Masonic Degree Productions – Page 4

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 352 – How to Succeed in Business

Part 352: How to Succeed in Business

I want to start with an Albert Pike quote that was published in “Gen. Albert Pike’s Poems” (1900): “When I am dead, I wish my monument to be builded only in the hearts and memories of my brethren of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.”

Original oil painting of Grand Commander Albert Pike at the Scottish Rite in Yankton, South Dakota.

Not really following that direction, the Valley of Little Rock constructed the 1896 Albert Pike Cathedral, one of the finest Scottish Rite Cathedrals in the country at that time – with a stage. This is like a funeral that is really intended to comfort the living. The Albert Pike Cathedral was constructed for the living, not to honor Pike’s wishes; I doubt that the inclusion of a stage for degree productions was what Pike envisioned as any lasting monument. Let’s look at the individuals who were instrumental in designing the building.

Bestor G. Brown as Grand Master, Kansas (Topeka Daily Capital, 14 February 1904, page 6)

Remember that Bestor G. Brown was an investment banker who became a fraternal salesman. Brown supervised the inclusion of a stage for the Albert Pike Cathedral during 1896. He was heartily praised by Charles E. Rosenbaum (SGIG Arkansas). Later, Rosenbaum would head the committee who was “charged with the work of erecting the House of the Temple” (The Washington Post, 19 October 1915, page 5). In the big picture, Rosenbaum quickly became a big deal in the Scottish Rite. He would also be an Inspector General for Washington, D.C. during the opening ceremonies for the House of the Temple. This was in addition to being the SGIG for Arkansas.

Charles E. Rosenbaum, from Evening Star (Washington, D.C.) 13 May 1910, page 3.

So who was Rosenbaum? Rosenbaum was reported to be “an enterprising machinery supply man” from Arkansas (Arkansas Democrat, 24 May 1900, page 2). He was listed as a well-known mill-supply dealer in some papers and a designer in others; he had engineering skills, mechanical understanding, and charisma. The Arkansas Democrat reported that Mr. Chas. E. Rosenbaum was “generally recognized as one of the most skillful and artistic designers in the country” (Arkansas Democrat, 22 April 1899, page 6). Hmm.

One of Charles E. Rosebaum’s advertisements (Arkansas Democrat, 8 Oct 1900, page 2)

One of Charles S. Rosenbaum’s advertisement, Daily Arkansas Gazette (23 August 1899, page 3)

One of Charles E. Rosebaum’s advertisement from Daily Arkansas Gazette (7 Sept 1899, page 8)

So there is Rosenbaum who has an understanding of machines, maybe is an inventor, and some skills in the area of artistic design. This means that he can understand visual information, a good quality during planning and construction of a building. Brown could likely envision what a Scottish Rite theater looked like, as well as its potential appeal. Then there is Brown who not only understands banking and finance, but is also a successful salesman, Masonic ritualist, and fraternal supplier. Toss in Joseph S. Sosman with a well-respected reputation for running a quality scene painting business. Sosman’s asset is Chas. S King, genius stage mechanic who is in his employ. Presto! You have a recipe for success and a team to skillfully market degree productions and Masonic stages. The added bonus is that they are marketed by a nationally known brand – M.C. Lilley & Co., one of the largest and most-recognized fraternal suppliers at that time.

Undated newspaper clipping of Joseph S. Sosman. It was pasted in Thomas G. Moses’ scrapbook (Harry Ransom Center, University of Texas – Austin).

Freemasonry was big business when you consider the need to purchase rituals, officer jewels, costumes, paraphernalia, rugs, furniture, etc. The Scottish Rite required even more fraternal “stuff.” Instead of supplies and décor for three degrees, they had twenty-nine degrees (4^th through 32^nd), this had the potential for really big business. Any Scottish Rite would be a prime catch for a fraternal salesman, especially if they intended to dramatize the majority of their degrees. A decade later, most Scottish Rite orders would be 80-100 backdrops. Then think about the lights, rigging, costumes, props, etc. If the use of degree productions caught on with the other Masonic orders and new rites, business could absolutely explode – and it did.

Thomas G. Moses attributed the immediate success of degree productions in the west to the efforts of Rosenbaum, Brown and Sosman. After receiving a photograph of Rosenbaum in 1930, Moses wrote, “I don’t know how to thank you for the wonderful portrait you have been kind enough to send me. I will now have the 3 men that had all to do with the starting of the scenic decoration of the Scottish Rite Degree work, Rosenbaum, Brown & Sosman.” Sosman and Moses would have worked with Brown when they were all living in Chicago from 1892 to 1898.

