The Tyne Theatre and Opera House in Newcastle, England.
Last month I attended an international conference at the Tyne Theatre & Opera House in Newcastle, England. It was entitled Victorian and Edwardian Theatre in Performance, Music & Machinery – Stagecraft & Spectacle.
On the last day of the conference, Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk, and I, presented papers for the Beyond Britain panel. Later that afternoon Dr. David Wilmore led a demonstration of the newly-installed theatre machinery.
It was a devastating fire on Christmas Day 1985 that razed the Tyne’s backstage area. The conference celebrated the completion of the project dubbed “Drury Lane of the North,” highlighting the stage machinery. Here is a link to the project, led by Dr. Wilmore: https://www.tynetheatreandoperahouse.uk/heritage-project/
Dr. Wilmore describing the 1985 fire.
Image from Dr. Wilmore’s presentation.
It was the safety curtain saved the rest of the Tyne Theatre from being destroyed by fire.
Here are a few photos from our Tyne Opera House & Theatre tour:
Dr. Wilmore describing the stage machinery.
Here are a few photos from our tour of the theater and stage machinery on Sept. 15, 2023.
David Wilmore explaining the under stage machinery at the Tyne Opera House.
Poles for future scenery.
The stage floor retracts to reveal a working bridge.
The bridge being lowered into position.
Some of the machinery under the stage.
Here are some images of the auditorium.
The Tyne Opera House auditorium.
Auditorium ornament.
Auditorium ornament.
Ceiling detail
Proscenium detail.
Looking up at the grid.
A newly-constructed thunder run.
Mike Hume, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Alan Butland, and Rick Boychuk.
On Sept. 12, 2023, Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk, and I visited the York Theatre Royal. It was only a short walk from our first stop that morning at the Grand Opera House.
Entrance for the York Theatre Royal.
Entrance of the York Theatre Royal.
Despite a very modern entrance, much of the complex was built in 1744, replacing a previous theatre located in the Minister Yard. The current theater was constructed on the same site as a medieval hospital, with remnants of the 12th century stonework still visible throughout the building, most often as archways.
Section with medieval architecture on upstage wall.
Amazingly, there is even earlier architectural elements below the stage, dating from Roman occupation.
Prior to our visit, Hume contacted Mike Woodcock about gaining access to the backstage area. It was Woodcock who arranged a tour with Grace Branch, Deputy Head of Stage. Although relatively new in her position, Branch is extremely knowledgeable, gracious, and accommodated all of our requests.
Rick Boychuk and Grace Branchat the York Theatre Royal.
Here are a few more pictures from our tour.
York Theatre Royal auditorium.
York Theatre Royal auditorium.
Proscenium arch detail (top).
Opera box ornament at the York Theatre Royal.
View from the stage.
Theatre Royal York stage and auditorium.
View from stage right.
Looking up at the gridiron.
The fly floor.
Weight information.
Hall Stage counterweight system.
Weights.
Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Rick Boychuk, Mike Hume, and Grace Branch at the York Theatre Royal.
On Sept. 10, 2023, Mike Hume, Rick Boychuk, Grit Eckert, and I visited the Drury Lane Theatre.
Hume had scheduled a backstage tour with Michael “Biglad” Burgess-Shaw Head of Stage, Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. The tour was remarkable, both entertaining and informative as we explored the extensive the backstage area.
Rick Boychuk, Grit Eckert, Wendy Waszut-Barrett, Biglad, and Mike Hume backstage at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
A view from above the stage.
Although everything was fascinating, my favorite part of the backstage tour was visiting the old paint studio. There is so much history spattered on the paint frames, walls, and floor. I have traced the careers of so many scenic artists who worked here. There is nothing quite like standing in the same spot where so many scenic artists, brush in hand, stood for decades.
The paint shop with four paint frames (two in the center).
Paint frame detail.
Paint frame detail, looking up toward skylights.
Next to the paint shop was the scenery storage area; now the main office. Old drops (from a touring production of Oklahoma) now decorated only one wall, now the sole legacy of a space that once housed so many more.
Photograph by Mike Hume. Extant “Oklahoma” drops on the wall.
Drops from a touring production of “Oklahoma” now decorate one wall.
Biglad, Grit, Rick, Wendy and Mike at Drury Lane.
We returned to the theater on September 11 for a front-of-house tour. Mark Fox showed us the rest of the building. We couldn’t have had a better tour guide. Fox is an amazing theatre historian, archivist and advertising manager for LW Theatres. Fox even wrote the book Theatre Royal Drury.
Wendy Waszut-Barrett. Mark Fox, Rick Boychuk and Mike Hume.
The Auditorium.
The Royal Box.
View from the Royal Box.
View from the balcony.
The tour wonderful! Mark’s passion about the building is evident, and he is full of fascinating information about the theater’s history, renovations, and decor.
Print of the auditorium.
Print of the rotunda and principle staircases.
The rotunda.
Looking across the rotunda.
Section of a main staircases.
Main staircase.
View from the exterior balcony.
View of the same balcony from the street.
Here are a few more pictures of highlights from our visit.
One of my favorite paintings – Fortunes by G. D. Leslie, RA. It was for the Royal Jubilee, 1887 Exposition. It is now on display in room behind the Royal Box.
Painted detail.
Painted detail.
Painted detail.
The second painting in the same room of June (actress, singer, dancer) by Herbert Draper.
Painted detail.
Painted detail.
Painted detail.
Painting by Seymour Lucas, Study of a New Act Curtain, 1911.
On November 30, 2022, I received a FB message from Robert Van Dillen, a St. Louis-based scenic artist. He asked if I would consider being guest speaker for an upcoming scenic art event in St. Louis, tentatively scheduled for the beginning of 2023. Van Dillen explained that there was a group of local scenic artists who wanted to see the St. Louis Scottish Rite scenery collection before the building was sold. Unfortunately, the tentative date coincided with my trip to the Galveston Scottish Rite. We looked at a couple of possibilities, and then scheduled the event to coincide with my March trip to USITT.
My last visit to the St. Louis Scottish Rite theatre also coincided with USITT in 2017. This is a remarkable scenery collection delivered by Toomey & Volland, of St. Louis. I spent much of the conference documenting the scenery, stage machinery, and building.
Tomoey & Volland Studio stencil on the back of a Scottish Rite backdrop.
Just prior to the conference, I documented the gridiron with Rick Boychuk and Richard Nix.
High above the St. Louis Scottish Rite stage with Rick Boychuk and Richard Nix in 2017.
One of many photos from my trip to the St. Louis Scottish Rite Theatre in 2017.
On this trip, I arrived at the St. Louis Scottish Rite by 9AM on Sunday morning, March 19, 2023. I was accompanied by my close friend and colleague, Jenny Knott. Alessia Carpoca, Mike Monsos, and Martha (University of Montana – Missoula) soon joined us, as they had an early flight to catch; one that prevented them from staying for the entire presentation. From 9-10:30 a.m., we shifted furniture, set up the power point, and double checked the lines. I wanted to make sure that everything was in working order for my presentation. This also provided Mike, Alessia, and Martha, with the opportunity to see some of the drops before their early departure. I am very grateful to Mike for handling the operating lines during this time!
At 10:30 a.m., I gave a quick power-point presentation to provide some context, placing what we were going to see within the context of American scenic art and theatre history. By “quick” I mean thirty minutes! Then we brought in one scene after another for the next three hours. By 2 p.m. I called it quits, due my impending flight and grumbling stomach. We grabbed a quick bit to eat and then I was on my way to the airport.
