Netting

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: Arriving in Louisville, March 19, 2019

I left Genoa, Illinois, at 5:45 AM on Tuesday, March 19. My goal was to arrive at the Louisville Scottish Rite between noon and 1PM. The drive was pretty uneventful, but there were many places that I wished I had stopped along the way; there is just never enough time. The first was the exit that would have brought me to Thomas G. Moses’ hometown of Sterling, Illinois. The second was the Crump Theatre in Columbus, Indiana. I could not take the time to stop, as I knew that my time was really limited at the Louisville Scottish Rite. My plan was to evaluate the entire collection on Wednesday. Today was simply scoping out the collection, rigging and facility with Rick. Also, this was the only day Rick could visit since the “New World Rigging Symposium” would prevent him from visiting Wednesday.

I contacted my Scottish Rite host Randolph. The intent was to visit for two hours while they were still open. Randolph had scheduled one of the Masonic stagehands to be there – Jim. Jim had worked the stage for many years and was an absolute wealth of information at 75 years old. Fortunately for me, Jim gave me their stage book that provided a little guidance in terms of inventory and line order. This is an unusual gesture, as I often have to prove how much I know before that stage book is passed along.

The Louisville Scottish Rite counterweight system

My visit on Tuesday was primarily about the rigging and Rick’s findings. Rick had a wonderful opportunity to fully explain the significance of this double purchase system to the stewards of this stage. He described that the 1930 system, original to the building, predated the Clancy patent several years later. As interested as I was in the unique aspects of the system I was more anxious to see a few scenes while he was in the flies. They brought in the first line and I began to catalogue information about this 4^th degree interior setting.

My notes were placed within the historical context of the Louisville Scottish Rite that I have explored during the previous week. It was apparent that the majority of the scenery dated from 1910. Toomey & Volland business records noted two scenery deliveries – 1910 and 1951. The drops depicted standard designs and painting techniques characteristic of the studio.

Unfortunately, much of the scenery was restored at one point, with methods that may not be advantageous for the collection’s future. I understand the choices of those who repaired the scene, but wonder how these will age. Most scenes were backed with a type of gauze that appeared plastic, although it may have been the adhesive. The edges of cut scenes were backed with flexible foam core; this I had encountered in Cheyenne. For a new scene, ephemeral in nature, it is a brilliant idea. For historic scenery, I have to wonder how the foam will interact with the fragile fabric in the long run. The painted surface had also been sealed, resulting in a slight sheen. I have no idea what was used for this, as it had a plastic feel; almost reminding me of a product that I used on interactive exhibits for museum projects – Aquaplastic.

Finally, the netting was replaced with a plastic ½” square version; hot melt glued to the back. As Alessia Carpoca and I looked at this alteration near the end of the day, she asked the same question that has gone through my mind multiple times when seeing hot melt glued netting: “How could anyone be so stupid?” It is the idea that the drops of hot glue will never come of the back without damaging the fabric. The hot glue embeds itself in the weave and is permanently fixed. Even steam and heat only partially removed this product, as I have tried in the past. The process completely destroys the painted surface during its removal.

Meanwhile, Rick was occupied doing another good deed (as usual); helping balance some line sets to make them easier to move. He also took the time to thoroughly explain how the system worked and all of the various components. As previously mentioned, the Scottish Rite Reunion was scheduled to start in four days and some of the lines were difficult to pull.

For the most part, we try to leave any stage better than we found it, even if this means simply explaining a system and scenery for future clarity. In Scottish Rite theaters, the Masonic stagehands are often unfamiliar with the history of both. It is not unusual to find something amiss in these systems that require a simple tweak. After all, the systems have often not been maintained since their installation.

After Rick was done with his talk and the weight adjustment, we headed up to the grid. This was one of the easiest ascents ever to access the space above the stage.

Our journey to the grid at the Louisville Scottish Rite

The Louisville Scottish Rite counterweight system above the stage

We went up steps and followed boards above the auditorium space. I kept an eye out for trash, as treasures were often left in these attic spaces. Sure enough, there was a Mazda Edison box! We balanced our way to a small door, with Jim taking quick grip on me to make sure I would not fall. My sense of mortality has exponentially increased over the years, so I don’t wander to close to the edges anymore. However, I wasn’t going to miss an opportunity accompanying Rick and hearing his observations. It is always fun to be on site with Rick, as he so thoroughly explains what I am looking at and the nuances of each system. It is like the rigging class that does not end.