So why was the Southern Jurisdiction such a big fat catch? Why hadn’t this happened in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction (NMJ), in the major metropolitan areas in the northeast? I believe that it was simply because the movement wasn’t organized by the suppliers. It was driven by competition from within the Fraternity and not an outside market. Nothing was really planned, just installed as rival Supreme Councils competed for membership. He with the most members would win. Individual artists, often with Masonic ties, secured NMJ projects. With Pike gone, the Southern Jurisdiction was ripe for the picking. I like to think that it wasn’t a decision solely driven by money when allegiances formed, but the possibilities must have been tempting.

This was the start of a Scottish Rite Theatre building boom. There is a quick succession of ever-increasing Sosman & Landis scenery installations throughout the Southern Jurisdiction directly supervised by Brown: Little Rock (1896); Oakland, California (1896); Wichita (1898); additional scenery for Little Rock (1899), Guthrie (1900); Salina, Kansas (1901); Little Rock, again (1902); Portland, Oregon (1902), and the list goes on.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 351 – Bestor G. Brown, “Masonic Stage Carpenter”

Part 351: Bestor G. Brown, “Masonic Stage Carpenter”

Bestor G. Brown (1861-1917) was another key individual in the development of Masonic stages during the late-nineteenth and early-twentieth centuries. He was an instrumental figure in the promotion of Scottish Rite degree productions across the country.

Bestor G. Brown. Topeka Daily Capital, 14 February 1904, page 6.

Brown was born at Blufftown, Indiana during 1861. The Browns soon moved to Kansas with his parents. His father, George S. Brown was a law partner of Judge John Guthrie. Bestor attended public schools and became a reporter for the Topeka Daily Commonwealth at the age of 16. Later he was in charge of the city department before leaving to study law, attending the University of Michigan. In 1884, he married Emma Kellam, who died only a few years later. In 1891, he advertised as an investment banker in the Topeka Daily Capital with offices in rooms 6 and 7 of the Topeka Bank Building. Brown’s ads listed him as “a dealer in high grade municipal, county, school and corporation bonds. Trust certificates bearing from 5 to 8 percent interest issued to investors. Prime Commercial Paper a Specialty. Correspondence Solicited.”

However, Brown soon turned to Masonic regalia and paraphernalia sales, suggesting that this was quite a lucrative field for an ambitious Mason. It is important to note that up until this point he had no experience with technical theatre or commercial stages. In 1892, he listed residence as Chicago, moving just in time to be part of the preparation for the Columbian Exposition. Brown was based in Chicago from 1892 to 1898; working as a fraternal traveling salesman. He returned to Topeka, Kansas in 1899 and later moved to Kansas City by 1904, becoming the western sales manager of M. C. Lilley Company.

Letter head for western representative, Bestor G. Brown, of the M. C. Lilley & Co.

Brown was reported to be “one of the most profound students of freemasonry and ritualists in the whole country” (The Kansas City Kansan, 11 July 1918, page 1). He was noted as “connected with practically every movement which Masons launched in Kansas for many years.” This was imperative if he was to sell fraternal regalia and paraphernalia.

Brown’s Masonic resumé included involvement in the Scottish Rite, York Rite, Midian Shrine, and the Order of the Eastern Star. He was also a member of the Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias and organized several chapters of the Psi Upsillon Fraternity. Masonic work included being Grand Master for the Grand Lodge of Kansas; Past High Priest of the Grand Chapter, Royal Arch Masons of Kansas; Past Master (and one of the first members initiated) of Siloam lodge, No. 225, A.F. and A.M.; Past Grand Master of the Grand Council; Past Grand Commander of Knights Templar in Kansas; General Grand Scribe of the General Grand Chapter of Royal Arch Masons; a Past Grand Sovereign of the Grand Imperial Council of the Red Cross of Constantine; and at the time of his death was an officer in the national Grand Council. Brown also had the distinction of having sat at the Royal Lodge in London when King Edward presided (Fort Scott Daily Tribune, 12 July 1917, page 2).

An article on Bestor G. Brown, crediting him as the “only Masonic stage carpenter” in the country (Portsmouth-Herald, 12 July 1903, page 3).

Brown was also a traveling salesman and western representative of M. C. Lilley and an “authority on the costumes for Masonic Bodies, having made a deep study of the subject in France and England.” In 1903, the Portsmouth Herald reported that Brown, who was the new Grand Master of Kansas, had been “unusually active” in lodge, chapter and council work since his admission to the Fraternity in 1884.

He was praised for his devotion of Masonry and the article reported, “Mr. Brown is called the only Masonic stage carpenter in the country” (Portsmouth, New Hampshire, 12 June 1903, page 3). Less than a decade later, the counterweight system installed in Scottish Rite theaters by M. C. Lilley subcontractors (Sosman & Landis) was referred to as “”Brown’s special system.” My research suggests that the stage machinery was actually developed by the stage mechanics at Sosman & Landis, not by Brown. This would be understandable as Brown came from a banking background and had no experience with theatre technology or supplies prior to 1892.

