Every once in a while, the universe sends you a signal that you are on the right path regardless of recent obstacles. My trip to the St. Louis Scottish Rite theater and library was a success. Several loose ends were tied up for me in terms of both the evolution of Masonic scenery and its future preservation.
As I reached for the last Volland Studio folder in the library during March of 2017, I had a sense of profound relief. For months, I had been working at warp speed and the pace was staring to wear me out. That morning, there had not been a moment to spare, as I needed to quickly return to the conference center for USITT activities. I reached for the final folder labeled “Miscellaneous,” wondering if this might include Shrine or Grotto materials. When I looked at the first photograph, however, time seemed to stop. I just sat there staring at an image. This was a momentous discovery.
Volland scenic artist sketching foreground of camp scene for St. Louis Scottish Rite scenery collection, 1924. Photograph by Waszut-Barrett, March 2017.
I silently regarded this depiction of a Volland scenic artist sketching out a camp scene, the same one created for the Valley of St. Louis in 1924. The caption on the photograph even read, “painting a 32’ x 90’ drop on a 60’ paint frame.” I was too excited to speak for a minute and then called over to the librarian. By now, John was a little immune to my gasps of delight as I paged through dozens of degree production designs. “Here is a picture of a scenic artist working on the camp scene from your collection,” I said. John raised his eyebrows and came over to my table. “Really?” he drawled, “How can you tell?”
St. Louis Scottish Rite camp scene. Photograph by Waszut-Barrett, March 2017.St. Louis Scottish Rite camp backdrop. Photograph by Waszut-Barrett, March 2017.
First of all, I photographed the scene from the same angle. I then pointed to the caption, explaining, “The note at the bottom verifies the same width of ninety feet! This is not a standard size for Masonic scenery.” It was rumored that a special building had been constructed to produce the extremely wide scenery and I had always wondered about the validity of that statement. If a special building had been created for this particular installation, the paint frame would have measured the same size as the drops. During my evaluation, I had not encountered enough scenery to justify the expense of new structure.
Toomey & Volland had built a new studio just prior to producing the St. Louis Scottish Rite scenery and I had recently acquired that image for my files. Six months earlier, I had discovered the Toomey & Volland’s advertisement depicting the construction of their 1922 studio.
This had been one of many unique finds at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas. That entire trip during October of 2016 continued to bear fruit for my own personal research projects.
I now added a photograph of a studio painting portions of a drop at a time. This was a process that I had read about and actually done myself when I had a limited paint area. For the St. Louis collection, it meant painting two-thirds of the drop and then shifting over the entire composition. Having done this for much smaller drops, I knew what a pain this must have been and marveled at the difficulty to shift a scene of that size. The photograph also showed the painting process as the scenic artist was working on the final part of the composition, the foreground.
Photographs of scenic artists painting scenery in studios are common. Finding the corresponding painted scene to accompany the photograph is unusual. What an exciting discovery! Here was one more find that contributed to the rich context surrounding the evolution of Scottish Rite scenery.
My final day at the St. Louis Scottish Rite was spent in their library. The librarian had approached me earlier that week, excitedly describing the many treasures. I knew that my time on the stage was extremely limited as a dance recital was scheduled for the weekend. Friday morning was their final dress rehearsal.
I entered the building that Friday morning and was greeted with a potpourri of glitter, spangles, and Lycra. Beautiful blond cherubs prancing around in tutus gathered at the entrance of the theatre, waiting for their next song. I had to chuckle to myself and wonder if the original membership had any idea that the auditorium would host legions of young girls gyrating to modern musical selections. Ironically, dance recitals and weddings make up the two main rental groups for fraternal theaters nationwide. The subsequent rental income from this type of clientele helps keep the lights on and pays for much needed repairs. Unbeknownst to the performers on the stage, they are all playing a game of Russian roulette as both the rigging systems and historical scenery collections are perilously close to failing and falling onto the stage floor.
No matter how many times I warn fraternal theaters about the dangers posed to those on stage, rentals continue. The scenario of impending doom always makes me feel like I am about to witness a tragedy. Here was Nell tied to the railroad tracks and I hear the whistle of the oncoming locomotive. It is just appearing around the bend and those able to help are distracted by the pretty flowers and scenery, not noticing the tragedy that is about to befall the heroine.
As I passed the souvenir stands and wandered down into in the basement of the St. Louis Scottish Rite Cathedral, I began to wonder what the librarian might consider “treasures.” Nothing could have prepared me for the neat stacks of file folders, all divided by Scottish Rite degrees. Each folder had black and white photographs, sketches, and designs produced by Volland Studios. The librarian explained that Volland Studios had gifted these old files years ago and they had just kept them in a neat little pile, waiting for some “expert” to tell them what to do with the acquisition.
St. Louis Scottish Rite Library, Photo by Waszut-Barrett, March 2017.
