Every Thanksgiving I remember a particular Scottish Rite drop accessory that makes me chuckle.
Over the years, the Grand Forks Scottish Rite lost the original ship that accompanied the 1914 seascape. Some ingenious stage hand decided to press a Thanksgiving decoration into service for the degree production. Enjoy the day!
The seascape at the Scottish Rite theater in Grand Forks, North Dakota.The seascape at the Scottish Rite theater in Grand Forks, North Dakota.An example of was was originally delivered with the Scottish Rite scenery.
Author: waszut_barrett@me.com
Wendy Rae Waszut-Barrett, PhD, is an author, artist, and historian, specializing in painted settings for opera houses, vaudeville theaters, social halls, cinemas, and other entertainment venues. For over thirty years, her passion has remained the preservation of theatrical heritage, restoration of historic backdrops, and the training of scenic artists in lost painting techniques. In addition to evaluating, restoring, and replicating historic scenes, Waszut-Barrett also writes about forgotten scenic art techniques and theatre manufacturers. Recent publications include the The Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre (Museum of New Mexico Press, 2018), as well as articles for Theatre Historical Society of America’s Marquee, InitiativeTheatre Museum Berlin’s Die Vierte Wand, and various Masonic publications such as Scottish Rite Journal, Heredom and Plumbline. Dr. Waszut-Barrett is the founder and president of Historic Stage Services, LLC, a company specializing in historic stages and how to make them work for today’s needs. Although her primary focus remains on the past, she continues to work as a contemporary scene designer for theatre and opera.
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