Renting phonebooths for movies and public space theater

Can the theater of public space learn from Hollywood rentals? Do we need props for neighborhood planning?

Two weeks ago, we discovered that for a mere $50 you can rent a phonebooth. Los Angeles is a great place for such things, and Burbank hosts a great set of rental shops for movies. We spotted the phone at right in a vintage shop that primarily supports film shoots. The proprietor told us that he would love to rent the phone to anyone who would like to pay. Prices are somewhat negotiable. He keeps the phone on wheels (like our Sankofa Red prototype!) in order to quickly move into position on set. For purchase, the booth might be all yours for perhaps $400, or so we were told. (Definitely more than we paid for ours from eBay.) Below is the rental company’s business card.

If public space requires physical negotiation, preferably face-to-face, then rentals like this allow for a kind of rapid prototyping.