We left the Scottish Rite late afternoon, and I checked into the Hardy House (my Airbnb for the conference). Just about the time I was settling in and deciding to open a can of soup, I received a text from Randolph. He notified me that the Louisville Scottish Rite librarian and archivist would be contacting me soon, offering me the opportunity to visit the Scottish Rite library that evening. Regardless of my fatigue, this was not an opportunity that I would miss. So within the hour, I was waiting outside for my ride to head back to the Louisville Scottish Rite. It was certainly worth it as I spent the next few hours perusing books and chatting with Richard.

Like many, the library was a fraction of what it had once held. Books were missing and the contents somewhat sparse. However, there were certainly some gems left; absolutely priceless publications that would contribute to my ongoing research about visual sources used by scenic studios to produce Scottish Rite scenery. My biggest surprise was a Cerneau book with many recognizable compositions that were later incorporated into the Scottish Rite scenic designs.

To be continued…

Travels of a Scenic Artist and Scholar: The Joplin Scottish Rite, July 3

The Joplin Scottish Rite, July 3

We returned to Minnesota on July 2 at midnight after the long drive from Joplin, Missouri. Over the course of eighteen days, we visited ten historic theaters and I was able to document historic scenery at seven. The trip was intended not only for research, but also for the marketing of our new company Historic Stage Services, LLC (www.historicstageservices.com)

In addition to the book release event at the Santa Fe Scottish Rite theater, I photographed and catalogued entire Scottish Rite scenery collections in Omaha, Nebraska; Hastings, Nebraska; Cheyenne, Wyoming; Salina, Kansas; and Joplin, Missouri. I also photographed historic scenery at the Atlas Theatre in Cheyenne and the Tabor Theatre in Leadville, Colorado. The Tabor was especially exciting as I dug through wings, borders and roll drops that had been stored since the turn of the twentieth century.

As we drove home, I began the laborious task of labeling thousands of photographs. It is at this point that I am able to identify defining characteristics of specific collections, especially when examining images of painted details. Then I go through each historic venue and construct the current inventory and how it has been altered, added to, or shifted over the past decades. As I went through my pictures, I was able compare compositional layout, painting techniques, color palettes, and drop construction for a variety of scenic studios. My trip provided me with the opportunity to closely examine the work of competing studios over the course of decades in a very short period of time. This allows the visual aesthetic and construction information to remain fresh in my mind.

I am in the depths of examining the Fabric Studio of Chicago and its link to Toomey & Volland of St. Louis, Sosman & Landis of Chicago, Kansas City Scenic Co., and the Great Western Stage Equipment Co. of Kansas City. My last stop at the Joplin Scottish Rite confirmed a few of my suspicions in regard to a shift in scenic studio practices and art during the 1920s. A younger generation took over the innovation in stage design and technology. Men, and in some cases women, ascended to the top of their profession and eclipsed the previous generation of scenic artists. This does not mean that they were better or worse, just different. A shift was occurring in the field of scenic art. Seasoned artists left their positions with the “old guard” of scenic studios and began to create their own new studios, causing old alliances to crumble. This also market the collapse of a unifying aesthetic for the stage. Gentlemanly agreements between studios during the first two decades of twentieth century ceased and new fabrics were introduced as an alternative for the common cotton sheeting of backdrops.

Painted detail at the Joplin Scottish Rite created by an older scenic artist in the traditional style.

Another example of a setting created in the traditional style of scenic art for the Joplin Scottish Rite.

At the Joplin Scottish Rite, it is apparent that some of the drops were created by an older scenic artist still working in the traditional style of scene painting, but the color palette shifts to the predominance of brighter colors. The use of horizontal seams for drop construction, jute webbing at the top and pipe pockets at the bottom began to appear across the country. This method of fabrication followed the construction of fabric draperies for the same venues.

In terms of netting, the individual drops of glue on knotted intersections were replaced with swathes of glue brushed along entire edges, forming a crusty perimeter that greatly reduced the necessary labor to create a cut drop. Similarly the painstaking placement of foils that allowed a scene to sparkle, or suggest a fiery reflection, begin to be replaced with a layer of metallic flakes and glitter-like product. This again saved the amount of later needed to create a similar effect.

