Scottish Rite Scenery – Page 24

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 36.

The Proposal

The CEO proposed that I hang the unrestored drops in the MMHC theatre, later remove the unrestored drops for restoration, restore the drops off site, and then hang the restored drops. This was simply ludicrous. I explained that this proposal would take it’s toll on each painting, as well as double the amount of necessary labor for restoration. His primary motivation was that the three scenery storage units that housed the Fort Scott collection were costing over $14,000 each year. His proposal was part of our continued discussion surrounding the query, “Why can’t we just hang the drops unrestored?”

I continued to detail the damage that would occur due to excessive handling. Every time a drop was handled, it would suffer from some form of deterioration. That was one of the reasons that I always completed restorations onsite. You see, after cleaning and stabilization the drop would still need to be rolled, encapsulated, and transported back to the MMHC theatre if it were restored off site. As previously explained, the fabric was not like a stiff sheet of linoleum when it was rolled for transport, wrinkles would occur during the rolling. If wrinkles were rolled into the tube, the restored painting would crack and show an unsightly flaw once hung.

Also, there were some areas that needed to be reinforced, cut openings that demanded new fabric, and some compositions that would be slightly altered to fit the MMHC proscenium opening. Excessive handling was also another one of the other reasons that I recommend against sewing anything onto historic drops as it rapidly destroyed the painted composition. Everything takes a beating and needs much more touch-up once hung in the space.

Finally, many of the unrestored scenes could not be hung immediately as they were missing the fabric on cut centers. This had been removed due to excessive filth prior to shipping. They simply couldn’t be hung unrestored without new netting or bobbinet, as the drops would sag.

Also, the tops and the bottoms of each drop needed to have a reinforced layer so that the edges of the wooden battens would not “rip” the old fabric over time. The weak spots on every drop are just above the bottom batten and just below the top batten. The edges of the wood can wear through fabric. Even if the fabric appears in excellent condition it will eventually fail.

In restoration, my current operating procedure is to reinforce the back sides of all the battened areas as a form of “preventative care,” adding a few additional decades to the longevity of each painted scene. This procedure also needs to happen if EVER a pipe pocket is attached, or a weakness is introduced into the fabric and that section WILL fail overtime.

As previously discussed, each drop needed to be stabilized to prevent dusting pigment too, thus causing a health hazard. Drops were “stabilized” with a diluted hide glue mixture “made to order” for each drop. I would heat up the granulated hide glue until it turned into thick syrup, with a consistency similar to a corn syrup. Then I added water to this syrup prior to spraying a thin application on the painted surface.

Granulated hide glue. Water is added to this and heated, forming a thick liquid that is diluted for spraying on drops during stabilization or mixed with dry pigment for touch-up.

Spraying diluted hide glue on cleaned drops during restoration.

You want it as thin as possible for the finish to remain matte and the fabric flexible. If, for some reason, the stabilizing spray was too strong – meaning there was too much glue in the mixture – the painted surface would show a slight sheen and reflect stage lights, enhancing any subsequent wrinkles. In this particular scenario with too strong of a stabilization spray, the entire drop also became thicker and much more difficult to handle without damaging.

There were too many chances were being taken if the scenes were restored off site.

In the end, I again explained to the CEO that unless you want to jeopardize the condition of the scenes and double the anticipated workload, all restoration work needed to occur on site. I couldn’t “knowingly or wittingly” do something that would harm the collection. In hindsight, this was the beginning of the end as the CEO saw this as an opportunity to “win” a battle at any cost.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 31.

Art for Art’s Sake

On December 2, 2015, I sent out two separate emails, detailing estimates for labor, materials, and production timelines for both the 14’ x 20’ mural project and the 19-drop restoration project. I was very clear that as the mural project happened first, any delay would influence the restoration project.

The timeline for mural project included specific target dates to stay on track:

1.) Finalize design and create renderings for King Solomon’s Temple mural (December 15, 2015-January 15, 2016).

2.) Secure painting space/construct paint frame by January 15, 2016.

3.) Prep space and drop off mural supplies (January 15, 2016 to February 1, 2016).

4.) Paint Temple Mural (February 1-February 26, 2016).

5.) Possibly paint side murals (February 29, 2016 to March 31, 2016). The total number of side murals, if any, will depend upon the complexity of composition and completion date of Temple mural.