The St. Louis Scottish Rite Theatre is a sight to behold. It is a three-thousand-seat auditorium that boasts a 90’-0” wide proscenium opening.
The St. Louis Scottish Rite auditorium. Looking up into the flies at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. Scenery by Toomey & Volland Studios, c. 1923.
The size and scope of this Masonic scenery collection is almost unparalleled, with the McAlester Scottish Rite from 1929 being a major contender. There are 147 line sets, with stage machinery and scenery produced by the Toomey & Volland studio in 1923. There are a few drops that pre-date the building, a couple more that were delivered in later years.
The Scenic Studio where the St. Louis Scottish Rite scenery was painted in 1923.
Sadly, this may be the last time I get to visit and examine this remarkable scenery collection. Like many massive Masonic buildings, it is up for sale. Rumors of a sale had already begun in 2017. This is not surprising, considering a series of obstacles faced by many fraternal organizations; challenges that range from declining membership and insufficient funds to high utility bills and a long-term practice of deferred maintenance. My only hope is that when the building is sold, the scenery is somehow preserved for future generations. This collection really needs to be professionally documented, complete with lights and props, before it disappears.
Many thanks to Rob for organizing this event. I also want to thank his wonderful colleagues who so warmly welcomed me to St. Louis. I am grateful that we were able to share this experience together.
Here are a few pictures from our day at the St. Louis Scottish Rite.
A painted scene at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. Scene by Toomey & Volland Studios, c. 1923.Metallic strips that make the foliage sparkle under stage light.My host, Rob Van Dillen behind a section of theatrical gauze.Scenic artists at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. March 19, 2023.Scene by Toomey & Volland Studios, c. 1923.Changing scenes at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. March 19, 2023.A few of the scenic artists who gathered at the Scottish Rite on March 19, 2023.Scenic Artists at the St. Louis Scottish Rite on March 19, 2023.Painted detail from the carpenter shop scene at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. Landscape backdrop at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. March 19, 2023.Painted detail from a landscape drop at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. March 19, 2023.Painted detail from a landscape drop at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. March 19, 2023.Painted detail from a drop at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. March 19, 2023.The Camp Scene at the St. Louis Scottish Rite. March 19, 2023.Scene by Toomey & Volland Studios, c. 1923.
On November 17, 1930, Thomas G. Moses was credited with the scenic art for the Scottish Rite Temple in McAlester, Oklahoma. In section entitled “Giant Stage Equipment is Feature of New Temple,” the following was written about Moses’ scenic contribution to the project:
“Outstanding among the features of the new Scottish Rite temple are the size of the big stage provided and its equipment. The scenery will long be remembered by the persons who see it in use. This very important part of the equipment was designed and painted by Thomas G. Moses, representing the Wm. Lemle Studios and the National Theatre Supply company, of Chicago.”
The work was contracted two years earlier, with Moses presenting models to the McAlester Scottish Rite representatives. Although it was Moses who landed the project, the McAlester Scottish Rite contracted the National Theatre Supply Co. for the work. The National Theatre Supply Co. then subcontracted the work to the William Lemle studios, who in turn hired Moses, as was the understanding in the contract.
This project did not go according to plan and in the end the McAlester Scottish Rite Masons refused to pay the full amount owed, citing that some of the pieces of scenery were damaged during shipment, even though Moses repaired each of the damaged pieces cited by the Valley. The drawn-out collection process directly affected Moses. As the official supplier and client bickered about who should file a claim with the railroad for damaged goods, Moses was left in a dire financial situation at the onset of the Great Depression, begging to be paid for his work.
Due to the size of the drops and scope of the project, there were several shipments of scenery in 1929, yet only one was partially damaged. Problems between the theatrical suppliers and McAlester Scottish Rite began well before any damage was cited. The first issues were in the form of delayed payments. On Aug. 2, 1929, Moses wrote directly to the McAlester Scottish Rite Secretary, W. P. Freeman, noting that they had not received the $1,000 July 1st advance payment, although the project was well underway. Freeman explained that the check had been sent, but it never arrived that fall. By Dec. 3, 1929, McAlester was behind two payments, totaling $2,000. This time, P. Lester Landis of the National Theatre Supply Co. wrote a letter to Freeman at the McAlester Scottish Rite, notifying him of the deficiency. The $2,000 was paid two weeks later.
And then there was a damaged shipment from a leaky rail car. The initial letter citing the damage, sent from the McAlester Scottish Rite representatives to the National Supply Co., was purportedly returned as “undeliverable.” This is after continued correspondence for a year. The McAlester Scottish Rite then sent a second letter, this time directly to Moses at William Lemle’s studio. Moses immediately responded on Nov. 12, 1929, writing, “We called the representative of the C & E I, who took the shipment, and he assured us that he would communicate immediately with the representative in Tulsa, and that he would come to McAlester, where you can show him the damaged pieces. If this is possible, and I trust it is, and he in turn will notify us and I am sure we can establish the cost of repairing. This of course, will not be done until I come to McAlester next summer, to touch up and match the pieces which you found un-painted…it is almost impossible to do this work without being set up on the stage, which is the same reason some of them were not finished. So whatever damage there has been done to the drops or set pieces in this shipment, will be taken care of at that time, so please do not worry about it.”
Keep in mind that many final touches to scenery occurred after stage machinery was added to each drop for various scenic effects.
Moses also explained, “As long as you have the drops in a dry place that is all that is necessary. I have never known one of the shipments to go out that did not require more or less touching-up when they were installed.”
I personally think that the damage occurred somewhere between the railway depot and the temple, not necessarily in transit from Illinois to Oklahoma. All it would take is a rainstorm with a work crew who decided to transport the scenery from the depot to the temple regardless of the weather conditions.
In the meantime, Moses completed the McAlester Scottish Rite scenery and repaired all of the damaged goods. It was not until Nov. 30, 1930, that the damage and completed work, however, was inspected by Louis “Lou” E. Lounsbery. After his visit, the McAlester Scottish Rite wrote to Moses noting that Lounsbery looked over his work and stated, “he is greatly pleased with your work and had many good and nice things to say about you.” There was no mention about any dissatisfaction with Moses’ repair of the damaged scenes – at all.
Interestingly, two weeks prior to the letter, Lounsbery was mentioned in an article about the new stage. The article reported, “The scenic equipment was given to Lou Lounsbery, former McAlester resident and prominent worker in the Scottish Rite for years, to plan, as he had some big effects in mind and had investigated several large temples, the last two which were at Fort Scott, Kansas, and Oakland, California [both Moses installations]. Constantly getting closer to his idea of big effects, Thomas Moses was called to Los Angeles to consult with Lounsbery. After several meetings and the showing of a number of miniature sets, Mr. Moses was instructed to proceed with models and these were brought to McAlester.” If there were any deficiencies with the repaired scenery by November 1930, it was not mentioned in their letter to Moses. That being said, the dissatisfaction may have originated from a new source. From the beginning of the project to the final payment, there was a changing of the guard at the McAlester Scottish Rite in the form of a new secretary. When a new secretary of SGIG becomes involved with an existing project, it can change everything, including fair dealings; I know, as I have encountered this a few times.
On September 11, 1930, Moses wrote to the McAlester Scottish Rite Bodies, “I trust that you realize that we have a great deal more in this contract than has been advanced to us. Of course, we expected this to a certain extent, but work has been much more expensive than we estimated and we are cramped for ready means.” Part of the problem was size; you can only store so much scenery that measures 40’ high by 56’ wide while waiting for a payment. Moses tried to remedy these continued delays for the collection of the final payment. By this time, Moses had implemented a practice of not leaving a Masonic job until final payment was collected.