Brown was the salesman and possibly marketing technology developed by Charles S. King, a long-term Sosman & Landis studio employee who had completed 200 theatre installations by 1899. King started his career as a stage carpenter and stage machinist in 1859 and began working for Sosman & Landis in 1884. In 1903 newspaper articles note that Brown “created and developed the application of modern scenic properties to the dramatic presentation of all Masonic degrees and in this work is almost invariably consulted everywhere throughout the United States.” Again, I think that he was associated with the system because he was selling the product and not the designer.

Brown died in 1917 at the Battle Creek sanitorium after a relapse following an operation for kidney complications. Brown was 56 years old. He was survived by his daughter, Mrs. Dana L. Davis of Topeka. For the past few years of his life, Brown had been living in Kansas City while continuing to work in the western offices of M. C. Lilley Co.

The first year after Brown passed away, members of the Wichita Consistory organized an annual pilgrimage to Topeka, Kansas, to honor of his memory (The Kansas City Kansan, 11 July 1918, page 1). The paper reported that Brown was “one of the most scholarly and best loved Kansas Masons. All of the Scottish Rite bodies in the state were invited to join in the placing of a floral tribute on the grave of ‘their best loved brother.’”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 350 – Charles E. Rosenbaum in Little Rock, Arkansas

Part 350: Charles E. Rosenbaum in Little Rock, Arkansas

Charles E. Rosenbaum picture in the 1899 Scottish Rite Reunion program.

One of the primary figures who promoted Scottish Rite degree productions in the Southern Jurisdiction was Charles E. Rosenbaum, Sovereign Grand Inspector General of Arkansas. At this same time that Rosenbaum was locating a building to house a Scottish Rite theatre, another Scottish Rite was building a theater in Oakland, California. In Arkansas, Rosenbaum instigated the purchase and conversion of a Hebrew Synagogue to include an elevated stage and proscenium for Scottish Rite degree productions. Rosenbaum’s inclusion of staged degree work and the immediate popularity from his endeavor throughout the western region helped secure his membership in the Supreme Council. Later, as the Sovereign Grand Inspector General of Arkansas, he was also appointed to the new ritual committee. A new movement was afoot in the Southern Jurisdiction and the theatrical interpretations of degrees were no longer actively suppressed as they once had been under Grand Commander Pike’s regime.

So lets look back at what was going on at this time. During December 1895, Rosenbaum posted a “Notice to Owners of Real Estate” in the Daily Arkansas Gazette (Little Rock, 10 Dec 1895, page 7). He noted hat “The Scottish Rite bodies, Free Masonry of this city desire to purchase a piece of property suitable for Masonic purposes and to that end solicit sealed proposals from those having property to offer, whether improved or unimproved.” Rosenbaum was the chair of the new building committee. By February 8, 1896, the Daily Arkansas Gazette reported that the Scottish Rite Masons had decided to purchase the “Jewish Temple property on Center Street” (page 3). It was purchased for $6,000 and a new Jewish Temple was planned to be erected for the sum of $20,000 at Fifth and Broadway Streets. By July 25, 1896 they named their new home the Albert Pike Cathedral (The Daily Gazette, page 5). The building was vacated during May of 1896. This converted synagogue in Little Rock incorporated so many of the features that would later become standard in the new construction of Scottish Rite theaters: drops, lights, proscenium opening, and set pieces. As in Chicago, the stage was slightly raised from the lodge floor by three symbolic steps. Similar to Chicago’s 1873 Egyptian Room format, Little Rock used a square proscenium opening – common to many commercial theaters of the time. In addition to a similar presentational format, Little Rock contracted the Chicago scenic studio firm of Sosman & Landis to supply the stage scenery, with Thomas G. Moses supervising the painting.

The construction of Little Rock’s stage space was so well received that additional scenery and theatrical elements were added only two years later. 1898 was also the same year that Wichita, Kansas, purchased a Scottish Rite scenery collection for their new stage. Little Rock’s Fall Reunion program of 1898 praised the new scenery acquisitions, stating that the members “will enjoy to a much greater extent the exemplification of the various degrees, assisted so materially by additional scenic and electrical effects, on which neither labor or expense have been spared, to the end that it might be the most perfect to produce” (“Fall Reunion Program” Albert Pike Scottish Rite Cathedral, 1898).

In 1899, the Guthrie Daily Leader covered the Spring Reunion in the new Masonic home in Guthrie from May 29-31. Rosenbaum was one of the many prominent Masons who were visiting from all parts of the country to see their new stage (21 May 1900, page 8). The paper reported, “Charles E. Rosenbaum, thirty-third degree, of Little Rock, will exemplify the work in the thirty-second degree. He is known throughout the United States for his proficiency in exemplifying this degree. The building of the temple is credited to Harper S. Cunningham, a thirty-third degree Mason, and now Sovereign Grand Inspector General in Oklahoma. Previously he had been a deputy of the supreme council for Oklahoma since the opening of the country.” At the time, there were 104 Scottish Rite Masons in Oklahoma with a new class of 100 participating in the Spring Reunion.