6.) Completed mural will be rolled, encapsulated in plastic, and stored onsite.”

The timeline for the restoration also included very specific target dates to ensure the completion of 19 drops:

1.) Remove and transport all necessary battens to MMHC stage on April 1,

2016. This required a rental truck and labor to transport approximately 1,710

linear feet of pine boards, weighing approximately 1500 lbs. I would supervise four individuals to complete this task.

2.) Remove 19 drops from storage April 2, 2015, and move to MMHC stage, necessitating a rental truck and four individuals to move the drops.

3.) Scenery restoration of 19 drops from April 4, 2016 to June 3, 2015.

4.) Hanging of the 19 drops from June 6 to June 11, 2016. An additional week would be reserved on the stage as a contingency for extenuating circumstances or delays.

For the restoration project, we would solely focus on the backdrops at first. Besides, they would be the most impressive for the opening, giving the public a sense of the collection. The drops would be presented as “Artwork by Thomas G. Moses” and not general historic scenery. Each backdrop would be a stand-alone painting, depicting a portion of a scene that still remained to be restored. This would also facilitate their promotion as a large-scale artworks created by a nationally recognized artist.

I estimated that it would take 38 days to clean and stabilize 19 drops, not including transportation to the theatre or set up. The 19 backdrops for the opening would include the

Cathedral (used for multiple degrees),

Woods (used for multiple degrees),

Cave (9th degree),

Treasure Chamber (15th degree),

Classical Interior (31st degree),

Egyptian Interior (31st degree),

Jacques de Molay Mausoleum (30th degree),

the INRI landscape (18th degree),

Darius’ Festival Palace (16th degree),

Camp Tent and backing (32nd degree),

Secret Vault (14th degree),

Grand Encampment (32nd degree),

Hiram’s Tomb (5th degree),

Catacombs (30th degree),

Gothic Interior/Dungeon (27th -29th degrees),

Hades (18th degree),

Constellation scene (Faith, Hope and Charity for the 18th degree),

and the Volcano landscape (17th degree)

I was shocked on January 13, 2016, when the CEO asked for all of this information again as all of the specifics had all been submitted a month prior and discussed multiple times. My uneasiness grew as I began to think that my employer had no comprehension of how much work was involved in the projects. I had never had this difficulty with anyone and started to wonder if this was a result of his skimming email content. I started to have a very bad feeling about the entire endeavor. Would all this money go to waste in the end?

It was at this point that the general director called me into his office, proposing that he really needed to help me and explained that I had extremely poor communication skills. He had worked with the CEO for years in other venues and suggested that he could provide a friendly barrier for me with the CEO. My only job was to request that general director be my immediate supervisor instead of the CEO.

Right now, we were on equal footing at the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center. Each of our positions reported directed to the CEO. He was the General Director, responsible for the running of the facility. I was the Curatorial Director, responsible for all acquisitions, content, and presentation of materials to the public.

I smiled politely, thanked him for the advice, and explained that I had always been capable of speaking for myself.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 27.

Batten Down the Hatches

I estimated the replacement value for this historic scenery collection at approximately 1.5 million dollars, excluding all of the other accessories that we had brought back from Fort Scott. The Ready Labor crew was treating the rolls like cardboard tubes and not artworks. I couldn’t help but think, “This might be one of the reasons that museums don’t hire Ready Labor to handle historic artifacts.”

Bloomington, MN. Note that the spacing of those carrying the tub is not even. This means that the tube is not supported on the end, causing the object to be more difficult to handle when loading into the storage unit.

As the three Ready Labor hires and the general director shoved the tubes into the storage unit, they repeatedly smashed the ends against the central supports. The crew was not being careful nor observant. Although, I had repeatedly explained the unloading and loading process, no one seemed to remember it. I supervised this exact same task the previous year when the Winona Scottish Rite scenery was placed into a similar storage unit and hadn’t had any problems.

Winona Scottish Rite Storage Units from 2014

The tubes needed to be slowly and gently inserted into each slot, carefully being lifted and guided over each central support as to not scrape the fabric. This meant that as the tube was inserted, the lead individual at the front of the tube had to get into the unit and gently guide each tube over the numerous horizontal supports. I could clearly see that this was not happening and no amount of verbal direction from me would alter their actions, especially while I was working in the truck.