Some of the photos depicted the current St. Louis Scottish Rite scenery. Others depicted schematics of set pieces and various props. As at the Harry Ransom Center, I photographed everything that I could lay my hands on. Quickly, I realized that I would never be able to document everything in two hours and I would have to return that afternoon. I had already been approached by the executive secretary about being hired as a guest speaker that fall and knew that I would plan enough time to fully photograph or scan these images.
Volland Studio design for 7th Degree Throne. Photograph by Waszut-Barrett, 2017.Volland Studio rendering of 7th degree throne scene. Photograph by Waszut-Barrett, 2017.Volland Studio stamp on back of all designs and installation photos. Photograph by Waszut-Barrett, 2017.Volland Studio installation photo depicting the 7th Degree Throne. Photograph by Waszut-Barrett, 2017.
Paging through the contents of each degree, I immediately identified designs from other collections that I had recently evaluated and entered into my Scottish Rite scenery databases. With this set of designs, I could now cross-reference Sosman & Landis, New York Studios, Great Western Stage Equipment Company, Becker Bros. Studio and Volland Studios. It was almost too exciting to contemplate.
As new designs were created for the Fort Scott collection and fully included in Moses’ 1931 model, so too did Volland create several new designs for the Valley of St. Louis. I noticed that for both the 1924 Fort Scott and St. Louis designs, the foreground objects dominate the composition and take on a “larger than life” appearance. For example, the Fort Scott columns from the 15th degree ruins were massive – dwarfing any actor that might stand next to the painted detail. Similarly, the wood leg and cut drops in St. Louis reminded me of the redwood forests. The tree trunks of the drops were easily six feet wide!
Volland Studio installation photo of wood scene for St. Louis Scottish Rite. This scene no longer lowers to the stage. I was only able to evaluate a few leg drops during March 2017. Photograph by Waszut-Barrett.Painted detail of wood scene (leg drop) at the St. Louis Scottish Rite stage. Photograph by Waszut-Barrett, 2017.Painted detail of wood scene (leg drop) at the St. Louis Scottish Rite stage. Photograph by Waszut-Barrett, 2017.Painted detail of wood scene (leg drop) at the St. Louis Scottish Rite stage. Photograph by Waszut-Barrett, 2017.15th Degree ruins cut drops from the Fort Scott Scottish Rite scenery collection. Photograph taken onsite by Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.15th Degree ruins cut drops from the Fort Scott Scottish Rite scenery collection. Photograph taken onsite by Waszut-Barrett, November 2015.
I thought back to some of the earliest painted illusions for the stage. The incredible depth suggested on a relatively shallow stage was magical. The feeling of awe that I experienced in St. Louis was magical. I had seen hundreds of painted scenes in Masonic theatre across the country, but the designs for Fort Scott and St. Louis were the next step in the evolution of Scottish Rite stage design.
The St. Louis Scottish Rite scenery collection provided a wonderful context for the Fort Scott acquisition, both then and now. They both followed the same pattern of growth during the early twentieth century. Sosman & Landis Studio created the 1904 scenery for Fort Scott, Kansas. Similarly, Toomey & Volland created the 1902 scenery for St. Louis, Missouri. Artists from these same studios replaced the original collections with much larger versions in 1924.
It is interesting to examine the Toomey & Volland Studio, as it evolved from an earlier scenic art partnership called Noxon & Toomey.
The scenic studio of Noxon & Toomey appeared in St. Louis during 1869 – almost a decade before Sosman & Landis in Chicago. Founded by Thomas C. Noxon and Patrick Joseph Toomey, the studio’s name changed from Noxon & Toomey to Toomey & Volland by 1902. This was the same year that the Valley of St. Louis installed a new scenery collection in their Scottish Rite Cathedral. The “Volland” part of the company was Hugo R. Volland, a 32nd degree Mason who was one of two stage managers for degree productions at the Valley of St. Louis.
A page from the 1902 St. Louis Scottish Rite Reunion Program noting Volland’s participation as stage manager. Collection of Waszut-Barrett.
St. Louis’ first official Scottish Rite building was a residential building purchased during June of 1886. As membership dramatically increased from 86 in 1890 to 306 in 1900, the Valley of St. Louis began to consider constructing a stage to produce degree productions. They selected the Second Presbyterian Church and extensively converted this structure between June 1900 and January 1902. Enlarging the church’s original seating capacity by fifty percent, the space was retrofitted with an elevated stage containing an elaborate set of scenery from Toomey & Volland Studios. The 1902 reunion program photographs depicted numerous degree settings and credits Toomey & Volland Scenic Co. for the work.
The cover of the St. Louis Scottish Rite Reunion Program. Collection of Waszut-Barrett.
Depiction of the 21st Degree in the 1902 St. Louis Scottish Rite Souvenir Reunion Program. Collection of Waszut-Barrett.Depiction of the 16th Degree in the 1902 St. Louis Scottish Rite Souvenir Reunion Program. Collection of Waszut-Barrett.Depiction of the 15th Degree in the 1902 St. Louis Scottish Rite Souvenir Reunion Program. Collection of Waszut-Barrett.