Charles E. Rosenbaum pictured with article about corner-laying ceremony for the new Albert Pike Cathedral in 1901.

A second scenery installation was delivered to Little Rock in 1902 for a new stage in and this time, the building was featured in the first year of “New Age Magazine” (later the publication became “Scottish Rite Journal”). In the article, Rosenbaum proudly claimed, “…the stage equipment in Little Rock is the most perfect in America – not only for Masonic purposes, for which it is used exclusively, but from any other point of view…nowhere else in America, with the possible exception of one theatre in New York, and one in Chicago, is it possible to produce either the scene or electric effects that can be produced on this stage.” Well, maybe in the Masonic world, but not in the commercial world. Most new theaters that opened across the country made similar statements to draw in crowds.

Regarding the successful stage effects for the 1902 Little Rock Scottish Rite, Charles E. Rosenbaum credited fellow Mason and Masonic supply representative Bestor G. Brown. Brown was credited with creating many of the superb scenic effects, including “a specially designed electrical switch board that facilitated the impressive illusions.” That would be similar to the electric board that was on display with Western Electric at the Columbian Exposition in 1893; the one that helped with the scenic electric theater’s production of “A Day in the Alps.” Brown will also later be credited with the “special” counterweight rigging system for Scottish Rite theaters. Again, it is doubtful that Brown was solely responsible for the innovation of electrical lighting and counterweight rigging systems in the big picture. In the smaller context of fraternal theater, he must have been an absolute god as he knew how to create theatre magic.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 261 – Thomas G. Moses and “Fabio Romani”

“Fabio Romani,” a Tale of the Dead, by Aiden Benedict was based on Marie Correlli’s 1886 novel “The Vendetta.” A deceived husband feigns suicide and disguises himself to torture his unfaithful wife, finally killing her when he reveals his true identity.

The play “Fabio Romani” was based on Marie Corelli’s book, “Vendetta.”

The show was advertised as a “spectacular drama” with “startling scenic surprises, including “a Thrilling Earthquake Effect, an Eruption of Mount Vesuvius, Illumination of the Bay of Naples. Forming a Most Magnificent Spectacular Tableau” There was a dual role of Fabio Romani and Conte Caesar Olivia performed by Walter Lawrence. Nina, a “weak and faithless woman”, was played by Miss Francis Field. A special feature was the famous serpentine dance by Szerina. Newspaper articles noted that the stage settings were particularly beautiful and effective. They were painted by Thomas G. Moses.

Advertisement for the 1893 production of “Fabio Romani,” with scenery by Thomas G. Moses.

The January 6, 1893, issue of the Dramatic Standard described the scenic effect: “At the final scene, Nina is entombed alive by her wronged husband in a mausoleum. In the climax of the subterranean commotion the huge tomb sinks out of sight and reveals dwellings falling in ruins, the earth rocking and rent with fiery fissures, while Mount Vesuvius in the background belches forth a huge column of fire and smoke, and pours red streams of lava upon the city of Naples at its feet.”

Volcano effects at for the 17th degree production of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite.

Volcano effects at the Galveston Scottish Rite with scenery by Great Western Stage Equipment Co., painted by Maj. Don Carlos DuBois. This slide is used by the Fort Worth Scottish Rite.

This description brought to mind the 17th and 30th degree settings for the Ancient and Accept Scottish Rite. The twelfth installment for “Tales of a Scenic Artist and Scholar” examines the volcanic eruption in seventeenth degree for Fort Scott, Kansas.

The 17th degree of the Scottish Rite can be one of the most exciting degree productions on a Masonic stage. Lighting flashes, thunder rumbles, the ground trembles, and a volcano explodes, toppling buildings in the foreground of a painted composition. A red plume of lava shoots into the air, while rivulets of lava stream down the mountainside and gradually spill into a lake. Slowly, the sky and water become a bright blood red.” It sounds a bit like the scenic illusion presented for “Fabio Romani,” doesn’t it? This was just one of many popular stage effects that was a popular hit for late-nineteenth century audiences.

The Scottish Rite’s staging in the seventeenth degree relates to the breaking of the seven seals in the Book of Revelations. Cataclysmic events occur and a variety of painted visions are magically revealed in transparent sections of the composition.

One of the vision drops at the Fort Scott, Kansas, Scottish Rite. The scene was purchased for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center theatre and is currently in storage.