The final amount for the scenery was to be paid directly to Moses upon his arrival to McAlester for the final installation. On September 26, the National Supply Co. even sent a letter to the new McAlester Scottish Rite Secretary, Lawton Beasley, confirming that final payment should be handed to Moses on site and not mailed to the company. Again, this step was requested by Moses, and likely because the McAlester Scottish Rite had established a pattern of delayed payments to the National Theatre Supply Co. The McAlester Scottish Rite did issue a final payment before Moses’ departure, one that was handed to Moses directly. Unfortunately, it was for less for than the amount owed.
In the end, the McAlester Scottish Rite decided to not file for damaged goods with the railroad company and decided to just deduct that amount from their final payment, citing, “Under the contract these curtains were to be installed by your company in perfect condition.” They acknowledge that the National Theatre Supply Co. paid Moses $120 to repair the damage as well as possible, and then simply deducted the $120 fee for Moses from the final damage estimate. This meant that they chose not to pay the remaining $807.00 of the contractual agreement. In effect they breached the contract. That is today’s equivalent of $12,640.52 – no small amount.
The McAlester Scottish Rite even took the time to draw up an agreement justifying this reduced amount and stated that the National theatre Supply Co. would collect the remaining funds from the railway for damaged goods. The McAlester Scottish Rite then took the time to write a second letter to Moses, sending it via. William Lemle studio. They reiterated that Moses did the best he could with all of the repairs, but the scenery was still not in “perfect condition,” and therefore, they should not have to pay full price. In the end, it was the William Lemle Co., that took the time to file the claim with the railroad and collect the payment for scenery damage in caused during transit.
In regard to the McAlester Scottish Rite’s citing that Moses’ repairs left the Valley with scenery in less than “perfect condition,” I have a few comments. When considering the caliber of Moses’ work and his experience, leaving any scene in a bad state directly reflected in HIS reputation. As Moses had several more upcoming Scottish Rite projects, leaving any example of poor work would jeopardize future Masonic projects.
Furthermore, I evaluated the McAlester Scottish Rite scenery collection in 2010 and encountered no existing damage that would have substantiated their claim and decision for a reduced payment. It was in far better shape than most Scottish Rite scenery collections and absent of areas indicating massive water-damage. The painting was still beautiful and in great shape. If anything, the biggest issue was some dusting, repairs from constant used and failed netting; a standard deterioration after eighty years of use. Here are a few of the McAlester Scottish Rite Scenes.
Painted by Thomas G. Moses, 1929-1930.Painted by Thomas G. Moses, 1929-1930.Painted by Thomas G. Moses, 1929-1930.Painted by Thomas G. Moses, 1929-1930.Painted by Thomas G. Moses, 1929-1930.
For more information about Scottish Rite degree productions, scenery and stage machinery, visit www.drypigment.net and keyword search “Scottish Rite.”
In September 2020, I led a group of volunteers at the Tabor Opera House to document nineteenth-century wings, shutters, borders and set pieces in the attic. After my visit, I began examining each piece in detail, creating condition reports, historical analyses, replacement appraisals, and a collections care management document. There are at least twelve theatre collections, with scenic artifacts divided by artist and/or period. This project is similar to receiving a big bag of puzzle pieces, containing an unknown number of puzzles with no other information. There are no box tops that show you the completed picture, but you need to somehow assemble each of the puzzles. By the way, not all of the pieces are original, and some may have been altered over the years.
There are so many moving parts, creators and timelines, that some days the projects is a bit overwhelming and I have to step away; allowing the information to process. When I return a few hours later, something becomes a little more clear.
Double-painted wing with palace interior on the reverse side.Painted detail, showing where stencils line upPainted detail of liningBotton of the wing
Such was the case with pieces from the pink interior setting. Of the set, I catalogued only two wings and a remnant this fall. The construction of the two wings is on par with other pieces built from 1879-1881. The painting, however, appears to be the work of T. Frank Cox, dating from 1887-1888. Each wing is also double-sided, with a palace interior on the reverse. The palace composition was painted in the 1890s, combining several wings from a variety of settings. However, a fabric remnant shows that the backside of the original fabric was a prison setting, now hidden between the two layers of fabric. The pink setting fabric is rough cotton sheeting from Boott Mills, whereas the second layer of fabric on the reverse side is standard drillings from Stark Mills.
Loft above the attic in the Tabor Opera HousePile of scenery in the loft above the attic in the Tabor Opera HousePile of scenery in the loft above the attic in the Tabor Opera House View from below the loft. Pile of scenery in the loft above the attic in the Tabor Opera House
However, high above the attic floor there are two more pieces, currently inaccessible and stored in a makeshift loft. They were placed there before additional joists and wiring went in, so we could not remove them this fall due to a limited amount of time. The two additional wings are leaning against the same wall that is above the proscenium arch in the attic. This wall divides the attic from a space that was once hotel rooms and the gridiron and stage machinery above the stage. I climbed the ladder to the grid and we assembled a makeshift walkway over the open joists to reach the pile. I could only take a of few photos of the piles, as nothing could be shifted at the time. Too much dirt would have floated down upon the project below, and we really needed to construct a temporary floor. There were two pieces from the pink interior setting visible in the pile; one being a door wing. Other pieces included shutters, rollers, windows, and other set pieces. As I compiled the various condition reports about the pink setting yesterday, I noticed a slight pattern in the pink; it was an underlying composition. Altering the detail and contrast of the image once it was in grayscale, helped me identify what was painted below, and then I added a few lines to help others identify the painted panels.
The Tabor Opera House, pictured in the “Leadville Daily Herald,” 1 Jan 1881
In 1884, “Harry C. Miner’s Dramatic Directory” listed that the seating capacity for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado, was 800. The size of stage measured 34-ft. deep by 60-ft. wide, and the proscenium opening was 17-ft. high by 23-ft wide. The original scenery employed a system of grooves on stage to hold up the painted scenes. Grooves are a mechanical contrivance in which the scenes slide back and forth. Sets of grooves were positioned into divisions, such as one, two, three and four. Where the stage was extra deep, there were sometimes five and six divisions of grooves, equally spaced. There were four divisions of grooves at the Tabor Opera House, allowing four pairs of wings and shutters to slide on and off stage, forming specific stage settings. The height from the stage to the top of the grooves was sixteen feet, with an additional 3 feet above that to the rigging loft.
This method of staging was eventually replaced with more modern arrangements in 1902, Wings and Shutters were replaced with fly scenery and box interiors, supported with braces and connected by lash lines. This more modern method was purchased and installed the Leadville Elks purchased the opera house in 1901, renaming the venue the Elks Opera House.
During the nineteenth century there were three stage managers who worked at the Tabor Opera House, each constructing wing and shutter scenery for the venue, and each shifting early scenes in grooves. The three stage managers were William S. Barber (1879-1880), Harry C. Sprague (1881-1884) and William J. Moon (1885-1901). These three men were also went by others titles, such as stage carpenter and stage mechanic. Regardless of their title, each functioned as a ruler of the realm behind the footlights.
Barber was credited with the original construction and installation of the first stock scenery collection at the Tabor Opera House in 1879. He worked with James E. Lamphere, the first scenic artist to paint the original drop curtain and ten stage settings. W. S. Barber was listed as a stage carpenter for the Tabor Opera House in the 1880 Leadville city directory, living at 114 W. 6th. That was the only year that he was listed in a Leadville directory.