An insert in the souvenir program notes the Toomey & Volland contributions:
“All scenery, stage properties and lighting effects used in the Scottish Rite Cathedral at St. Louis, were specially designed for the purpose and constructed at our Studio No. 2312-14 16 Market Street St. Louis, Missouri. There are 40 complete settings, consisting of 90 drops, innumerable set pieces, etc., all of which, we think, we can truthfully say, are historically correct, and for beauty, originality and richness of color are not surpassed in this country.
Insert in 1902 Souvenir Reunion Program for the St. Louis Scottish Rite. Collection of Waszut-Barrett.
I was able to identify some of this original 1902 scenery during the March 2017 evaluation. The Valley of St. Louis had kept portions of the original collection with the intention of future expansion!
Masonic affiliation between the scenic studio and the Valley of St. Louis originated with the firm’s first president and senior partner, Thomas C. Noxon. Noxon was not only a Scottish Rite Mason, but also a charter member for the Benevolent and Protected Order of Elks. He moved to St. Louis in 1845 and worked as both a scenic artist and a decorative painter. By 1869, he joined forces with Patrick Joseph Toomey to establish the Noxon & Toomey Painting Studio. Noxon managed the scenic studio from approximately 1869 until 1896. Although his partner Toomey had no affiliation with Freemasonry, Noxon’s successor, Hugo R. Volland, was also a Mason.
Volland, the studio’s third president, was integral in supporting degree productions at the Valley of St. Louis. Migrating from Grossbremback, Germany, he initially worked for his brother Otto, but later found work with Noxon & Toomey as the company’s secretary. Rapidly rising through the company’s ranks, it was his Masonic affiliation as a Scottish Rite stage manager for degree productions that secured the contract for the new Cathedral’s stage scenery. The scenic studio’s relationship with the Scottish Rite in St. Louis flourished as Volland eventually supervised all degree productions. To honor Volland’s theatrical contributions, the 1922 class was named the “Volland Class.”
Two years later in 1924, Volland Studio produced the 90’ wide scenery for the new stage, all constructed with wooden battens and spaced 2” apart on center in an elaborate counterweight rigging system.
“Pack up the Luggage, La, La, La. Unpack the luggage, la, la, la. Pack up the luggage, la, la, la. Hi, ho, the glamorous life!”
I was on the road again! The “glamorous life” aspect was debatable. While driving to St. Louis for the United States Institute of Theatre Technology (USITT) convention during March 2017, my favorite musical selections were all from “A Little Night Music.” This trip was another escape from the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center fiasco. Seeing the now irreparably damaged drops at the Ives theater urged me to try and save other collections since the fate of the Fort Scott scenery was no longer in my hands. I could now focus on the future of other collections.
Several months prior to my departure, I had contacted the executive secretary of the St. Louis Valley to schedule an appointment. Visiting a Scottish Rite theater while attending USITT had become my standard practice. It all started in 2009 when USITT was held in Cincinnati, Ohio. I had visited the Scottish Rite and York Rite theaters that were just down the street from the convention center to finish some research for my dissertation. That year, one of my return trips to the Scottish Rite theater I even included Bob Moody. He was the scenic artist responsible for this third generation of Scottish Masonic scenery in the building. When the scenery was painted, he had been in the employ of Volland Studio and was testing his newly acquired scenic art skills. He chuckled as he looked back at his early work. There was a lot of spatter everywhere!
Cincinnati, Ohio, Scottish Rite Cathedral. Third generation of scenery for the Valley of Cincinnati.
When the conference returned to Cincinnati in 2015, I took another visitor to the Scottish Rite theater -Rick Boychuk. We ascended high above the stage and looked at the rigging installation in detail. This system also had an identification tag as in Winona, Minnesota. The label credited the manufacture and installation of the rigging to the same company that produced the scenery – Volland. For the next few years, I brought as many people to Scottish Rite theaters as possible. There is nothing that compares to seeing the scenery properly lit and in the original venue.
Crawling above the stage in St. Louis to look at the rigging system.
Now I was traveling to St. Louis and excited to see a collection produced in the same era as the Fort Scott scenery. Again, this was a Volland collection as Hugo Volland was a Scottish Rite member. Remember, by the 1920s, Volland Studio had replaced Sosman & Landis Studio as the leading manufacturer of Southern Jurisdiction scenery. This was nearing the peak of Volland productivity.
On the morning of March 7, 2017, I left Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and the Theatre Museum of Repertoire Americana behind, driving toward St. Louis. As scheduled, I parked in the ramp next to the skyway behind the Scottish Rite Cathedral by 9:50 AM. I wound my way to the executive offices and located Bret Akers. He was extremely excited for me to evaluate their collection as the Valley of St. Louis was at a crossroads. As with many other Scottish Rite theaters across the country, St. Louis was trying to juggle the increased expenses of deferred maintenance issues and decreased income from plummeting membership.