Fort Scott and Winona Scottish Rite stages had small drops for the various visions. The scenic studios used tried and true formulas to develop the settings for Masonic degree productions

The first time I documented this impressive scene was during a scenic evaluation at the Winona Scottish Rite Theatre in 2010. There, local volunteers assisted in a brief semi-staging of the scenic effects – without the lighting or flashing lights.

Winona Scottish Rite setting for the 17th degree – before the volcanic eruption. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2010.

Winona Scottish Rite setting for the 17th degree – after the volcanic eruption. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2010.

Unfortunately, the City of Winona failed to fix the stage roof and the scene continued to suffer from constant water damage. Even when it was put into temporary storage, it was a shadow of its former self. That scene is currently up for auction and has a slim chance of being seen in its entirety again in any performance venue. Similarly, in Fort Scott, I again staged the scene prior to removal and transportation to a storage facility in Minnesota. Likewise, I doubt that this spectacular stage effect will ever be presented to any audience. People can’t value what they don’t understand.

The volcano scene for each location was labeled “17th degree Vision” or simple “Vision.” “Vision” was the title designated by the Sosman & Landis for this particular degree. Each design could include a variety of scenic effects, dependent on the amount of money that the client was willing to invest. Flowing lava rivulets, crumbling buildings, blood-red water – all was possible if you had sufficient funds. Elaborate paintings with complex rigging incorporating netting, transparencies, translucencies, and a variety of rigging mechanisms to lower painted panels on the front of the cut drop also came at a price. The Scottish Rite in Fort Scott, Kansas, had a lot of money to include this particular setting, but Winona had even more money.

The Scottish Rite scenery collection installed in Winona, Minnesota, was the most complete Fraternal installation that I have encountered to date. It will never hang as a whole above any stage again. The City of Winona has selected a few drops to retain and the rest will be dispersed; more victims to theatrical homicide leading to a destruction of the past.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring The Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 12.

While Wendy Waszut-Barrett is traveling for research and art acquisitions (October 14-29, 2017) she is reposting the first fifteen installments from “Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar Acquiring: The Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center.” Here is her twelfth post from February 25, 2017.

Part 12: The Volcano Scene

The 17^th degree of the Scottish Rite can be one of the most exciting degree productions on a Masonic stage. Lighting flashes, thunder rumbles, the ground trembles, and a volcano explodes, toppling buildings in the foreground of a painted composition. A red plume of lava shoots into the air, while rivulets of lava stream down the mountainside and gradually spill into a lake. Slowly, the sky and water become a bright blood red.

17th degree scene from Scottish Rite in El Paso, Texas.

The first time I documented this scene was at the Winona Scottish Rite Theatre, were volunteers assisted in successfully presentation.

17th degree setting before volcanic explosion. Scottish Rite scene in Winona, Minnesota. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2010.

17th degree setting after volcanic explosion. Scottish Rite scene in Winona, Minnesota. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2010.

Stage hands working rigging for the collapse of painted structures in the 17th degree setting during the volcanic explosion. Scottish Rite scene in Winona, Minnesota. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2010.

This scene is often labeled “17^th degree Vision” and could include a variety of scenic effects, all dependent on the amount of money that the client was willing to invest. The Fort Scott scene was like Winona and quite elaborate, using netting, transparencies, translucencies, and a variety of rigging mechanisms to lower painted panels on the front of the cut drop.

The staging relates to the breaking of the seven seals in the Book of Revelations. Cataclysmic events occur and a variety of painted visions are magically revealed in transparent sections of the composition. Fort Scott had five small drops for the visions.

Fort Scott Scottish Rite 17th degree setting before revelation of a vision drop. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

Fort Scott Scottish Rite 17th degree setting after revelation of a vision drop. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

These small paintings were almost always the work of an inexperienced artist as it was a perfect opportunity for them to show their skills in drawing and figure painting. If it really was a horrific end product, it wouldn’t matter due to its placement on stage, plus the dim lighting would conceal most of the flaws.

Painted detail from vision drop in Winona Scottish Rite collection. photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, August 2014.

I have often wondered whether these small scenic art projects were the work of the owner’s nephew at Sosman & Landis Studio. Over the years, I have stumbled across comments concerning this familial relation who was constantly given an opportunity to prove his artist ability and consistently failed. This might have been the perfect project to prevent him from ruining the remainder of any Masonic installation.

In my mind I imagine the following dialogue:

Artist 1: What are we going to have him paint this time? He doesn’t seem to be getting any better and he’s so slow!

Artist 2: Give him the Vision drops again.

Artist 1: But he can’t paint figures and it will take him forever!?!?

Artist 2: I know, but at least it will keep him busy and you can’t see much of the painting during the degree anyway.

Artist 1: Well, the art does represent the end of the world.