Ty, the owner of BellaTex, LLC, immediately identified my dilemma and jumped into help. He understood that no one was listening to me and started to give direction from within the storage unit. Unfortunately, his presence only helped a little bit. At one point, Ty’s hand was badly smashed when he tried to guide the tube over the supports and the crew did not listen – they just kept shoving forward. Bruised and bleeding, Ty continued to guide each tube through the slots while trying to minimize the overall damage. He was the only person attempting to gently handle these historic artworks and it was painful to watch. I heaved a sigh of relief as we completed the scenery rolls.

View from far end of storage unit in Bloomington, Minnesota, looking toward outer door.

We next focused on unloading the wooden battens. Removing 13,000 linear feet of pine boards is an intimidating task, especially when one is running behind schedule. In Fort Scott, I had carefully labeled each batten bundle, separating the tops from the bottoms to facilitate the installation of each scene. As I had already injured my back that morning and Ty had also injured his hand, I decided that we would identify and distribute the battens to the crew from inside the trailer. We would quickly spot each batten label and direct the handlers to the appropriate storage unit (they were several yards apart). Eventually, Ty told Amanda to supervise the far unit as it became obvious that battens were being randomly placed.

Battens from Fort Scott transported in trailer.

After watching this circus for about ten minutes, my husband stepped in to supervise the second unit and also carry some bundles. He knew that this would be a big mess to unpack if the battens were paired with the wrong tubes. In the trailer I whispered to him, ”You were told not to help.” He responded, “This is ridiculous and you will never finish if I don’t help.”

However, even with Andrew’s help, this portion of the project was a going extremely slow. The Ready Labor men were getting tired and their pace rapidly diminished. They now slowly ambled back to get each bundle.

It was at this same time that Ty pointed to the general manager, now covered in dirt and sweating a little as he carried a bundle of battens to the far storage unit. Ty grinned and slowly drawled,” Right about now, I bet he’s regrettin’ not havin’ called Ready Labor earlier.” This made me burst out laughing and I agreed. Ty’s timing was perfect as I desperately needed to smile about something.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 26.

Unloading the Truck

We first unloaded the trailer; packing the first storage unit with several large-scale flats, boxes of hand props, five-gallon buckets of whiting, folded floor cloths, the painted cyclorama, a large wooden track for the five small vision drops, stage weights, and a variety of other theatrical artifacts. These items all had to be unloaded in order to reach the wooden battens as they needed to get paired up with the appropriate rolled drops. Due to the late start, it soon became lunchtime.

At lunch, I again discussed the necessary process with the general director. Again, I explained that we really needed a four people to unload the battens and tubes, as I needed to supervise where each item would be placed within the storage units. The general director explained that he would step in and be the fourth individual as it was apparent that no one else from Ready Labor was available. It was going to be difficult task to unload both trucks and I once again wondered why they hadn’t asked a crew of Masons to show up.

We had been planned for this to be a big public relations event; one more thing that would keep the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center on the public’s radar as they anticipated the opening. The Masonic Charities’ Director of Communications and our advertising firm were adamant that this opportunity was crucial to draw positive attention. Our next opportunity would be the unrolling of drops on the stage and beginning the restoration. Yet there was no one there and I wondered whether it was because of the individuals from Ready Labor.

During lunch, I called my husband, explaining that it would be a long day to arrange for childcare that evening. I still suggested that he come down to meet Ty and Amanda from BellaTex, LLC, as I had spoke so highly of them and their company during the past three weeks.

In Fort Scott, I had carefully organized and packed the truck based on the order of future restoration. The last drops to be pulled for restoration were placed in the center of each unit. This allowed us to pull out those on each side, slowly working our way toward the center. As each tube was loaded into the storage unit, two of the four people carrying the unit would break off and go within each unit to help convey the tub along its path.

Unfortunately, during lunch the general director explained that we would be restoring the cathedral scene first as a member was planning a September wedding. This meant that my order of unloading the tubes wouldn’t work and I had to scramble. Initially, the cathedral scene was going to be restored in the second phase of the work and was currently slotted closer to the center of the storage unit. I quickly drew a diagram, labeling each storage unit row with a letter and number – creating a grid so that my crew would know where to place each tube as I shouted out the location. I would shout “A1” or “B5” and each rolled drop would be placed that space.

