Create a props list and determine which props you can't buy or collect. Most of the props needed for "South Pacific" are every day items such as dishes, office supplies or books, but the show also calls for tropical-themed items. Look for these items at party stores or retailers such as The Oriental Trading catalog.
Put together Bloody Mary's merchandise cart. Include cheap, tourist items such as flower leis, sea shell necklaces and items made from coconuts. Be sure to include a wide range of grass skirts, as they are specifically mentioned in the play. For best results, get the most old-fashioned looking items that you can; remember that Bloody Mary would not have been selling plastic or mass-produced merchandise. Find or make flower leis that look natural (made of cloth instead of plastic) and get beige grass skirts instead of green ones, if possible, or make your own using spray painted strips of recycled newspaper.
Age some towels. Use new towels for the "Wash That Man Right Outta My Hair" scene, but color them slightly beige to reflect the conditions and era of the play, as white towels will appear too modern. Soak the towels in a bath of weak tea then run them through on the spin portion of a washing machine cycle and dry.
Put together some old-fashioned looking cleaning supplies. For scenes involving the men sweeping and mopping, make sure brooms, mops and buckets look old. Find a metal bucket and make sure the brooms and mops have wooden handles rather than plastic. Apply paint stripper if the handles are painted. Make sure the mop heads are of old cloth (aged in tea as well) and that the brooms have a plain beige color rather than vividly-colored plastic bristles.
Make a "breakable" pocket watch. The pocket watch given to Liat by Cable must be broken in the second half of the play, then made whole to be used for future shows. Get an old-fashioned pocket watch with a hinged cover on a chain and loosen one of the links of the chain with a pair of needle-nosed pliers, allowing it to come away, then be reattached. Take apart the hinged cover and reattach it using a small piece of duct or gaff tape (paint this to make it match the watch), allowing the cover to break off as well. For added effect, give your actors a small pinch of clear, large glass seed beads to drop along with the breaking of the watch. The sounds of these hitting the stage will create the impression of small parts and bits of glass falling.