Painted detail from 17th degree vision scene at Winona, Minnesota. Note placement of breasts, hair, and size of hands in this poorly drawn figure. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, August 2014.

In the past, I have posted painted details of anatomical oddities from various Vision scene figures: breasts that were placed just below the collar bone, hair that defied gravity, hands that were unbelievably large, and faces with unnatural eye placement. Similarly, figures from the York Rite’s Sepulcher scene were often sporadic in terms of quality too. I frequently post these details with my standard comment,” and this is why drawing classes are important in scenic art training!”

The two Marys at the empty tomb encounter this angel. Sepulcher scene for York Rite degree at Winona, Minnesota.

The figures for Fort Scott were an interesting mixture of skill, but very inconsistent. I was reminded of the Vision scenes in Winona, Minnesota where one was “okay” and four were “pretty awful.” Although Thomas Moses was not a fabulous figure painter, I wondered if his onsite assistant was responsible for these paintings.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring The Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 10.

Part 10: The Ascension

Fort Scott Scottish Rite Ascension scene. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

Another Fort Scott stage effect was the Ascension scene, a standard setting in many Southern Jurisdiction Scottish Rites theaters that had originally appeared on Northern Jurisdiction stages. The ascension and other eighteenth degree scenes from Jesus’ life had been used for decades in Passion Play productions across the country. It was not only a way to generate outside income, but it was also an event that brought the general public into a Masonic building. In many ways it was a positive outreach program for potential membership. A good example of this phenomenon occurred at the Scottish Rite in Bloomington, Illinois. Starting in 1924, the Bloomington Masons annually presented “The American Passion Play,” an elaborate production that was over three hours in length, with fifty-six scenes and up to two hundred and thirty actors.

1928 program from the Bloomington Passion Play, performed by the Scottish Rite Players at the Scottish Rite Temple theater.

In most Scottish Rite Valleys, however, the image of Jesus was presented as a small cutout set piece, ranging from thirty inches to forty inches in height. This image was often part of a staged scenic tableau, devoid of people and accompanied by music. Occasionally, actors played the role of Jesus and were securely strapped into a harness, slowly ascending out of sight. Just remember that this was not “Flying by Foy” and the rigging to raise actors high above the stage was sketchy at best. At Fort Scott, the Jesus cut out, or profile piece, was approximately 5’-6,” the size of an average male.

Profile piece of Jesus while still installed at the Scottish Rite in Fort Scott, Kansas. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.

We staged the effect to document the scene during November 2015. Tracking down the Jesus cable to a small machine behind the fly rail, we flipped the switch and hoped that it would work. The machine immediately came to life and started to whirr! Slowly Jesus descended from the fly loft. I ran to the stage and carefully filmed about sixteen seconds. “Got it!” I shouted, only to immediately realize that I had filmed the “second coming” and not the “ascension!”

We now set the scene with Jesus starting in the appropriate spot on stage – partially hidden behind the painted bush in the center of the cut drop. Again, I began to record the stage effect. His ascent was painstakingly slow and you could hear the noise of the engine as the cable was slowly coiled back onto the spindle. My patience lasted even less than sixteen seconds this time before I figured we had enough video. In the back of my mind, I wondered how loud the music needed to be to drown out the sound of this motor.

Our local Scottish Rite contact had given his permission to remove the unit, as many of us fancied the idea of owning this particular stage artifact. Unfortunately, the motor remained in place as there was little energy to take on any extra task during the final days of the Fort Scott project.

Removing the ascension cut drop and others proved to be a challenge due to the excessive amounts of dirt that clung to the 1” opera net and the bobbinet (open weave netting , similar to mosquito netting or tutu material). For the first few scenes, netting and bobbinet were left in the openings of the drops, but I became increasingly concerned that the dirt would become transferred to the painted surface, possibly permanently damaging the scene during rolling and transport.

As previously stated, I had never encountered this particular type of surface contaminant before during any restoration project. Very soon, I made the call that all netting on cut drops would be gently removed prior to rolling and transport. Again, this was an unanticipated time-consuming step that I had not factored into the overall project timeline. It would help out the restoration in the long run as all of the netting would be replaced on each scene; you never leave partial pieces of netting on a scene as this doesn’t support the cut opening. Unfortunately those who eventually “restored” the Fort Scott scenery left portions of the original netting on the back of the cut drops.

After removing the cables from Jesus, we carefully propped him up near the exit of the theatre. His silhouette against a white wall would frighten each of us multiple times throughout the duration of the project. We would catch his shape in our peripheral vision and it would literally make us jump as we perceived an unexpected visitor. This would lead me to use the phrase, “Remember, Jesus is watching you.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 167 – The Gong and Scottish Rite Degree Productions

Chuck Barris, host of the original “Gong Show.”