Barber and Lamphere’s contributions to the stagehouse were less than adequate and short lived. The stage was completely renovated within two years, and Harry C. Sprague was credited with the new stage arrangements. Sprague was already living in Leadville at the time. He was listed as a bill poster in the 1880 city directory and a “stageman” in the 1881 city directory. In 1880 Sprague was residing at 312 W. 6th, just down the street from Barber. The official bill poster for the Tabor Opera House that year was R. B. Brennet; there was enough work to support a few bill posters in town.
In 1881 Sprague was listed in the Leadville City Directory as “stageman” at the Tabor Opera House; Barber was no longer associated with any Leadville theater. It remains unclear if Barber and Sprague ever met while walking to their respective homes on 6th street or while working backstage at the opera house. As a bill poster in 1880, Sprague likely worked for a variety of businesses in town, so their paths may have crossed at some point but it remains unknown. Regardless, sprague likely began working backstage at the opera house in 1880, especially if he was associated with the Tabor Opera House in the 1881 directory. Sprague was still working at the opera house when James H. Cragg was brought on board as a general manager.
On May 1, 1882, J. H. Cragg became the manager at the Tabor Opera House. The following day, the “Leadville Daily Herald” announced, “J. H. Cragg has been appointed manager of the Tabor opera house, vice F. T. Osgood resigned. He began his regime last night” (2 May 1882). In 1880, F. Thomas Osgood was listed in the city directory as a teller at the Leadville Bank, as well as briefly managing the new Opera House. The news of Osgood’s replacement quickly spread throughout the region, and by May 6, 1882, the “Gunnison Daily News-Democrat” reported, “Lieutenant-Governor Tabor has appointed Charles J. Rowell his general business agent at the Tabor Opera House, J. H. Cragg becoming the new manager” (Vol. 1, No. 280). To clarify, Cragg was manager, but had nothing to do with the backstage area.
Change was in the air by summer 1882 at Both Tabor theaters. In August the building, auditorium, and stage in Leadville were undergoing the massive renovation. As the work neared completion, an article appeared in the “Leadville Daily Herald” announcing, “Of the stage there will be a change for the better in regard to scenery, scene shifting and drop curtains. Those ridiculous hitches in scene shifting that have heretofore occurred on one or two occasions will no longer take place. An experienced stage man has been secured in the person of Mr. H. C. Sprague” (August 23, 1882). By September 23, 1882, “Leadville Daily Herald” announced, “All the seats in the Tabor Opera House are being changed in position and when the work is finished they will be much more advantageously arranged than in the past, and there will also be some standing room.” This, combined, with the raising of the roof for better acoustics was a substantial project, especially for a relatively new opera house.
Changes were also occurring in the staffing at the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver. During the summer of 1882, the house scenic artist left for greener pastures in Utah. Setting his sights on Salt Lake City, Henry C. Tryon headed west and remained in Salt Lake City next few years, painting an entirely new stock of scenery for the Salt Lake Theatre, as well as working on other projects in the area. During the fall of 1882, Tryon was still identified as “Henry C. Tryon, Tabor Grand Opera House, Denver,” but by the spring of 1883 he was credited as the official scenic artist for the Salt Lake Theatre. Tryon’s departure from the Tabor Grand created a vacancy for another scenic artist at the venue. Enter, Henry E. Burcky.
Burcky was a previous associated with Tryon in 1881, when the two worked together at the Opera Festival in Cincinnati. This was before Tryon headed west with his little brother Spencer to paint in Denver. When the Tryon Brothers left the Tabor Grand in 1882, Burcky filled the void left by the pair. The 1884-1885 publication of “Harry C. Miner’s Dramatic Directory” listed Burcky as the scenic artist for both of Tabor’s venues. Information for this listing would have been submitted to Miner’s Directory well in advance, sometime during 1883 when the directory was compiled for publication.
Back to the Tabor Opera House in Leadville…
As previously stated, Lamphere was credited with painting scenery for the Tabor Opera House 1879, and likely adding settings throughout 1880. He was in town long enough to meet and marry a local girl. Not all parts of stock collection were delivered prior to the opening of a venue. Pieces were added on as the season continued, based on the needs of each production.
Lamphere left Leadville about the same time that scenic artist Robert Hopkin arrived to paint the drop curtain for the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver. The stock scenery for the Tabor Grand Opera House was partly credited to Hopkin and his son in 1881. Additional stock scenery was painted by Tryon and his younger brother Spencer Tryon. It is possible that any, or all, of the scenic artists working at the Tabor Grand scenery also painted settings for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville during the renovation, but I have yet to verify this as fact. However, the second stage manager for the Tabor Opera House (Sprague) was also an artist, and may also have painted some of the scenery for the renovated Tabor Opera House in 1882, hence only crediting Sprague with the new backstage arrangements. When Sprague left Leadville, the remainder of his career was spent as a painter, albeit in relative obscurity.
In terms of Sprague’s early work as a bill poster in Leadville. It may have been quick work to simply pay the bills upon arriving in Leadville. Many scenic artists accepted other work as bill posters, sign painters and decorative artists to supplement their income. As a bill poster in 1880, Sprague would have pasted up theatre bills and placards on walls or billboards, in addition to completing other small advertising projects that required painted signage. Interestingly, some of the oldest scenery at the Tabor Opera House is covered in bill poster patches. This is the first time that I have encountered a consistent series of scenic repairs with poster material. Whether it was done by Sprague or a successor, bill posters were a readily accessible material in a small western town, especially after a show left for its next town. Yet, bill poster paper remains an unusual material for nineteenth-century scenery repair.
Large bill posters were used as patches on the back of some nineteenth-century scenery at the Tabor Opera House.Patch detail.
By 1881 Sprague was listed as a “stageman” for the Tabor Opera House. “Stageman” is an odd listing for the time. I have to wonder if it was intended to be “stage man,” an abbreviation for stage manager, just as “stage carp” indicated stage carpenter.
Although Sprague was not listed in the 1882 Leadville Directory, he reappeared in the 1883 directory as a “stage manager” for the Tabor Opera House. In 1884 he was again listed as the stage manager, just now residing at 202 W. 6th. Keep in mind that “Stage manager” suggested an intimate knowledge and experience with a variety of backstage tasks that ranged from construction and painting to shifting of scenes and lighting of the stage. The nineteenth-century role of stage manager is very different from our conception of a production’s stage manager today. Nineteenth-century stage managers had a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of the art of the stage mechanism.
Sprague was still listed as the stage manager for the Tabor Opera House in 1885, but now he had an assistant- William James Moon. “Willie” Moon was listed as the asst. stage manager for the opera house in the Leadville City Directory. Both Sprague and Moon were living at 121 E. 7th in 1885, although William J. Moon was still listed as living with his mother at 318 W. 3rd. By 1886, Sprague was no longer listed in the Leadville city directory, and by 1888 Moon was listed as the stage manager for the Tabor Opera House. I have written about Moon in a past post. For more information, visit https://drypigment.net2020/10/10/travels-of-a-scenic-artist-and-scholar-w-j-moon-stage-carpenter-and-stage-manager-at-the-tabor-opera-house/
I’ll write more about Sprague’s life and career tomorrow.
I continue to explore the history of the earliest scenery painted for the Tabor Opera House between 1879 and 1882. Evelyn E. Livingston Furman was integral to the preservation of the scenery at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado. She was a good steward, one who safeguarded many stage artifacts throughout the building. Furman’s publication, “The Tabor Opera House, a Captivating History,” pieces together many loose ends regarding the early stage and stories about the Tabors. I have repeatedly returned to her work for the past few years, searching for additional clues. Gretchen Scanlon also explored the history of the Tabor Opera House in “A History of Leadville Theatres.” It is an insightful and entertaining publication about popular entertainment and a variety of performance venues in this rough mining town.