We returned to the storage unit after lunch and started the slow process of unloading the tubes. Getting the tubes out was difficult at best and I realized that the drops were going to be damaged if this type of handling continued throughout the afternoon. Someone had to get in the truck and I looked at my options.

No one was going to hop up into the truck due to their size. The one worker who was physically able to do this task was also the only one who had the strength to pull to tub, so I climbed into the truck. My task would be to lift each tube and shove it out the pack, just enough for the one man to grab. He would pull and as the tube slid out of the truck, I would refer to my list and shout out the number. So much for me just supervising…

My husband showed up as we were just getting the second tube out of the truck; it was close to 1:30PM. When he saw me in the truck, his expression confirmed what I already knew –this was going to take awhile. “Can I switch out with you and help?” he asked me. But before I could respond, the general director said,” No, Andrew, you’re not covered by insurance. The Ready Labor guys come with insurance.”

So my only replacement went over to visit with Ty and Amanda while we unloaded the drops.

By the fourth tube, I felt the “pop” in my lower spine, that something had just happened to my lower back. The lifting up of each tube and shoving 100 pounds forward was too much for my 5′ 1½” frame. At this point, I felt like flinging myself onto the top of the tubes, curling up in a ball, and crying. Looking at the crew, I realized that the only person who could do my job was my husband- and he had already been told that he couldn’t help.

I had worked so hard to carefully transport the drops, I was damned if I was going to let the general director and his Ready Labor crew damage them now. This was where I made a mistake, I put the handling of the drops ahead of my own safety. I continued to unload the truck, shouting where each tube should go.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 25.

The Final Countdown

My Fort Scott crew loaded all of the drops onto the truck. Each layer of tubes was separated with plastic. My idea was to allow each tube to effortlessly slip into and out if the truck. Each tube weighed about one hundred pounds and need four set of hands to safely carry. Lovingly packed onto the truck, I continued to worry about the unloading process.

Wooden battens loaded before props and set pieces in second truck

In addition to securing a storage unit, the general director of the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center was to secure the labor to unload the truck. We were targeting a Sunday morning departure, with us arriving in Bloomington by the evening. Early that Monday morning, we would unload the trucks at the storage facility. My concern was that there would not be enough labor at the site.

On November 14, I emailed the general director:

“We will need four people to unload the 80 rolls and flats at the

Bloomington storage facility. It will just be the BellaTex driver and myself who arrive at the storage facility. I will not be able to help carry as I will be directing where each tube goes. Rolls weigh about 80-100lbs. Each. We are targeting an arrival on Sunday, but I will be able to provide 24-48 hrs. notice as we get closer. We need individuals that can lift, ideally men.”

I repeatedly requested the general director to contract four men to unload the 25’ tubes from the truck, each weighing approximately 100 pounds. I also explained that we were not only unloading the tubes, but also numerous set pieces, properties, and 13,000 linear feet of wooden battens that would arrive in a second truck.

On Nov 18, 2015, at 1:05 PM I received the following email from the general director:“Wendy, I have things lined up to unload Monday morning. I will be present to supervise the temporary workers. Given the four hour minimum we are doubtful of the need for four workers. I am planning to have two workers on hand.”

This was just a bit too much to handle on top of everything else. Why would he insist on only two laborers for four hours when I specified four laborers for eight hours? Maybe he didn’t understand the weight or the length of the tubes? It made no sense that he would ignore my requests.

I responded to him on the same day at 1:37 PM:

“The tubes are too heavy for two people to carry and load into the rack. There must be a minimum of four people. I cannot be one of the people carrying and placing the tubesPlease be aware that it might take a full day to unload the tubes, battens and other scenery pieces. I will need to supervise the placement of the tubes into the rack as there is a specific order.”

When we arrived that Monday morning there were no individuals from Ready Labor. The general director of the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center immediately suggested that we start unloading the tubes from the truck regardless. He was sure that the individuals from Ready Labor would appear on site soon. The only people on site beside myself were the general director, the owner of BellaTex, LLC (Ty Prewitt) and the executive vice president of operations at BellaTex, LLC (Amanda Zimmerman).