As I was watching the recent remake of the “Gong Show,” I couldn’t help but think of Scottish Rite degree productions. Over the years, I have repeatedly come across gongs for Masonic stages. Gongs on stage, gongs off stage, gongs in the balcony, a gong switch on a lighting board, and a gong button on an organ console. They all made me chuckle. I now wish that I had a picture of every single sighting. It wasn’t until this spring when I was at the Moline Scottish Rite that I finally decided to take a picture of a beautiful gong in the auditorium balcony. It was positioned near the organ.

The gong at the Moline Scottish Rite. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2017.

What has tickled my funny bone every time is thinking about the fraternal version of the Gong Show. A gong signaled failure or a poor performance. For me, a gong doesn’t conjure up the exotic or a magical moment. Sadly, I am an unfortunate product of the television age. Thousands of years significance in a gong destroyed by one TV show. This is similar to my Pavlovian response to certain classical songs and operas where Bugs Bunny or another Looney Tunes character pops into my mind. The “Bunny of Seville” is one example.

Scene from the Bugs Bunny cartoon, “Bunny of Seville.”

In fraternal theaters, I always envision the sound of a gong and then an imaginary hook reaching from the wings toward another amateur actor who utterly failed in his performance. The neon sign at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite that signals “Louder Slower” to the degree performers supports this scenario.

Neon sign at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite signaling actors to deliver their lines louder and slower.

Gongs have been around since 2000 BC, though many historians think that they have been around for far longer. Mystical traditions grew up around the glorious bass notes of gongs in the eastern world. The gong was slow to gain popularity in Europe and its first recorded use in western orchestral music was by Gossec in his funeral March for Mirabeau in 1791. Its use increased on the stage during the early nineteenth century. Many sought out the exotic instrument and gongs appeared in a variety of stage productions and in the music rooms of private residences. As with visual spectacle, that rolling sound transported generations of Masons to the foreign lands of degree productions.

But it wasn’t until I recently read the “Naiad Queen” script that I started to think about the significance of this particular sound, especially how it’s meaning has altered for some individuals in recent decades like myself. During the nineteenth century, a gong signaled the transformation scene. It announced a magical, or significant, moment on the stage, not just an exotic character. After the gong strikes twelve in “The Black Crook,” Hertzog is thrown into a flaming pit surrounded by howling and dancing demons.

It was the idea of a gong signaling a transition, or a transformation on stage, however, that really stuck in my mind. In “Trial by Jury,” Gilbert specified a gong to be struck, signaling the work’s concluding of a transformation scene parody. Carolyn Williams in “Gilbert Sullivan: Gender, Genre, and Parody” suggests that the allusion was a familiar one to audiences in 1875. This was the same time that degree productions started to gain popularity throughout the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction.

I thought back to the script for the three-act opera version of “The Naiad Queen; or the Revolt of the Naiads, a Romantic Operatic Spectacle in Three Acts” written by J. S. Dalrymple, Esq. Here is the link: babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.$b249955;view=1up;seq=34 The script notes the use of a gong to signal a transformation scene. The production was first performed at the Adelphi Theatre in London, with the American premiere at Burton’s Theatre (Philadelphia) during 1840. I was fascinated with the stage description.

The gong is sounded during the fifth scene of the third act. The setting opens to “A Romantic View of the Rhine” with two processionals entering the stage to form a tableau. The first processional was the Demon March. Amphibeo and demons of the Rhine march onstage, complete with conch shells and banners. The music then changes for the entrance of another processional. The Naiad Queen and Amazon warriors appear in full armor to complete the picture. Here is the stage direction after the tableau is set: “Music. Gong. The scene changes magically to fountains of real water; Naiads and Water Spirits mingle above and around, and the ethereal blue, emitted through a strong light, is thrown upon the picture.” Once again, I wished that I could travel through time to witness this spectacle in person. These extravaganzas of visual delight transported audiences to exotic and magical worlds. For many, a theatrical metamorphosis on stage seemed to defy reality.

Degree productions also incorporated the gong into their staging, once again emulating an effect popularized on the commercial stage. It was just one more example of how Masonic theatres remain living time capsules. Scottish Rite Freemasons are more than just caretakers of painted scenery collections, old costumes, ancient lighting systems and worn stage properties. They are stewards of theatre history and long-forgotten stage effects, all part of a shared cultural heritage.

Tableaux and transformation scenes appear in many Scottish Rite degree productions, but one always stands out in my mind. That is the transformation scene for the 17^th degree. The stage setting includes a volcanic eruption, flowing rivers of lava, and classical buildings that collapse on stage. In this scene there is the breaking of the seven seals with gong sounding each one.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Part 105 – The Camp Scene for Scottish Rite Degree Productions

The camp backdrop is a standard setting for the thirty-second degree in many Scottish Rite theaters across the country. This scene uses either a backdrop or a floor cloth, each painted with a nonagon.