Cut drop and backdrop at the Joplin Scottish Rite for the 18th degree.

Detail of the Hades cut drop in Joplin, Missouri. Note that foil strips are no longer used to suggest the fiery reflections of the underworld.

Paper-backed foil strips were attached to backdrops during the nineteenth and early-twentieth century to simulate fiery reflection and make the scene sparkle.

The Scottish Rite scenery in Joplin also depicts the use of spatter for a painted composition. Bright blue, mineral orange and other colors are spattered across the final painting. In some cases, the use of spatter subdues an earlier application of colors that are too bright to begin with, so another layer of paint must help recede into the background. In some of the Joplin scenery, spatter almost obliterates the detail, yet enforces depth in the painting.

A partial view of the leg drop and backdrop for the catacombs scene at the Joplin Scottish Rite. This scene is also titled “The Crypt” in some areas.

Detail of painted spatter on a backdrop at the Scottish Rite in Joplin, Missouri.

I regard these modern painting techniques that eventually shifted the evolution of scenic art with some bias; I prefer the older style. I associate traditional scenic art techniques with that of the Dusseldorf and Hudson River schools. There is a soft, but dramatic atmosphere that visually envelopes the painted composition. Although there are subtle differences in paint techniques, such as glazing or the opaque application of colors as I have previously examined, there is a uniformity of brush stroke and final aesthetic. The modern school of scenic art takes a subtle departure from this aesthetic. Not always visible from the audience, it becomes apparent as one approaches the scene. Both the traditional and modern fall apart into areas of separate color, as the painting should, there is a distinct difference to the educated eye.

Similar composition in painting by Thomas Kincaid, but distinctly different from the overall aesthetic of the Hudson River School artists

Here is the best parallel that I can think of, and it pertains to the work of fine art. If you take a landscape painting produced by a Hudson River School artist and compare it with the paintings of Thomas Kincaid (Painter of Light), you can see the shift. There is romanticism in each composition, an attempt to relay atmospheric conditions, a sense of beauty and an attention to detail. However, Kincaid’s paintings are distinctly contemporary. For me, they are slightly “off” and don’t capture what the nineteenth century artist conveyed to their audience.

This is what I see happening in the scenic studios during the 1920s, an approach that has its foundation in some traditional scenic art techniques, but the final product is slightly “off.” The modern scenic art compositions evolve in two distinct directions. One way is a final product that is too clean, crisp, and carefully blended; this is the direction of Hollywood and the creation of scenery for film settings. Beautiful techniques and lovely compositions, but a distinct departure from traditional stage painting. After all, it is creating scenic illusion for a new art form – one that needs greater detail for the camera and close-ups. The second direction is much less controlled. The technique isn’t quite there, so the composition is altered with layers of spatter over high contrast areas in order to unify the entire composition. This is not meant to say that either of these approaches is a lesser art form, but they are a distinct departure from a previous stage aesthetic.

Over the next week, I will start to compare various painting techniques and their characteristics before returning to the life and times of Thomas G. Moses in 1903. This helps me as I approach examining the “first golden age” of Scottish Rite scenery production. This is the surge that takes place just prior to WWI. The 1920s then usher in the “second golden age” of Scottish Rite scenery production before everything begins a slow descent.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 72.

The remaining painted scenes for the Singers in Accord concert at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center used cut drops with one-inch opera netting – the cathedral, King Solomon’s private apartments, and the woods. As I looked at the cathedral, the first thing that I noticed was the inappropriate use of white netting.

Historically, netting for early-twentieth century Scottish Rite cut drops was black, allowing it to “disappear” on stage. White netting in cut openings slightly obscures the background, creating a subtle “haze” to cloud the upstage composition. I have noticed that the rationale for selecting white netting is often to match the dominant color of the composition. Black netting contributes to the overall scenic illusion. Unfortunately, they had made the unfortunate selection of white netting for the cathedral scene. The cut openings now suggested an eerie cloudiness to this religious setting.

The next scene was King Solomon’s Apartments and I started to experience a sense of increased hopelessness.

King Solomon’s Apartment hanging at the Scottish Rite in Fort Scott, Kansas. Notice the amazing condition of the painted drops and lack of wrinkles.