In my own writings about the Tabor Opera House, I try to rely on historic newspaper articles, understanding that there is always a margin of error with the retelling of any story. It is easy to jump to conclusions about history, trying to piece it together in a tidy progression of events. When I catch one of my own mistakes, I often go back to correct the error and update my writing; that is the beauty of a digital format, it becomes a living document. For today’s post, I followed a trail of breadcrumbs to Eugene Field, the son of attorney Roswell Field, best known for representing Dred Scott. ‘Gene Field became part of the Tabor story early on and was recently credited with painting the Royal Gorge drop. Spoiler alert: He was a writer and not a scene painter.
In regard to the earliest scenery installed at the Tabor Opera House, it is clear that both Furman and Scanlon relied on the same historic newspaper articles for sources. I have now located many of the same sources, as well as a few more. Unfortunately, neither Furman nor Scanlon cite specific sources in their works. This presents a challenge for others to further substantiate their claims.
In my continuing examination of early Tabor Opera House scenery, here is a recap. The original scenery, stage machinery and drop curtains were delivered by James E. Lamphere, scenic artist, and Mr. Barber, stage carpenter, in 1879. By August 1882, the building and stage were renovated. On August 23, 1882, the “Leadville Daily Herald” reported, “there will be a change for the better in regard to scenery, scene shifting and drop curtains. Those ridiculous hitches in scene shifting that have heretofore occurred on one or two occasions will no longer take place.” If the stage arrangements were bad enough to be changed within two years, it is unlikely that those responsible for the original arrangements were rehired. In fact , H. C. Sprague is credited as the stage carpenter for new arrangements. I have yet to locate any mention of a scenic artist, however, keep in my that many talented stage carpenters during this period could also paint, and paint well. The theatre industry was not as compartmentalized as it is now.
Furman also writes that the original roll curtain from the Leadville Tabor Opera House was taken to Denver for the premiere of “Silver Dollar.” In a later chapter Furman describes the original drop curtain’s composition but does not cite any source. Her description of the first drop curtain by Lamphere is identical to a similar description published in the “Leadville Weekly Herald” on Nov. 15, 1879: “The drop curtain is a masterpiece from the brush of Mr. Lamphere, and represents a glorious mountain scene, at the base of which is a fine old castle, with a stream running at the foot; alongside of the water is a rugged road, which ends in the winding of canyon” (page 3). Scanlon describes this same scene for the original drop curtain. It is improbable, however, that this curtain survived beyond the 1882 renovation; it was likely repainted or replaced well before the Elks purchased the building in 1901.
Furthermore, Scanlon writes that a second drop curtain that was delivered to the Tabor Opera House a few years after the venue opened; this timing would coincide with the 1882 renovation. Scanlon credits Gene Field with painting the second drop curtain that replaced the original, writing “A few years later, Tabor contracted to have a new drop curtain painted by Gene Field” (page 132). Scanlon goes onto explains that Field’s drop curtain depicted Royal Gorge, and it was still being used when the Elks enlarged the stage in 1902. Furman also writes about the Royal Gorge composition, but not as a replacement for the first drop curtain, just as another roll drop with a hefty price tag of $1,000. Furman includes the Royal Gorge drop as part of the original scenery painted by Lamphere. This is where it would have been extremely helpful if either author had cited any source in regard to the $1,000 expense or Gene Field as the scenic artist.
Of the Royal Gorge drop Scanlon continues: “It was taken down, and there was a great deal of debate over what should happen to it. Some thought that it should be hung in the Carnegie Library or donated to the Leadville Pioneers for safekeeping; others thought that the main part should be cut out, framed and hung in the opera house. The curtain stayed in the opera house. In 1932, it was lent to the Denver Theater for the premiere of the movie Silver Dollar, starring Edward G. Robinson, based on Tabor’s life. What happened to the curtain after that remains a mystery.”
Gene Field wasn’t an artist, he was a writer who wrote for various newspapers. In 1883, the “Larimer County Independent” reported, “Without Gene Field and the Tabor Opera House, Denver would be a barren waste” (Fort Collins, Colorado, 24 May 1883, page 2). Decades later, newspapers would reminisce about the relationship between Field and Tabor: “That the reputation of the Tabor Grand spread in ever widening circles during the early years of its history was due, in certain measure to the theater itself, but more, it is believed, to the stories about its personnel and players, written in the Denver Tribune between 1881 and 1883 by Eugene Field, who was earlier associated with the Kansas City Times, then in his twenties Field glorified in lampooning prominent people, particularly the newly rich. Mr. Tabor, his son Maxey and William Bush, first manager of the theaters, were his eternal targets. Copies of the tribune were demanded even in Mexico, London and Canada. So the Tabor Grand acquired far renown” (Springfield Leader and Press, Springfield, Missouri, 5 June 1921, page 8).
I located the source that connects Field with the Tabor Opera House drop curtain, but he was not noted as the scenic artist. On Jan. 1, 1903, the “Herald Democrat” reported, “There is a story about Tabor and this curtain which may or may not be true, but it is worth repeating. Gene Field was originally responsible for it.” Field was not responsible for the painting of the drop, but the telling of the story about Tabor and the drop. The 1903 article continues to share the story, as originally told by Field:
“It is said that when Tabor got the curtain, the artist had painted a portrait of the late William Shakespeare for a centerpiece. Shakespeare, the artist thought, was a proper person to pose for a picture symbolical of the thespian art to which the building was to be devoted. When Tabor saw the picture he is said to have asked whose picture that was. “Why, that’s Shakespeare,” said the artist. “Who the — is Shakespeare?” roared Tabor. “Take his face out of that if you want to make a portrait gallery of the curtain, put my picture there.”
Five years earlier, “The Saint Paul Globe” shared a similar on January 23, 1898:
“It was when the building had been completed and the artist was painting the drop curtain that Tabor came in. As he watched the progress of the work, he asked the artist: “Whose picture is that which you are painting in the center of the curtain?”
“Shakespeare,” replied the artist.
“Who is Shakspeer?” asked the future senator.
“Why,” said the artist, “he is a great man who has written the greatest plays – the Bard of Avon, you know.”
“Shakspeer?” said Tabor. “Seems to me I’ve heard the name somewhere. But what in thunder has Shakspeer done for Leadville!”
“Nothing that I know of,” said the artist.
“Then paint that picture out and put me in.” And that is the way Tabor’s picture came to be in the drop curtain.”
Here is an earlier version from 1890 that appeared in the “Norfolk Virginian” (12 Nov. 1890, page 8) and the “Pittsburgh Press (9 Nov. 1890, page 12). The heading for the article in the “Norfolk Virginian” was “Not Acquainted with Shakespeare.” The heading for the article in the “Pittsburgh Press” was “Senator Tabor’s Drop Curtain.” The story for each was identical:
“When the building was completed he hired an artist to paint some suitable designs on the drop curtain. The artist did so. While the finishing touches were being put on, the Governor and Senator ambled into the building and inquired:
“Who’s picter’s that?” Shakespeare’s,” meekly replied the successor of Raphael.
“Who’s Shakespeer?”
“Why, he’s the standard author of tragedy and drama – the Bard of Avon you know.”
“Shakespeer, Shakespeer’ seems to me I’ve heerd the name summer, but what in thunder has he done for Leadville?”
“Nothing that I know of.”