Scottish Rite backdrop from Wichita, Kansas. 32nd Degree Camp Scene detail. Sosman & Landis Studio. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2010.

University of Minnesota Performing Arts Archives, Great Western Stage Equipment Company, PA44, supplemental box 5.

The most common design in the Southern Jurisdiction places the nonagon in a valley surrounded by a deciduous landscape. Tents, letters and specific objects are placed throughout the scene in designated locations. Wooden leg drops are often used to accompany the scene and mask the side stages, providing the standard illusion of depth.

Grand Forks, North Dakota, Camp Scene with wood leg drops. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2014.

Occasionally, Scottish Rite theaters will add corresponding leg drops with camp tents, such was the case for Fort Scott and Winona. This signified that the Valley had the funding to add this particular extravagance.

Scottish Rite leg drops with tents while hanging in Fort Scott, Kansas. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2017.

Interestingly in St. Louis, however, the nonagon appears as a translucent shape in the cloudy sky. This is truly unique and a Volland Studio interpretation. It does double duty for the first and second sections of the stage degree. In the first section, the nonagon remains invisible for the scene. During the second section the nonagon translucency is illuminated at the appropriate moment.

Scottish Rite Camp Scene in St. Louis, Missouri, with translucent nonagon. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2017.

In terms of theatrical interpretation, this staged degree frequently breaks the proscenium line to do the necessary “floor work.” In some cases, the scenic studio painted the nonagon on a floor cloth that was either placed on the stage or on the floor of the auditorium. For this type of theatrical interpretation, practical tents could be positioned along the specific sides. A few Scottish Rite Valleys used both a backdrop and floor cloth, each with a painted nonagon. This is the case in Grand Forks, North Dakota, where there is a detailed backdrop and detailed floor cloth for the thirty-second degree.

Grand Forks, North Dakota, floor cloth for Camp Scene. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2014.

The Moline 32nd Degree Camp scene is unique for its design as there is simply a red nonagon without the standard inclusion of painted tents, objects, flags or letters. This scene appears to be unique to John C. Becker & Bro. Studio of Chicago.

Camp scene in Moline, Illinois. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2017.

Painted detail from camp scene in Moline, Illinois. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2017.

For some Valleys, such as St. Louis, Missouri, the foreground of the scene depicts the Commander’s tent, with the military camp in the distance. The use of a practical tent in the foreground is common for the first section of the degree. There is either a cut opening for the Commander’s tent in the backdrop or an actual set piece. Winona, Minnesota, used a reversible set piece for the Commander’s tent. When not used as a military tent, it could be transformed into a rustic hut for the Hermitage setting in the York Rite.

Commander’s tent for camp scene. Winona, Minnesota. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2010.

Commander’s tent for camp scene transformed into rustic hut for York Rite scene. Winona, Minnesota. Photograph by Wendy Waszut-Barrett, 2010.

Many of these same camp settings were also used for York Rite degrees. The York Rite staged portions of their degrees too, occasionally constructing theaters within Scottish Rite Cathedrals or Masonic complexes. They often used roll drops placed in the east end of a lodge room. Their theatrical interpretation of degree work was equally successful, but much smaller due to fewer degrees. The shared use of specific scenes for both Scottish and York Rites also explains many of the unique variations for camp designs. Depending on the possibility of shared use by multiple organizations – such as Grotto, Shrine, York or Scottish Rites – the Masonic designs could be slightly altered to accommodate a variety of degree interpretations.

To be continued…

Twin City Scenic Company – Hades Scene

I am back to one of my favorite Masonic scenes – Hell, Hades, Dante, Inferno, or “you name that that favorite underworld scene.”

It is for the 18th degree. Main message for this particular scene– don’t fall prey to temptation or you will suffer great torments. I know it is an extremely simplified version of the degree, but I hate to put up any Masonic image that could possibly make people think “devil worshippers.” They are not.

I have been compiling a North American database of Masonic installations (primarily on Scottish Rite scenery, but also with a smattering of Shrines, Commanderies, Grottos, and Blue Lodge paintings). While cross referencing my list with images that I remember from the U of MN scenery database I stumbled across the following sketches by Twin City Scenic.

I remembered seeing the same composition in Grand Forks. It was rolled up with a shrine cut drop and not in use. Neither of the drops are from the original 1914 Sosman & Landis collection (Chicago, Illinois). They were from the Twin City Scenic Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota

These two renderings are from the Twin City Scenic Company Collection (PA43). Unfortunately, they are not in the same box. M160 is in Box 11 and M161 (one with spatter) is in Box 12.

Again, here is the link for the scenery collection search: http://umedia.lib.umn.edu/scenicsearch

Here are the sketches:

Here is the drop in Grand Forks: