bag itself was purchased based on research by Barton. From there, the properties team got to work tricking it out with special additions. “We decided (along with Kay Currier-Graves the lighting designer) to add LED strips to the bag so she can light up,” noted Barton. “The lighting up is going to be kind of like her talking,” an effect that makes it appear as if she’s engaging with Peaches on stage.
“Miss Bag was one of the more technically challenging props in the show and it was especially rewarding to help bring her to life,” shared properties manager Leah Austin. “Alik Clay, our practicals teaching assistant at the Fabrication Studios, played a key role in fabricating this prop, troubleshooting the wireless technology required and wiring the LED system inside of the bag.”
In one gut-wrenching scene, the bag gets stuck under the weight of all the hopes, dreams, memories and creations of the flight’s passengers. “This was achieved by replacing the handbag feet with magnets and embedding corresponding magnets into the platform,” shared Austin. “When Miss Bag is set in place, the magnets – combined with Chandler Collins’ performance as Peaches – creates a convincing bit of stage magic.”
When talking about the presence of Miss Bag, it’s impossible not to mention Collins’ performance as Peaches. Collins commands the stage and demands that the audience gives Miss Bag the respect and admiration she deserves. “It’s been a super fun and interesting challenge working with Miss Bag on stage,” shared Collins. “Having her be the only other physically present ‘character’ for me to interact with has really opened my awareness on stage. I have to be mindful of where she is and how I’m talking to her and how I am physically interacting with her.”
“I also want to let her shine on stage because she is absolutely gorgeous!” Collins continued. “It is such a privilege to work with such a beautifully crafted prop that now truly has a life of its own. Being such a significant part of the story we’re trying to tell, I really have to make sure that I treat her with a little more respect than anyone else in that theatre during our show.”
See Chandler Collins, Miss Bag and the work of all these collaborators shine on stage in Ain’t No Mo’, presented as part of Texas Theatre and Dance’s 2025/2026 Season.
Ain’t No Mo’
April 9-19, 2026
Oscar G. Brockett Theatre
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Written by Sydney Pattillo.