“Then paint the picter out and put mine in.”
And it was done, and Tabor’s picture remains there to this day.”
The story was again repeated at the time of Tabor’s passing in 1899, but Tabor’s portrait was no longer on the drop curtain. His portrait was painted on the proscenium arch; this is what I have proposed in past posts, as Tabor’s portrait would remain visible throughout a performance, whereas a drop curtain scene is raised at beginning of a production. The following article was originally published in the “New Orleans Times-Democrat,” but quickly spread all across the country and appeared in many other newspapers. Here is the article in the “Sacramento Bee” from May 13, 1899:
“Soon after the late Senator H. A. W. Tabor, of Colorado, made his first million,” said a former resident of the Silver State, “he built an opera house at Leadville. It was a very fine building for the day and place, and with characteristic liberality he determined to spare nothing in its appointments. Among other experts he engaged an extremely competent New York artist named De Moro to do the decorations and gave him absolute carte blanch. This greatly pleased the painters, and he did a remarkably fine piece of work. When the job was completed he sent for Tabor to inspect it, and the latter was delighted with everything until he looked at the proscenium arch, in the center of which was a superb medallion portrait of Shakespeare. “Who is that fellow, anyhow?” asked the new millionaire, frowning ominously. “That is William Shakespeare,” replied De Moro, in surprise. ‘Well, he didn’t have a blamed thing to do with building this theater,’ said Tabor, sternly. ‘Rub him out and put me in.’ The artist was furious and adopted a unique method of getting even. Tabor wore an enormous purple-black moustache, which always had the appearance of being imperfectly dyed, and De Moro proceeded to duplicate the weird armament on the upper lip of the bard of Avon. He then painted in a standing collar and red cravat, labeled the ghastly composite ‘Hon. H. A. W. Tabor,’ and went back to New York, cursing everything in Colorado. The De Moro portrait stood unchanged for many years and was regarded by frontier art critics as a speaking likeness.
‘Up to middle age Tabor’s life was one of great hardship,’ continued the Westerner, “and when he suddenly became fabulously rich he plunged into luxuries like a starving man wading into a banquet. One of his early freaks was the purchase of several magnificent lace nightgowns, which cost $1000 apiece and which he kept locked up in a safe during the day. Eugene Field was editor of the Denver Tribune at the time, and those lace nightgowns made him simply hysterical. He wrote columns upon columns about them, describing the garments in detail, with numerous diagrams depicting sections fore and aft. The diagrams were hideous affairs, which Field carved out himself with a penknife on the back of old wood type. He used to describe how Tabor would forget the combination of the safe and sit up, shivering and naked, half the night trying to remember the right figures. Although he kept Denver in a roar for weeks, and made Tabor so wild that one day he rushed into his office, snatched the unfortunate nightgowns out of their compartment and tore them to thread. “There, now!” he exclaimed, wiping his forehead and kicking the tattered fragments into a corner. ‘I hope than cussed fool will be satisfied. I’ll be hanged if I ain’t going to get a gunny sack,’ he continued, ‘cut some holes in the end for my head and arms, and then sleep in it for the rest of my life!”
“When Tabor was appointed to the Senate to fill an unexpired term of exactly twenty-nine days, Field broke loose again and had all kinds of fun with the old man. He declared that Tabor opposed the tariff bill on the ground that it encouraged lawlessness in the West. ‘I don’t know this Tariff Bill,’ he reported the Senator as saying in a speech, ‘but we have entirely too many of ‘em out where I live. There’s Wild Bill and Buffalo Bill and Pecos Bill and Billy the Kid – all no good. If you let Tariff Bill have anything to do with the Custom House he’s liable to steal the Atlantic Ocean.’ Many of the honest folk took these flights of fancy seriously, and drove Tabor nearly distracted by long letters of remonstrance, urging him to read up and get posted, so as to not disgrace the State. At the expiration of the Senator’s brief term he circulated an autograph album among his fellow-members and the incident tickled Filed immensely. He gave what purported to be a copy of the ‘sentiment’ inscribed in the volume by the different statesman – such things as ‘When you see this remembers me. Roscoe Conkling.’ And ‘Sure as the moss grows ‘round a stump you are my darling sugar lump – I mean chump – Geo F. Hoar,’ and similar nonsense, all of which maddened his victim. I think Gene Field was the only man Tabor never forgave, for in spit of his gaunt, forbidding exterior, the miner magnate was as tender-hearted as a girl. He was really full of sterling qualities, and in his proper sphere he would have been anything but grotesque. One thing is sure – if every fellow he helped in secret would have joined his funeral procession the other day he would have gone to his grave like an Emperor of old.”
One of the projects that I am working on right now is establishing artist provenance for each piece of scenery at the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, Colorado. This means creating a biography for scenic artists and stage mechanics who manufactured scenery and stage machinery for the Tabor Opera House and Tabor Grand Opera House. When possible, I link a specific creator with an extant artifact. This week, the focus of my search was J. C. Alexander, a well-known stage carpenter in Colorado from 1883-1908. The story of his life and career took shape as I read dozens of articles about his projects in relation to the Tabor Grand Opera House and the Colorado Circuit.
I doubt that H. A. W. Tabor understood much about theatre stages when Tabor Opera House was built in 1879. The architects and contractors failed to include experienced theatre professionals in the early planning; always a crucial and costly mistake. Although Tabor hired a very skilled fresco artist (J. E. Lamphere) and a capable carpenter (Mr. Barber), their stage arrangements failed upon repeated use. This did not mean that Lamphere of Barber were unskilled, they simply did not specialize in scenic illusion, stage machinery and stage transformations.
By 1882, the Tabor Opera House auditorium and stage underwent a pretty substantial rebuild. The roof was lifted up for acoustics and the stage appointments completely redone. Of the stage work, the “Leadville Daily Herald” reported, “there will be a change for the better in regard to scenery, scene shifting and drop curtains. Those ridiculous hitches in scene shifting that have heretofore occurred on one or two occasions will no longer take place. An experienced stage man has been secured in the person of Mr. H. C. Sprague, who has had extensive experience in the east” (August 23, 1882). H. C. Sprague became the stage carpenter for the Tabor Opera House in Leadville, and J. C. Alexander became the stage carpenter for the Tabor Grand Opera House in Denver. Of the two, Alexander became integral in helping mechanically prepare venues for inclusion in the Colorado Circuit.
At some point between 1879 and 1882, Tabor realized that the key to securing touring shows was the backstage appointments. A specific set of stage accommodations attracted touring shows; you can’t put on a successful production without the necessary equipment. Regardless of the extravagance spent on front of house accommodations, it was the backstage area that mattered and attributed to securing popular productions.
Getting class acts to Denver, let alone to Leadville, was expensive. The only way to increase profits was to have the same production tour several venues in the area, or stop on their way to another location. This meant that the traveling costs were divided among the various theaters, reducing the overall expense for each house. Ultimately, western theatrical circuits saved money by sheer volume of venues. Simply offering multiple stops on a tour, however, was not enough to engage a touring company. The stage accommodations had to technically support each show.
For example, when the Grand Central theatre opened in Leadville only a month after the Tabor Opera House, it became quickly apparent that the Grand Central had a far superior stage. The only way for the Tabor Opera House to overcome this deficiency was to connect with a larger metropolitan venue and become part of a circuit – the Tabor circuit. When Denver’s Tabor Grand Opera House opened in 1881, it became the life blood for Tabor’s much smaller venue in Leadville. Without the connection to the Tabor Grand, I doubt that the Tabor opera house would have weathered any of its Leadville competition. Even with featuring the same touring productions as the Tabor Grand, the Tabor opera house had to improve their scenic appointments, hence, the 1882 renovation. The improvements necessitated the involvement of a stage carpenter and scenic artist intimately familiar with the demands of touring companies. Enter Henry E. Burcky, J. C. Alexander and H. C. Sprague. Keep in mind that “stage carpenter” is interchangeable with stage mechanic and stage manager at this time.
