Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Tucson, Arizona.

Copyright © 2021 by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

Scene painted by Sosman & Landis Scene Painting Studio of Chicago for the Scottish Rite Theatre in Tucson, Arizona, 1914.

Front curtain by Sosman & Landis, 1914
Painted detail. Front curtain by Sosman & Landis, 1914
Painted detail. Front curtain by Sosman & Landis, 1914
Painted detail. Front curtain by Sosman & Landis, 1914
Painted detail. Front curtain by Sosman & Landis, 1914
Painted detail. Front curtain by Sosman & Landis, 1914
Painted detail. Front curtain by Sosman & Landis, 1914
Painted detail. Front curtain by Sosman & Landis, 1914


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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