King Solomon’s Apartment hanging at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center on February 11, 2017 for the Singer’s in Accord concert. Note the wrinkles.

Closer view. King Solomon’s Apartment hanging at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center on February 11, 2017 for the Singer’s in Accord concert. Note the wrinkles.

It was apparent that an amateur had attached the netting and it had not gone smoothly. As with the cloud cut drop there were puckers and wrinkles everywhere, particularly at the corners of every opening. These symptoms indicate that the painted scenes shrank unevenly when the drops were stabilized (sprayed with a liquid solution to keep the dusting pigment attached to the fabric). This made it impossible to effectively net as the fabric would not lay flat. Without any regard to this condition, netting had been attached anyway. It now hung with large sags at every corner. It had an appearance similar to crow’s feet gathering at the corners of aged eyes.

Additionally, this King Solomon scene was intended to go with a painted cyclorama that provided an incredible amount of depth on stage. Instead, it just sat in front of a poorly lit white cyclorama. I sat there sadly wondering how the final scene would appear.

As Thomas Moses’ masterpiece – the forest scene – was lowered to the stage, I stopped breathing and my chest tightened. There is that moment when you break a fragile piece of china – a precious family heirloom. You see the shattered remnants everywhere and know that it can’t be fixed. It is all just lost – forever – and there is nothing that you can do about it. You certainly can’t wish it away. That was how I felt looking at the drops that evening.

I spent the remainder of the concert trying to regain my composure. When I first walked into the theater, I was determined not to go up on the stage and look closely at the scenery. Now it was like driving by a horrific car accident; I was compelled to turn and assess the carnage.

To be continued…

Lowering the King Solomon’s Apartment cut drops at the Fort Scott Scottish Rite for removal and transportation to Minnesota. Look at the top batten and see how well-preserved the drop was in November 2015. This scene was in amazing condition.

Netting – a modern method

My technique for netting is Flexbond glue in dye bottles. In many cases where the painted surface is NOT flat, 1/4″ detailing tape (for cars) works great! The important aspect of this entire process is to hand check EVERY single knot prior to cutting an placing in the drop opening. Contemporary looms allow a small percentage of the netting knots to “slip,” allowing the entire piece to shift the overall distribution of weight once it is hanging. This is fine for some theatrical applications, but not for shows with long runs.

I have yet to find any theatrical supplier that can guarantee netting without slipping knots. Therefore, hand check and individually glue each knot that slips. This is an incredibly time-consuming process, but having to re-net a piece takes even longer!

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Original glue dots, I use much small amounts of glue as there is a tendency for the painted surface to “pucker” around the glue dots.

From Bradford Ashworth’s “Notes on Scene Painting” (1952, page 3)

“Netting comes in two varieties for use as scenery:

(a). the ordinary meshed bar of mosquito netting which is obtainable in many colors.

(b). the natural-color drop and border foliage netting which has a mesh of about one-inch square.”

I have primarily encountered one-inch square netting in Masonic scenery. Prior to the 1920s, each individual knotted intersection was carefully dabbed with glue. After the 1920s, entire edges are smeared with a 4″ to 6″ wide swath of glue. Attached are pictures form various scenery collections in the Southern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite. In many cases, you can see the original guidelines, tack marks, and handprints.

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passrt-egyptian-cut-netting-detail-2

wsrt-2014-netting-day-12-cathedral-leg-detail-4

wsrt-2014-netting-ruined-abbey-cut-drop-detail-1

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wsrt-2014-day-12-netting-ruined-abbey-7

Profile Cuts on Netting

“Profile Cuts on Netting” (Frank Atkinson, Scene Painting and Bulletin Art, 1916, page 194)

“Wings with much profile are very expensive, and it is difficult to join them to the borders, since they must be painted separately; so, in place of them, we render wings and border complete on a full-sized stretch, and when finished we take a sharp knife and cut out the entire creation and all of the openings found inside the principle outline in a most elaborate manner. The center of the stretch is, of course, wasted, and can be used for for covering small set pieces in other productions.”

Below is a picture from the Winona Scottish Rite netted leg drop for the Rebuilding of the Temple scene (16th degree design by Sosman & Landis Studio of Chicago). Obviously, the individual in charge of cutting for netting missed a section. This image always makes me smile as using bright orange to make the “X” identifiable didn’t work!