All of us understood the game that was being played and I responded, “No, we’ll wait just for them to show up. Maybe you should call the agency to see why they are late.”

After a few hours, one Ready Labor worker showed up, but he couldn’t stay for the entire day. So we started to unload the props from the first truck. A little while later a second Ready Labor worker appeared and then a third. This was unbelievable and it became obvious that no one had ever been called prior to that morning.

Most of the morning had been wasted and we were now behind schedule. I had worked 240 hours in the past three weeks and had two days off (150 hours more than I was paid during this time period as a staff). I just want to go home and sleep, but that wouldn’t happen due to scheduled meetings for the remainder of the week.

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 16.

Stonehenge

I need to explain some Scottish Rite history in prior to discussing the Stonehenge composition. I will simplify this history as much as possible so that your eyes don’t glaze over before getting to the scenery part.

The Scottish Rite is divided into two jurisdictions that are based on geographical demarcations. The Southern Jurisdiction is west of the Mississippi and south of the Ohio River. This means that the majority of the country belongs to the Southern Jurisdiction. I am not going to discuss what caused the division or the reason for the appearance of multiple Supreme Councils (governing bodies) in the North.

In the past, I have argued (in various publications and in my doctoral dissertation) that the earliest degree productions were performed in the Northern Jurisdiction.

Why? Competition.

You see, during the mid-nineteenth century there were competing Supreme Councils in the Northern Jurisdiction of the Scottish Rite. This was not the case in the Southern Jurisdiction where one Grand Commander ruled from 1859-1891 (Albert Pike). If you are in competitive environment, WINNING requires more members and more money. Staging degrees was a great way to promote a superior ceremonial experience that would subsequently bring in more money. Keep in mind that during the 1920s there was even a candidate class of 1000! That is a pile of cash that results from initiation fees and membership dues.

Now in the Southern Jurisdiction, Grand Commander Pike passes away in 1891. Prior to his death, Scottish Rite stages were beginning to appear in the Southern Jurisdiction – especially Minnesota, a state that straddled the western geographical demarcation of the two jurisdictions. By the 1880s, small stages were appearing in Minnesota lodge rooms with settings for the obligatory (or indispensable) degrees.

Each degree could be an individual play with the potential for multiple acts. Each act could have numerous scenes. Money determined the size of scenery collections. Some Valleys had small stage with a set of ten roll drops while others had massive auditoriums with over a hundred drops that would be lower from a fly loft.

Grand Commander Pike in the Southern Jurisdiction was against the elaborate staging of degrees, stating, “The Rite in this [Southern] Jurisdiction is a Rite of instruction, and not of scenic pomp and stage-show…I can not conceive of a more useless occupation than the arranging and performing of degrees, neither the effect nor the purpose of which is to make men wiser or better, but which are acted as melodramas…”

(Pike in 1849)

(Pike as Grand Commander)

This pretty much sums up why Scottish Rite theaters didn’t pop up everywhere in the Southern Jurisdiction until AFTER Pike’s death in 1891 and then they appear EVERYWHERE. The Supreme Council takes a “non-action” in those first few years after Pike’s passing; no one wanted to stop the growth of the Scottish Rite. This neutral action enabled the expansion of degree productions and theatrical interpretations of the degrees.

But some of the interpretations went a little too far – especially in Kansas. New designs began to appear – Stonehenge – for the Vedic scene in the 30th degree. There are two extant scenic designs depicting this composition – so the drop in Fort Scott, Kansas wasn’t an anomaly. But was it regionally specific to Kansas? You see, many regions developed unique interpretations for each degree.

(Fort Scott, Kansas 1924 drop by Thomas G. Moses)

(Brandon noticing that the perspective of the central units is wrong – the top and bottom don’t work)

(painted detail)

(Actual Stonehenge for reference)

Just a few hours to the west of Fort Scott in Wichita, there was another unusual composition that appeared. The stagehands still refer to this as the “goddess degree.” And I first encountered it during August of 2015 on our road trip from Fort Scott to Guthrie, Oklahoma.