After the 1882 renovation of Leadville’s Tabor Opera House, the Tabor Grand Opera House began to hire out the services of their stage carpenter and scenic artist (Burkey and Alexander). This was an attempt to improve regional stages, thus establishing appropriate stops on a western circuit – the Colorado Circuit. In 1885, Alexander and Burcky transformed DeRemer’s rink into the new DeRemer Opera House. One article published in the “Colorado Weekly Chieftain” on Dec. 29, 1885, interviewed Alexander about a possible stage renovation.
John Charles Alexander
The renovation would allow Pueblo to host the same touring shows featured at the Tabor Grand Opera House. There was incentive for both of Tabor’s theaters, as well as the Pueblo community. Here is the 1885 article in its entirety:
“On Sunday, Mr. J. C. Alexander, the stage manager and master mechanic of the Tabor Grand opera house, Denver arrived in the city for the purpose of taking a look at DeRemer’s rink and giving an unbiased opinion as to what could be done towards converting it into an opera house. Mr. Alexander was astonished and greatly pleased at the building, it was so much superior in every way to what he expected to see. The building is both longer and wider than the Tabor Grand, and all it lacks to make room equal to the Tabor Grand auditorium in every way is height. Desiring to get Mr. Alexander’s unbiased opinion regarding the proposed scheme, a Chieftan reporter tackled him yesterday afternoon. We inquired if he thought the rink could be converted into a first class opera house.
“Certainly, sir,” said Mr. Alexander, “It can be converted into an opera house second only to the Tabor Grand in Colorado. I have studied this hall thoroughly that last few hours, and I can tell you it can be made into a splendid theater – a theater where any company visiting Colorado can play and show all of their scenery. “Here,” said he, “you will see we have a working stage of 40×76 feet between walls, with the same width of proscenium opening as the Denver stage. It can be and will be furnished with five sets of working grooves, same as the Tabor, to fold back the fly galleries and give a clear working space in width of 48 feet. We also have a clear working height to the rigging loft of 26 feet, five sets of border lights and the footlights complete the same as we have at the Tabor. To start in with Mr. DeRemer proposes to put in eleven sets of complete scenery, besides a beautiful drop curtain. The eleven sets of scenery, as the house progresses towards completeness, can be painted on the reverse side, thus giving twenty-two sets of beautiful scenery. Here also we will have ample space for scene room, property room and eight dressing rooms. With these improvements any special bit of scenery painted for the production of a special play at the Tabor Grand, will be sent over the Colorado circuit, the completion of this improvement making it possible to set the Tabor scenes at Colorado Springs, Pueblo and Leadville, but Pueblo to the greater advantage that elsewhere on the circuit, because here you will have the largest and best appointed theater on the circuit, and be possessed of every facility to produce attractions as they should be produced. The people of Pueblo will never have such an opportunity to get a good opera house again. I will tell you why. They are only asked to make a temporary loan of $3,000 towards making all these improvements. Now the fact is the improvements contemplated will cost nearer $6,000 than $3,000, yet I understood Mr. DeRemer to say that if the people put up the $3,000 asked for the improvements will be made as contemplated regardless of the extra cost. He further tells me that he will expend every dollar of surplus earnings of the house in making improvements in the building. The fact is that people ought to advance $6,000 at once instead of $3,000.
“How many people can be seated in this building as now planned.” Asked the reporter.
“About 900,” replied Mr. Alexander, “or nearly 200 more than can be seated on the first floor of the Tabor Opera House. The seats will all be elevated and nicely arranged provided the project can be carried out, and there will not be a bad seat in the house. The height of the stage will be three feet ten inches from the floor and everything will be permanent about the stage, it can be dug out underneath after it is started and the pit and traps put in. In the same way the roof can be raised at any time, and these things I am assured will be done as fast as possible. If this scheme goes through the Tabor Grand has agreed to play all its attractions here permanently. That is why I am here and taking such an active interest in the way the work of improvement is to be done.
“Could a building about 130×52 feet be converted into a first class or even possibly good opera house, Mr. Alexander,” inquired the reporter.
“No, sir,” said Mr. Alexander; “it could not, and for the very obvious reason that such a building would lack one of the great things which a theater mush have – and width, What kind of a stage you put within fifty-two feet? What kind of scenery could you put up? Such a structure would be an abortion, so far as using it for theatrical purposes is concerned. The only way to convert a building fifty feet wide into a theater would be to tear down the structure, rebuild it and add about thirty feet more to its width.
Leaving Mr. Alexander the reporter hunted up Mr. J. R. DeRemer and Mr. George M. Haight, to find out what truth, if any, there was in the statement that the improvements to be made in the rink would cost $6,000.
“Yes,” said Mr. Haight, “Mr. Alexander thinks the improvement will cost much but if the people put up the three thousand dollars asked we will make the improvements at once.
“Yes,” said Mr. DeRemer, “and you can just tell the people that whatever Mr. George M. Haight says about this matter goes. He represents me in this matter fully and I will carry out whatever he agrees to do. It is estimated these improvements will cost $6,000, but we have only asked for $3,000, and as soon as that sum is subscribed we will commence this work with a vim. I will say further that every surplus cent of earnings of this house will be used to improve and beautify the structure until Pueblo has a first class opera house. I don’t think I can say any more, It now remains to be seen whether the people want an opera house. The people, however, are asked for but $3,000, as a temporary loan. The only feasible plan to secure an opera house is to make up this $3,000 fund at once. All other propositions are chimerical and impossible. If we can’t raise the sum asked by DeRemer we can’t raise anything for an opera house, but we believe this sum can be raised, and we hope to announce it has been subscribed before the week is out, Of the sum asked there only remains $1,000 to be raised. Now don’t refuse to put your name down when called upon. We can all afford to help this project along liberally and it is our duty as good citizens, with the prosperity of the town in view, to do so cheerfully and promptly.”
On January 7, 1886, the “Colorado Daily Chieftain” announced. “If the people of Pueblo want a first class opera house, let them wait on Mr. J. R. DeRemer or Mr. George M. Haight to-day and subscribe a loan of $525 towards the DeRemer opera house project, and our word for it, work will be commenced tomorrow. It this is not done very few of the Tabor Grand attractions will visit Pueblo in the future.” That almost sounded like a threat, but the money was soon raised and on February 3, 1886, DeRemer’s Opera House opened to the public. The “Colorado Daily Chieftain” reported, “During the past few weeks many people, of course, have visited what was formerly known as the finest skating rink in the west and watched the transformation in progress, but for all that there were few people present at the opening last night who were not surprised and astonished at the beautiful appearance of the interior of the new theaters…the stage is the largest in the state beside the Tabor Grand at Denver. It is furnished with all the scenery paraphernalia required in all first class opera houses. This work has all been done under the personal supervision of Mr. Maynard, assistant stage manager at the Tabor Grand…Pueblo is now accredited with the best equipped and largest opera house outside of Denver and in the state…Pueblo ought to be proud of DeRemer’s opera house; it is a first class place of amusement now, and in time we feel certain it will be excelled by few in style and finish.”