Scottish Rite Cathedral in St. Louis, Missouri.Masonic Temple in St. Louis, Missouri on same block at the ScottishRite cathedral (to the immediate right).
In 1924, the Scottish Rite bodies in St. Louis, Missouri had moved into their newly constructed home that had cost in excess of two million dollars. One door down on the same the street was an even more impressive edifice – the Masonic Temple. The two buildings were a testament to the rapid expansion of the Fraternity and income generated from candidate classes with hundreds of members. The Scottish Rite auditorium was 165 feet wide and 130 feet long, seating approximately 3000 Masons. The Proscenium opening was 96 feet wide. Some degree productions necessitated a cast of 450 actors. They sometimes called in the help of the Shrine.
One door leading into the Scottish Rite theater in St. Louis, Missouri.Floor plan for the theater in St. Louis, Missouri.Scottish Rite theater in St. Louis, Missouri that seat over 3000 Masons.View from the balcony in at the St. Louis Scottish Rite Cathedral.
For the next four days, I painstakingly examined the rigging system and all of the scenery. Each day, I invited a variety of scenic artists from across the country to share the experience. Who knows when they would have this opportunity again.
“Bring up the curtain, la, la, la
Bring down the curtain, la, la, la
Bring up the curtain, la, la, la
Hi, ho, the glamorous life”
To be continued…
The cathedral scene at the St. Louis Scottish Rite Cathedral.Painted detail from the cathedral scene at the St. Louis Scottish Rite cathedral.
They Say it’s Only a Paper Moon Hanging Over a Muslin Sea
Why was the Fort Scott scenery collection viewed as mere backings for performances and not as an art form with cultural value? Are Scottish Rite scenery collections just “old backdrops” or “large-scale works of art produced by nationally recognized artists?” This question was my incentive to tell my story about the Fort Scott scenery collection. Scottish Rite drops are historically significant artifacts that demand proper conservation, handling, and display.
Painted detail from Wichita Scottish Rite. Photograph by Waszut-Barrett, 2009.
It is apparent that the Minnesota Masonic Charities CEO and the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center general director have repeatedly devalued the Fort Scott collection, suggesting that they are merely backings to be enjoyed in the here and now; that they have not been preserved as a legacy for future generations to enjoy – just this generation.
Painted detail from Austin Scottish Rite. Photograph by Waszut-Barrett, 2016.
On May 5, the online article author noted that the restoration team did not treat the scenery as museum “artifacts.” Their restoration process primarily focused on a final outcome that allowed each drop to be immediately “hung and enjoyed.” In other words, this justifies the removal of wooden battens, the alteration of the drops, and the use of inappropriate materials such as hot melt glue during restoration. The use of wooden battens not only serves a practical function to remove the surface wrinkles, but also is a recognized part of Scottish Rite heritage. The collection now imitates modern scenery collections and has lost much of its heritage other than the painted surfaces.
Painted detail from Milwaukee Scottish Rite. Photograph by Waszut-Barrett.
What I find deeply troubling is that the author implies that the restoration team avoided a preservation approach reserved for museum artifacts when handling the scenes, as that would be a detriment to the overall use of the collection. Why? The acquisition for the Ives Theater was intended to be an extension of the Ladd museum. Why should the drops receive any less care than a Shriner’s Fez in the museum? I suggest that this is a defense for not hiring professionals who would know how to properly preserve the collection and consequently damaged the drops.
It is possible that the leadership of Minnesota Masonic Charities and the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center fails to realize the significance of their acquisition or that they are now stewards of a large-scale art collection created by the nationally recognized artist Thomas Gibbs Moses. Unless the Freemasons and the general public understand the national and international significance of the Fort Scott collection, it will forever remain known as the old backdrops that were purchased from Fort Scott, quickly hung to enjoy, used without supervision by rental groups, and slowly destroyed.
Proper conservation and handling still allows you to use and enjoy historical scenery. The May 5 article is a defense against the accusations in my blog concerning their use of hot melt glue on historically significant artifacts by a team of amateurs. That restoration team, whom the author hails as experts who “ensured the absolute integrity of the project,” neither restored each scene to its original beauty nor extended its lifespan.
Painted detail from Austin Scottish Rite. Photograph by Waszut-Barrett, 2016.
This collection was purchased as a museum acquisition for a heritage center, unlike other Scottish Rite collections across the country that were solely purchased for private use by the membership. Any other continuing attempt to devalue the painted scenes is a discredit to the Fraternity.
The devaluation of historical scenery at one theater can affect the understanding and appreciation of others. At the same time we were planning the future of the Fort Scott collection in the Ives Auditorium, the City of Winona was also planning for the future for their Masonic collection.
Vintage postcard of Winona Masonic Temple.
During the summer of 2014, Paul Sannerud and I had put the entire Winona scenery collection to bed over the course of two action-packed weeks. Under the City’s watch, the collection had suffered extensive water damage from a leaking roof. To facilitate repairing the roof and restoration of the theater, Sannerud and I were hired to remove and place all of the drops into a custom-designed storage unit. This would protect the scenery during the renovation. Here is the link to images of the drops from my 2010 evaluation so you can see the collection in its entirety: https://www.cityofwinona.com/…/Historic-Masonic-Theater-Bac…
Paul Sannerud lowering the lines at the Winona Masonic theater, July 2014.Waszut-Barrett as guest speaker before all of the drops are removed and placed into storage at the Winona Masonic. 2014.Last public viewing of the collection before it was placed in storage during 2014. Here is Waszut-Barrett as guest speaker at the event in the Winona Masonic. 2014.
An individual representing the City of Winona contacted the general director of the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center during the fall of 2015 to discuss the significance and value of the Winona Scottish Rite scenery collection. Remember, at this time I was the Curatorial Director for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. The general director chose to not include me in the discussion concerning the Winona scenery collection and I was unaware of the conversation until he casually mentioned it a few weeks later.
I was finishing a meeting and packing up my notes when the general director made an offhanded comment about the City of Winona needing to find a home for their scenery collection or they were going to throw it away. My surprise changed to dismay and then smoldering anger as he explained his conversation with the individual from Winona. The general director described how he said that there was no market value for the historical scenery at all and the entire collection was simply a “cookie cutter collection” that had been replicated all over the United States. I immediately asked, “Who did you speak with from the City of Winona? Was it Chad Ubl? That’s who handles the management of the Masonic theatre and I’m surprised to believe that they would throw something out that they spent money on to store.” The only name that the general director could remember was “Mike.”
I decided to do a little checking before I tackled any problem, still reeling from the fact that I had not been included in a discussion about a local historical scenery collection. So I called the Sanneruds (Paul Sannerud and Peggy Nelson Sannerud) to see what was going on in Winona. The news of recent events was disheartening and I wondered how much the general director had devalued the Winona collection. I inquired if Ubl had been replaced by a gentleman named “Mike.” Sannerud explained that Ubl was still in the employ of the City, but there was a new plan for the Masonic Theater.
A potential investor, Mike Slaggie of Hurry Back Productions, had entered the picture. An unknown persona at the time, he would forever alter the future of Winona Masonic Theater and their scenery collection. Slaggie planned on making a significant investment in the restoration of the Masonic building as he envisioned it as a future multipurpose arts venue. His vision to restore the building, however, did not include all of the scenery and suggested that preserving the entire scenery collection would be detrimental to the endeavor. He saw a theatre museum as a liability to the overall success of this venture.
Here is a brief summary of why the Winona scenery collection is important on the world stage. The Winona Masonic Center was primarily placed on the National Register because of its scenery collection. Both Lance Brockman and Charlie Nelson (same man for whom the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center library is named) had made a concerted effort to outline the cultural heritage stored high above the stage. I believe that it is the most complete Masonic collection produced by Sosman & Landis Studio of Chicago.
This 1909 collection includes stage settings for Symbolic Lodge (Blue Lodge), York Rite, Shrine, and Scottish Rite degree productions. The designs for the auditorium interior are still available and contained in the Performing Arts Archives at the University of Minnesota. Additionally, many of the drop designs are also available in the online scenery collection database in the University of Minnesota Libraries (http://umedia.lib.umn.edu/scenicsearch). In other words, there is artistic provenance for the scenery collection. Some of the wooden counterweight frames (arbors) also have original manufacturer tags from Sosman & Landis – the first that I have encountered to date. Rick Boychuk (author of “Nobody Looks Up: the History of the Counterweight Rigging Systems”) could elaborate on the international significance of this particular counterweight rigging system too. Most importantly, I have recently been able to document the earliest use of Masonic scenery in the Southern Jurisdiction to Winona, Minnesota. This was an extremely significant collection that should be preserved in its entirety for future generations and not auctioned off piece-meal. The assessment and comments made by the general director were dead wrong and I believe contributed to the demise of this significant collection.
Waszut-Barrett’s 2010 scenery evaluation as the City of Winona began considering the future of this collection.
The Winona incident made me wonder why the general director was going out of his way to devalue historical scenery. Did he not realize that his actions – as a representative of a Heritage Center – had a lasting impact on the future preservation of other fraternal artifacts?
What might have been the outcome if the general director of the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center had forwarded on the Winona inquiry to the staff member who was hired on in part for her specialization in Masonic scenery?
My article in DIE VIERTE WAND #007 is now available to read online!
This is a publication produced by the Initiative TheaterMuseum Berlin. I am very proud to be part of this international theatre community and very appreciative of the friendships that I made last summer while traveling in Europe. My article is titled “Staging the Scottish Rite: Degree Productions of Freemasonry.” I have included a few images from the publication as an incentive to visit their site. Articles are in German or
English and all are available online.
The recent Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center article notes, “To accommodate the size of the [Fort Scott] collection—numbering more than 70 drops—the Auditorium’s stage depth was extended by 10 feet and proprietary rigging developed to hang and store the scenes.” It also explains that the Fort Scott scenery collection was acquired during the planning of the Ives theatre, posting “As plans shaped for the Auditorium’s design, the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center acquired a large collection of hand-painted Scottish Rite theatre drops that were made available from the sale of the Valley of Fort Scott Scottish Rite building in Kansas.” Both of these statements are incorrect. The plans for the theater and stage were finalized long before Fort Scott was even in the picture. The story needs to be told about how the stage almost ended up in the corner of a room without any space to stage Scottish Rite degrees.
The original 2014 design for the Ives auditorium placed the stage in the corner of a square room; it was not designed like a standard performance venue. This was an understandable oversight as the architectural firm specialized in elder care facilities and not theater spaces. The architects were initially brought on to evaluate and possibly repurpose an existing structure at the Minnesota Masonic Home for a heritage center. As plans changed and the need for new construction became evident, the original architectural firm was retainedeven though they had no previous experience with this type of venue.
I was contacted during July 2014 by Mark Campbell to possibly join the planning team as a theatre consultant for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center project. I explained that the project needed theatre consultants that specialized in the new construction of performance spaces, recommending Michael DiBlasi of Schuler Shook. DiBlasi and I had attended two League of Historic American Theatres conferences earlier that year in Chicago and New York City. Schuler Shook and my company, Bella Scena, LLC, were Allied Service Providers for LHAT and we were both currently involved in two historical theater restoration projects: the SOKOL Hall in St. Paul and the Masonic Theatre in Winona, Minnesota. I scheduled a meeting with Campbell to introduce him to DiBlasi at the Minneapolis Scottish Rite. It was during this meeting that Campbell showed us the designs for the proposed auditorium and I voiced concern about the architects placing the stage in the corner of a room.
Schuler Shook was hired for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center planning and reconfigured the architect’s existing theater design. Soon after, I was also hired on August 1, 2014 as the project’s historical consultant. During this time, I attended all planning meetings with the architects, theatre consultants, interior designers, museum team, and others to provide source material and resources for a variety of projects. By October 2014, I realized that the small Ives stage would never accommodate degree work in the manner that either Minneapolis or St. Paul Scottish Rite Masons were accustomed to. I expressed concern about the limited number of lines that was currently proposed as it only included space for twelve drops.
It was at this point that I recommended replicating a rigging system that would mimic the line spacing in other Scottish Rite theaters across the country – one that did not use mechanized lines but remained a simple counterweight system. During the fall of 2014, I sought the counsel of both Rick Boychuk and Paul Sannerud to make sure that a safe system could be designed and I was not speaking out of turn. Obviously, it needed to be a system that would adhere to all current safety regulations.
After consulting with Rick Boychuk and Paul Sannerud, these were my notes for the meeting with Schuler Shook to recommend replicating a historic rigging system.
Dan Culhane of SECOA was the designer for what the article refers to as “proprietary rigging.” His design was proposed by Schuler Shook for the Ives stage and accepted by the CEO. But the stage still wasn’t big enough to perform all of the Scottish Rite’s twenty-nine degrees. But how much bigger did the stage need to be as there was no collection to base the final size on?
Working drawings to identify the placement of and anticipated, but unidentified, collection in the Ives auditorium. This is where the extension is noted as this space was still too small to stage all of the Scottish Rite degrees.
The CEO directed me to come up with the necessary number of lines needed for a standard Scottish Rite scenery collection. I proposed that hanging seventy drops could stage all twenty-nine degrees and submitted the ideal compositions. The stage was extended ten feet. I then organized an anticipated, but unidentified, historical scenery collection so that the specifications could be provided to our theatre consultants and the rigging design finalized. This plan also took into consideration four empty lines that could accommodate scenery for rental groups – something that I was extremely hesitant to include for fear of damaging scenes on neighboring lines. Remember, there was still no inkling of what historical scenery collection would hang above the Ives stage. Fort Scott was not even on the radar.
The fist scenery order that I proposed for an unidentified collection, based on historical research and years of working with Scottish Rite scenery. This is before Fort Scott was even on our radar. Page 1.The fist scenery order that I proposed for an unidentified collection, based on historical research and years of working with Scottish Rite scenery. This is before Fort Scott was even on our radar. Page 2.
My number of seventy lines was derived from looking at the combined collections of Minneapolis and St. Paul as the CEO explained that they would soon fold. But could we time their closing with the installation of the necessary scenery for the opening? After all, St. Paul was a perfect candidate as the collection was already restored, having completed the work myself in 2002. Steve Johnson was going to work on urging the Valley to relocate. I also took into account the possible inclusion of Scottish Rite scenes from Duluth and Winona. My focus was preserving Minnesota Masonic heritage as that was my initial directive and not a nationwide search for another acquisition.
It is important to recall that the CEO had explained that two Scottish Rite Valleys in Minneapolis and St. Paul would merge and meet in the new Heritage Center. However, he also suggested that the Scottish Rite in Duluth might fold due to poor management and the financial difficulties with the Speech Clinic. Therefore, I was creating a compilation of three collections that would be used for future degree work. I was also taking Winona into consideration, even though the City still owned the Masonic drops, as I had just put the collection into storage that summer. In 2014, I sincerely believed that many of the Masonic drops would never see the light of day on the Winona stage. In hindsight, I was correct, as the City of Winona recently announced their plan to auction off all but ten drops from their collection.
During the fall of 2014, the architects and theatre consultants also missed another crucial aspect of staging Scottish Rite degree work – the necessary floor space in front of the proscenium. During one meeting, I brought up this aspect and immediately an additional funding was approved for two rows of removable auditorium seats and a collapsible stage apron.
This shows the stage apron that was added after I observed that there was not enough space for floor work during Scottish Rite degrees.
I have to wonder why no one remembers any of this institutional history, or do they?
To be continued…
One of many power point presentations that I created designs and artwork to discuss during Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center task force and board meetings. Here is an example from December 10, 2014. Waszut-Barrett.One of many models that I created during Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center task force and board meetings. Here is an example of the Ives theater. Waszut-Barrett.The Ives Theater model presented during Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center task force and board meetings. This was to show how historical scenery collections looked and functioned. Waszut-Barrett.One of many power point presentations that I created designs and artwork to discuss during Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center task force and board meetings. Here are examples of painted front curtains for the Ives Auditorium. Waszut-Barrett.One of many power point presentations that I created designs and artwork to discuss during Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center task force and board meetings. Here are examples of color schemes and styles for the Ives Auditorium. Waszut-Barrett.One of many power point presentations that I created designs and artwork to discuss during Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center task force and board meetings. Here are examples of color schemes and styles for the Ives Auditorium. Waszut-Barrett.One of many power point presentations that I created designs and artwork to discuss during Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center task force and board meetings. Here are examples of color schemes and styles for the Ives Auditorium. Waszut-Barrett.
The Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center “Behind the Scenes” article notes that the restoration crew spent hours organizing the Fort Scott scenery prior to restoring and installing the scenes. Eighteen months earlier, I had already completed the organization of the Fort Scott collection, determining the necessary alterations and creating a book that outlined my plans for the impending restoration and installation. The online article now credits all of this work to Kimber Lawler and Mia Schillace-Nelson in the article section, “Trimming.”
The article’s author writes,
“The team first lays out each scene in its original configuration – one on top of the other – to find the best line for trimming the drops to fit the Ives stage and rigging system. Trimming work is slow and meticulous so that the scene remains in proportion and hangs properly.”
First, I will clarify what “trimming” means to those unversed in technical theatre jargon. A set is “trimmed” when it has been placed in the desired position within the performance area. The online article misleads the reader, crediting Lawler and Schillace-Nelson with the difficult task of determining the Fort Scott scenery order for the Ives Theater.
I determined the placement of each Fort Scott drop for the Ives stage during December 2015. This information was published in a book that I distributed to the Minnesota Masonic Charities staff, the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center staff, and the theatre consulting firm in January 2016. I then shared my personal copy with the Grand Lodge Secretary so that he could peruse our great find after realizing that he was unfamiliar with my work.
A page from the Fort Scott scenery books that shows the new organization of scenery for the Ives theatre. Created by Waszut-Barrett in December 2015 and distributed to Minnesota Masonic Charities and Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center staff members in January 2016.A page from the Fort Scott scenery books that shows the new organization of scenery for the Ives theatre. Created by Waszut-Barrett in December 2015 and distributed to Minnesota Masonic Charities and Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center staff members in January 2016.A page from the Fort Scott scenery books that shows the new organization of scenery for the Ives theatre. Created by Waszut-Barrett in December 2015 and distributed to Minnesota Masonic Charities and Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center staff members in January 2016.
I also created other documents pertaining to the collection for future use in constructing the restoration timeline, ordering necessary materials, and planning alterations for each drop. These secondary documents included information requested by our theatre consulting firm, such as specific drop order and my estimated weight load for each line to order the necessary counterweights. The continued use of information from my documents was even noted by the MMHC general director during communications with Singers in Accord Concert representatives when he stated, “Don’t worry, we’re still using Wendy’s drop order!”
To understand the overall absurdity of what is presented in the online article, one must understand the process necessary to alter and install a Scottish Rite collection created for a different Masonic venue. The process is much more than laying out one drop on top of another to plan the placement of used scenery in a new venue as the online article suggests.
Each drop in a scene needs to be individually lit as it was for the original venue, or great shadows will be cast on the upstage drops (those farthest away from the audience). The theatre consultant and I closely worked out the initial placement of drops and lights within the new rigging system designed by Dan Culhane, current president of USITT, during December 2014 – well before we acquired an historical scenery collection. Our final 2015 plans took into account the complete lighting of each drop in every painted scene. Ideally, portable strip lights would light the lower portion of each scene too.
The December 2014 organization of an anticipated historical scenery collection with a new version of a Scottish Rite rigging system. Almost all Scottish Rite theaters have rigging systems with lines on 2″-4″ centers. Dan Culhane designed a new system to replicate an old system of dedicated lines in a traditional counterweight system.
There was a second consideration for the organization of the Fort Scott collection as it was primarily purchased for Masonic degree work. Degree work takes place on both the stage and the auditorium floor. Each degree requires a certain amount of stage depth and not all productions are consistent. You have to understand what each degree requires to anticipate the necessary floor work and stage work. Remember, as the CEO repeatedly explained to his team that both of the Scottish Rite Valleys would leave their current homes, combine to form one Valley, and rent space in the Ives auditorium for their degrees. This is also why the apron of the stage can be lowered to floor level and the first two rows of auditorium seating removed – to accommodate degree work.
A page from the Fort Scott scenery books that shows the cathedral scene with corresponding drops. Created by Waszut-Barrett in December 2015 and distributed to Minnesota Masonic Charities and Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center staff members in January 2016.
I was familiar with the degree work for both the Minneapolis and St. Paul Valleys and determined what scenes to use and where to place each scene in the Ives theatre. Although the scenery was coming from another Southern Jurisdiction Scottish Rite Valley, there are numerous regional discrepancies that need to be taken into account in the selection and placement of individual compositions. For me, this was the most difficult task in re-configuring the drop collection for a new space. Additionally, the project drew on years of independent research pertaining to the theatrical interpretation of Scottish Rite degrees and the recent ritual revisions.
The December 2014 organization of an anticipated historical scenery collection with a new version of a Scottish Rite rigging system. Almost all Scottish Rite theaters have rigging systems with lines on 2″-4″ centers. Dan Culhane designed a new system to replicate and old system of dedicated lines in a traditional counterweight system.
If the current restoration crew did all of this same work again, Minnesota Freemasons paid for the same work twice.
There is another aspect to consider, one that looks at the bigger picture and identifies those who take credit for another’s work or erase the contributions of others. Unfortunately, Minnesota Masonic Charities and the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center have recently fallen into the pattern of misleading the public, specifically misrepresenting the contributions of those who were involved with the planning and construction of this center.
I believe that this pattern of behavior will cause the general public to not trust the intentions or statements of the Fraternity. It could also have an affect on all other Masonic activities, especially charitable contributions in the future. If an organization perpetuates falsehoods about something as simple as scholarly contributions, are they truthful about their financial disclosures?
If this solely concerned my work, I might consider it a personal vendetta against me. However, the contributions of other nationally recognized experts have now been erased from the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center’s institutional history. One example is the written contributions for the Ladd Museum produced by Arturo de Hoyos, Grand Archivist and Historian of the Supreme Council in Washington D.C. Many of his original writings are now attributed to a Minnesota Masonic Charities staff member who is listed as the sole museum exhibit writer (see past installment 52).
Why is De Hoyos not credited for his contributions? Why am I not credited for my contributions? Why take such pains to hide the truth regarding who did the work? This practice appears to be the antithesis of Masonic principles, yet it continues without any reprimand or oversight.
There is something magical and terrifying about having a digital wake in the Internet stream. People can track your entire life’s journey from birth to death, especially since Social Media has spiraled out of control. We see both accomplishments and failures of most individuals. For the historian, the genealogist, the scholar, and others, this scenario is a dream come true. Scanned newspaper articles and many other publications facilitate my research concerning paint companies, theatre productions, and Masonic activities from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
I am able to track scenic artists in census records, immigration documents, birth certificates, public announcements, and more. Every month, more and more information is uploaded and individuals are pushed into a river of data that will slowly swirl downstream into a permanent lake of documentation.
I have always been very aware of my online identity and knew it could not be easily erased. Be careful of what you say, as there is always a line of people ready to point out the falsehood that you shouted from your Facebook soapbox. Every once in a while, I search my own name, as I am curious to see what pops up. Am I leaving a good wake behind me? I honestly want my digital contribution to be something that I am extremely proud of in the coming decades.
In a Google search for “Waszut-Barrett,” all of my scenery restorations immediately pop up for all to see. They are found in the form of Masonic publications, websites, newspaper articles, and a plethora of other public forums. If you do scenery restoration, you can’t hide your work, whether it is good or bad.
For those of us who specialize in scenery restoration, we understand one thing: people find it fascinating, especially the press. The individual or venue that hires someone to restore their painted scenery always wants good media coverage. It supports their cause and spurs community support. There has not been a single restoration project on which I worked where a reporter didn’t show up within the first week.
Just think about this digital wake as I wind back to the May 5, 2017 Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center website article that presented their current restoration team.
The article states, “Lead Scenic Artist, Kimberly L. Lawler, was brought in to assess, stabilize, repair and install the collection. Her 30 years of experience creating and restoring theatre sets and scenes ensured the absolute integrity of the project.”
Botched restoration at Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center due to application of hot melt glue that irreparably damaged the scenery. These are the two that lead the project.
Where is the digital wake validating 30 years experience restoring scenery?
