Part 371: Start Spreading the News, I’m Leaving Today
In 1899, Henry Savage, John C. Fisher, and Jacob Litt all wanted to hire Thomas G. Moses to be their scenic artist. Sosman & Landis also wanted Moses to return to their studio. Regardless of the numerous opportunities that were presented to Moses in Chicago, his “vagabond shoes” were “longing to stray.” He accepted some appealing opportunities offered from coast to coast.
Early in the year, Moses painted “special scenery” for Litt’s production of “The Club’s Baby,” an English farce by Lawrence Sterner and Edward G. Knoblauch at McVicker’s Theatre (The Inter Ocean, 14 May, 1899, page 32). Litt intended for Moses to continue working for him in New York at the Broadway Theatre. Little had just leased this East Coast venue, but Moses had better offers.
Henry Savage (1859-1927) asked Moses to paint for his opera company at the American Theatre in New York for $165 a week. Less than a week later, John C. Fisher dropped in to see Moses, requesting that he travel to San Diego, California, and paint three productions for Mme. Modjeska, “Mary Stuart,” “Marie Antoinette” and “Macbeth.” Moses accepted both offers, writing, “Litt was rather put out when he learned I was going with Fisher and Savage.” He also commented, “Sosman and Landis were also provoked with me, as they wanted me back in the Studio.”
Moses’ contract for Fisher in San Diego was from June 2 until August 10. By August 27, he would be in New York, painting for Savage. The small window of time between engagements left him with just enough time to travel to from West Coast to East Coast.
Ed Loitz and John Fielding accompanied Moses to San Diego to paint at the Fisher Opera. The Fisher opened in 1892 and had a seating capacity of 1,400 (450 seats in parquet and dress circle, 420 seats in the first balcony, 460 seats in gallery and 70 seats in 12 boxes). The building was situated on an entire block between Fourth and Fifth Streets for two hundred feet. The stage was 43 feet wide by 43 feet deep. The grid was 74 feet above the stage floor, with another 12 feet above that. The venue was illuminated with an electrical system that consisted on 1,000 sixteen-candle power Edison incandescent lamps. The theatre was rechristened in 1902 as the Isis Theatre and later as the Colonial Theatre.
Moses recorded that he, Loitz and Fielding lost no time in getting to work immediately upon their arrival at the Fisher Opera House. On August 27, 1899, the San Francisco Chronicle reported, “Thomas G. Moses of New York and a staff of well-known artists have been at work for the past few weeks painting scenery for the tour. This includes elaborate productions for the play of “Marie Antoinette,” which is to be the most pretentious in Modjeska’s repertoire. Other strong plays are “Macbeth,” “Marie Stuart,” “Much Ado About Nothing,” “Gringoire,” and the “Ladies’ Battle,” the last two being a joint production” (page 31). Moses recorded that he had a nice room at the Brewster Hotel.
He ate his meals at Rudders, as Fisher paid all his expenses. Moses wrote that his “salary was clear and a lot of night work was necessary to complete the work on time.”
The company soon arrived and started rehearsals. Moses wrote, “The Modjeska company gave me a fine send-off – a large tent was put up on a vacant lot; refreshments were served and different members of the company did a little stunt. After a hearty God-speed, I was off for New York City. I regretted not being able to stay until Modjeska opened, but I knew I had a big time ahead of me in New York.”
To be continued…
