In 1912, Thomas G. Moses recorded that Sosman & Landis delivered Scottish Rite scenery to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Santa Fe Masons purchased the original McAlester scenery; this is the first collection, as the second McAlester scenery collection is now in Salina, Kansas. The purchase of a used scenery collection was to get the membership used to degree productions. Once the building was dedicated, the “practice” scenery was sent to the Scottish Rite Charleston, South Carolina.
Two weeks before the Santa Fe Cathedral’s dedication, ”The Deming Headlight” reported, “On the evening of the 17th of November, the Scottish Rite Masons of New Mexico will dedicate their magnificent cathedral in the city of Santa Fe. On the 18th, 19th and 20th, of November the dedication class of aspirants for Scottish Rite honors will see the beautiful degrees of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry conferred from a great auditorium 58×72 feet which has a seating capacity of 600. The dedication on the evening of the 17th will be a memorable occasion to all Masons in New Mexico since it will formally open the most beautiful home consecrated to Masonry in the southwest. The cost of the cathedral, when finally completes with the equipment, will be about quarter of a million dollars” (Deming, New Mexico, November 1, 1912, page 6).
I am not going into the entire history of the Santa Fe Scottish Rite for this post. After restoring the scenery collection in phases from 2002 to 2005, I was asked to write about the theatre in an upcoming publication. In 2014, I began a project that resulted in “The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre” (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018). The story of the Santa Fe Scottish Rite is neatly compiled with both historic images and stunning photographs by Jo Whaley. Here is the link to the book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Santa-Scottish-Rite-Temple-Architecture/dp/0890136335/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=waszut-barrett&qid=1570201389&sr=8-1
My fascination with the Santa Fe Scottish Rite Theatre began early in 2002. I was sitting in Lance Brockman’s office at the University of Minnesota when he received a call from the Santa Fe Scottish Rite. They were looking for someone to assess and repair their scenery collection; he recommended me. At the time, I was still in graduate school, a perpetual student stuck in ABD (all but dissertation) mode. My husband and I were both in school and raising a five-year old daughter. Fortunately, my folks were both retired and helped us out a lot. When I explained the Santa Fe opportunity, they planned their next vacation near Santa Fe, New Mexico. They frequently traveled south in their RV, camping all over the United States.
I made the long drive with Isabelle from Minnesota to New Mexico that February. In my little red Ford Escort, we ventured from the snowy plains of Minnesota to the arid mesas of New Mexico. Isabelle and I stayed with my folks in an RV campground, just west of Albuquerque, for over a week. During the day, Isabelle and my parents found exciting things to do, while I drove the north on the Turquoise Trail to Santa Fe. In Santa Fe, I spent full days evaluating both the scenery and costume collections. A few times, my father came with me, helping raise and lower scenery, or just sitting and enjoying the art.
Four months later, I was leading a large group of locals during the first phase of the scenery restoration. That summer, I also began the Scottish Rite scenery restoration in St. Paul, Minnesota. The two collections were created within two years of each other and were almost identical. The only major difference was that the St. Paul collection had moved once to a new location, so it shared much more wear and tear.
For each phase of restoration in Santa Fe, my husband and daughter joined me. Nothing was better than staying in the dormitory of the beautiful pink building, a stone’s throw from Santa Fe’s central plaza and dozens of trails. We experienced the various summer markets, Canyon Art Road, the Palace of the Governors, opera season, the children’s museum, and many nearby hikes. It did not matter that I was working 10 to 12 hour days, as the crews were fun, the project interesting, and we had two days off each week to play.
There is something beyond Santa Fe’s beautiful scenery collection, ornate architectural décor, and stunning central courtyard. There is an irrepressible energy, not only inside the building, but also within in the city. I travel a lot. I love experiencing different people, cultures and food, easily making friends along the way. When I first arrived at the top of the Santa Fe Scottish Rite steps during February 2002, however, it was different; it was like returning home after a long absence. I experienced a wide array of emotions that ranged from gratitude and relief to excitement and sheer joy. I would give anything to go back and relive those few summers.
I have felt at home in many Scottish Rite temples. There is a specific smell that all of these places share in common, regardless of climate or regional characteristics. While working, I frequently encounter a cool air that carries a slight musty smell. The scent is a combination stale musk and the metallic ting of dry pigment.
Historic theaters, whether they are opera houses or Scottish Rite theaters have a residual energy that lingers about the stage machinery and scenery. You just have to pay attention. I have encountered this in other performance spaces too, not just Masonic ones. It is connected to the original installation. Although hard to explain, it is as if everything is just silently waiting for another performance. Once these elements are removed or altered, the dynamic of the stage changes; it is as if the soul has left the space.
To be continued…
