There is always the dilemma of whether I should drive or fly to USITT. If I fly, I miss many historic theaters that I could stop at along the way. However, that takes time, time that I often don’t have to spare. Two things prompted my driving to Louisville this year – Baraboo and Brian. In Baraboo, it was the Al Ringling Theatre (1915) and the Circus World museum. In 1905, Thomas G. Moses wrote, “Went to Baraboo to see Ringling Bros. Hunt went with me. I don’t know why, as I had to do all the talking and make the sketching for ‘The Field of the Cloth of Gold.’ We got the contract for $3,500.00.” David Hunt was in charge of New York Studios, the eastern affiliate of Sosman & Landis.
Almost a year ago, I covered in detail Thomas G. Moses’ work for Al Ringling. Moses designed and supervised the painting of six grand circus spectacles. These were events for the big top and attached to the opening parade of the circus. These huge pageants that were solely accompanied by movement and music. The Ringling Brothers found favor with Moses during the first two decades of the 20th century, so it was Sosman & Landis who would delivered the scenery to Al’s theatre in 1915.
My late luncheon appointment with Brian was in Elgin, Illinois, at 1:45PM and I had left Minneapolis at 5:45AM; so I had a little time to spare. Fortunately the driving went well and I found myself pulling into Baraboo with a little more than 90 minutes to document what I could. I was a woman on a mission. Unfortunately the Theatre is closed on Mondays, so I was only able to see the outside. Kicking myself, as I could have called ahead, I venture to the second of three stops in Baraboo. Here is a recap on Al Ringling’s Theatre. Here is a little information about the theatre.
In 1915, Moses wrote, “The new theatre we did at Baraboo for Al Ringling was a good contract at $2,600.00. I went up to open and found a beautiful theatre, very unique in design, fifty years ahead of the town. Poor Al Ringling died soon after this.”
The Janesville Gazette reported, “Sosman & Landis company of Chicago did the scenic painting in this new theatre” (20 Nov. 1915, page 20). On April 7 of that same year, Joseph S. Sosman passed away at the age of 70, leaving a widow and two sons (Arthur and Fred). Thomas Moses became the president of Sosman & Landis, with Arthur Sosman as vice-president. The Ringling Theatre was one of Moses’ flagship projects as the new studio president.
The Ringling Theatre opened its doors in November 1915 and has been operating continuously ever since. Al Ringling hired the architectural firm of Rapp and Rapp to design a theater based on the Orpheum Theatre built in Champaign, Illinois in 1914. The Janesville Daily Gazette reported, “Theatrical men, scenic painters, canvas makers and many prominent citizens from Chicago and other towns, all of whom were bound for Baraboo to do honor to a man who had the courage to build in that city one of the finest, if not the finest, playhouse in America, Mr. Al Ringling. (20 Nov. 1915, page 20). There were 844 seats, with seventeen boxes, each containing six seats. The stage was 33’-6” deep, 60’ wide and 46’ high. The massive fire curtain of asbestos measured 24’ high by 40’ wide, weighing 750 pounds.
As my hope to see the front curtain was a bust, I decided to visit the local Masonic Lodge, Baraboo No. 34. I knew it wouldn’t be the original building, but want to see the Ringling Brothers’ Masonic aprons. Score! Three men were working on the building, as it had suffered some water damage. All of the Ringling brothers and their father were Masons in Baraboo and the history is quite interesting. That is the tale for tomorrow.
To be continued…
