Behind the false drawer

An original account of an invented stage-prop inspection.

The desk looked heavy, with brass handles and dark panels, but two people could lift it easily. It had been made for a play, and its most convincing drawer did not open. The handle was fixed to a painted board. Only the small drawer underneath was real, because an actor needed to take a letter from it during the second scene.

The prop maker called the upper drawer redundant. It mattered to the appearance of the desk, but the performance did not require it to work. Building it properly would have added weight without helping the scene. I had assumed that a convincing object must be complete. This one was convincing because its maker knew which parts an audience would actually see being used.

In this context, explain the meaning of “redundant”.