There were many more changes to go, including the raising of the roof to make it three stories high, but the house was open. Once the roof was raised, the seating would be divided into a parquet, dress circle, balcony and gallery.
Tomorrow, I will continue to explore the life and career of John C. Alexander.
The Salt Lake Theatre renovated their stage in 1883, adding a fly loft. Henry C. Tryon left the Tabor Opera House in Denver and traveled south to Utah for this and other projects.
Salt Lake Theatre ticket from 1883. Utah Department of Heritage and Art, Theatre Programs Collection, 1866-1995. https://collections.lib.utah.edu/details?id=549570
On Feb. 2, 1883, the “Deseret News” presented “important interior improvements” at the Salt Lake Theatre. (page 3). The article reported “Everything is being reconstructed in harmony with the latest and best metropolitan ideas. The immense stock of scenery is being duplicated on new materials. There will be painted 45 “pairs of flats,” 172 wings and set doors, 50 “borders” and “set Pieces ad infinitum. The mere matter of canvass alone will cost over $2,000 and the entire expense will be more than sufficient to build an ordinary theatre. A new “rigging loft” is now being built 15 feet higher than the [resent one, and as soon as it is finished the old one will be torn out and the entire height will be great enough to raise the new drop curtain bodily up without rolling. Everyone of the scenes put upon the stage will have a height of 15 feet greater, and apparently the difference will be still more.”
This was a monumental project and the article continued, “In order to arrange the mechanism and thus gain these advantages, much must be done, and in this case, owing to the necessity of rearranging all the girders, beams and supports of the roof, it requires some nice mechanical calculation, which the ordinary observer even would perceive were he to see the work in progress.” Local architect Henry Grow (1817-1891) was selected for the task, and assisted by William Ridd. He was a Latter-day Saint builder and civil engineer, responsible for the Salt Lake Tabernacle.
The managers of the theater were J. T. Caine, H. B. Clawson and David McKenzie. Of the renovation project, the article noted that Mr. Clawson was personally attending to the work. And, here is the interesting paragraphs to read… “Mr. Clawson is personally superintending all this work and, seeing clearly the result ahead, has entered into it with enthusiasm and vim. He is really the motive power in the affair, and it will be found to be only another example of the fact that he does not trouble himself about small matters, but carries important ones to their full and proper conclusion.”
Three month later the “Salt Lake Herald” announced that Tryon “was given carte blanch to follow his own sweet inclinations,” in regard to the scenery and stage machinery renovation on stage (12 May 1883, page 8). From January until May of 1883, Tryon transitioned from freelance scenic artist to the scenic artist on staff at the Salt Lake Theatre. While painting for the nearby Springvale Music Hall, the San Francisco Opera offered Tryon a scenic art position. Tryon shared this offer with the local newspapers, as well as the Salt Lake Theatre. Although Tryon had worked on new scenery for the Salt Lake Theatre since fall 1882, he had no official position at the venue: this changed in early 1883.
On May 12, 1883, the “Salt Lake Herald” reported:
“STAGE EFFECTS.
How the Stage of the Theatre has Been Metaphised.
Since the coming of Mr. Henry C. Tryon, to Salt Lake, the patrons of the theatre have enjoyed a series of the most agreeable and delightful surprises, which have crowded upon each other in rapid succession. These surprises being the many superb scenes from his masterly hand. But one portion, however, of Mr. Tryon’s labor and suggestions have been invisible to the public, until last night., when, the “snap” was given away, and the work which it has taken months to accomplish was displayed to the public. This at once became a matter of general conversation and all expressed their admiration of the marvelous change that had been wrought. A brief description, however, will be of as much interest to the public at large and afford the same pleasure it did to those who were present last night. It may be well to state right here, that this new feature makes the Salt Lake Theatre the equal to any building in the country for the production of scenic effects and magnificent displays.”
And here is the description of the renovation that is worth noting:
“The stage of the theatre in width and depth is one of the largest in the country, but a portion of this great space has heretofore been practically useless, owing to the fly gallery projecting more than was necessary, thus materials cutting off the width of the scenery. At the back of the stage was a wall partition with an opening in the centre and the space in the rear was used as a storage room for the storage of scenery not in use. These partitions have been torn down and the depth on the stage increased by twenty feet.”
“A serious defect under the old arrangement was that fact that fifteen feet in height (immeasurably important in scenic manipulation and effect) was rendered valueless by a plaster ceiling. This desirable space has been entirely lost to the stage and scenic equipment. By cutting out the ceiling referred to, a height of sixty feet from the stage has been obtained, which is not only sufficient to give room in which to take up the drop curtain (to be painted) bodily, without rolling, but affords ample room for any stage purpose whatever. If the audience sat at the theatre last night, who saw the enormous foliage borders which, starting from the tops of the wings, filled up the space visible through the lofty proscenium opening, will consider the height necessary to pull them up and out of sight, they can readily understand the value and necessity of a rigging loft. In building this there were some peculiar mechanical difficulties to overcome, owning to the fact that the roof, in great measure, was supported by beams from the former ceiling. These supports had t be entirely readjusted, and Mr. Henry Grow carried this part of the work to an entirely successful conclusion. To sum up there has been the entire change in the arrangement of everything connected with the stage, the management wisely concluding that everything had been wrong and nothing right; while now there is not a theatre in the land with features of any great importance not possessed by this.
“The same sweeping changes have been made in the scenery have been made and are now being made in the scenery and by the time the management call the house complete, not a foot of old scenery will remain, and the Salt Lake Theatre will be as thoroughly equipped in amount and in artistic quality as any other. The credit for pushing these improvements to so successful an issue is due to General H. B. Clawson, whose instructions to those employed have been to make everything as complete as the most perfect theatre can boast.
Of course we say nothing here of the improvements that are to be effected in the auditorium, as this will be palpable to the public from time to time as they progress. The management of the Theatre is to be complimented no less of the energy and liberality with which it has had the work here referred to prosecuted, than in the choice it has made of the person by whom these improvements have been brought. At the time Mr. Tryon came here the improvements were contemplated and already commenced, but he so thoroughly entered into the idea of the management and showed such consummate knowledge of stage machinery as well as scenic effects, that the task was immediately resigned into his hands and he was given carte blanche to follow his own sweet inclinations. How well Mr. Tryon has acquitted the task assigned him, every patron of the Theatre and every lover of art already knows. Such effects as have already been wrought by his brush have never been seen here, and rarely anywhere else. He is essentially a scenic artist – a genius in his line – an indeed he is an artist in the highest sense of the word, his superior taste and unerring judgement being recognized no less by his associates as the Theatre than by members of the art fraternity of this city. It is not surprisingly therefore, that a man possessing his unusual talents, and having withal so large experience, should be capable of working such rapid changes, that the troupe now performing at the Theatre, which here about three weeks ago – expressed the utmost astonishment at the wonderful alterations that had been effected in the theatre during so brief a period. The delicate taste, the blending of colors, the peculiar character which belongs to each scene and which marks it from every other scene, all give evidence of the master hand and of the thoughtful artist; and cause his handwork to be admired by those who, unlearned in the details of the glorious art, are nevertheless sensible to its beauties, as well as by those cultivated taste and of experience.”
By the time Tryon’s drop curtain was unveiled, his notoriety had increased substantially throughout the western region. His drop curtain for the Salt lake Theatre was pictured in George D, Pyper’s 1937 book, “The Romance of an Old Playhouse.”
Henry C. Tryon’s drop curtain for the Salt Lake Theatre, included in Geo. D. Pyper’s book, “The Romance of an Old Playhouse.”