(Wichita, Kansas Scottish Rite “Goddess Drop”)

(Cut opening supported with bobbinet)

(Backing for cut opening)

(Painted details and metallic foils for sparkle effect on stage)

Enter a new friend and kindred spirit -Janet Wolter, author of “America, Nation of the Goddess: The Venus Families and the Founding of the United States.” We met while volunteering at the Minneapolis Scottish Rite library. One of our first discoveries was a handwritten Grange ritual. At that point, I started to learn about the National Grange of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry. Beginning in 1867, it too had secret meetings, oaths, and passwords, incorporating themes from Greek and Roman mythology. This intrigued me and I thought about the Stonehenge and Goddess scenes in Kansas, telling Janet about my discoveries.

Janet suggested that Grange characteristics may have been incorporated into the ceremonies of other organizations. Were these new Scottish Rite compositions a type of outreach to Grange members?

Attached below are two examples of a Grange Hall.

(Canaan, Maine Grange Hall)

(Norway, Maine Grange Hall)

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring the Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 15.

Raising Hell

Many Scottish Rite degrees can be narrowed down to three instructions: follow directions, respect others, and do the right thing. Doesn’t sound much like devil worship, does it? That being said, Scottish Rite Valleys are reluctant to show one particular stage setting to the general public – Hell. Throughout the country the composition is also referred to as Hades, the Dante drop, or the Inferno scene, to name a few.

A simple explanation for the inclusion of this subject is that the scene depicts the fate for those who fall prey to temptation. It reinforces WHY you want to do the right thing. “Be a good person” doesn’t always work. “Be a good person or this terrible thing will happen to you” provides incentive.

The setting often includes one cut drop and a backdrop, sometimes two cut drops for added depth and scenic effect. Compositions frequently include a variety of demons and tortured humans. Very seldom did the scene remain as a red cave, but that is the case in a few valleys, including McAlester, Oklahoma. Fort Scott included one of the most popular depictions and was NOT painted by Thomas Moses in 1924. This scene was painted in 1904 and enlarged to fit the Fort Scott space during the 1924 installation.

It matches the same scene used in other Scottish Rite theaters, such as in Grand Forks, ND, St. Paul, MN, and Santa Fe, NM. It was a stock design, and a shiny one at that, being replicated multiple times during the first two decades of the twentieth century. But what makes this scene special? What is the visual appeal? The sparkles.

The hell scene used foil paper strips to outline many of the figures and rocky outcrops. Why? It was a scenic illusion to reflect the fiery pits of hell. As the drop would slightly move, the crinkled foil strips would reflect the light and sparkle, thus creating the appearance of flickering firelight.

Pretty cool effect, but very labor intensive. Especially when you consider attaching each strip with glue after having already spent a significant amount of time attaching the netting to the cut drops. It was an expensive scene to purchase. Refurbishing the hell scene in 1924 would have saved a significant amount of money for the Fort Scott Scottish Rite.

This is one of the scenes that make evaluations and restorations a delight. People always want their picture taken with this setting – especially if there is an entire group. The caption reads, “Work is Hell.” But then there also is hanging the restored scene and shouting “Let’s raise hell!” Or the response you give to your spouse when he asks, “How was work today?” and you respond, “It was hell.”

To be continued…

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring The Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 14.

There are few Scottish Rite scenes that were solely designed for Masonic degree productions. Most stage settings that were used by the Fraternity originated for other venues. Many compositions had been used for centuries in a variety of theatrical and operatic productions. Palatial interiors, cathedrals, catacombs, dungeons, classical interiors, mausoleums, Egyptian temples, dessert scenes, forests, rivers, landscapes, gothic armories, rocky coasts, and garden scenes were all used for both commercial and fraternal productions.

The “Peristyle” scene for the eighteenth degree, however, was unique. It would become a common setting in many Southern Jurisdiction Scottish Rite theaters during the first decade of the twentieth century. This scene used a translucent lighting effect. The words “Infinity,” “Nature,” “Reason,” and “Immortality” were typically placed at the tops of columns. The first letter of each word (I.N.R.I.) was backed with red silk, allowing it to glow. Thomas Moses’ 1924 design and painting for this Fort Scott scene placed the words at the base of each column – something new and unusual. Four corresponding light boxes with backlit words appeared at the appropriate time.

(Fort Scott, KS)

(Salina, Kansas)

I am frequently asked questions about the subject matter and necessary symbolism in degree productions, especially for the 18th degree. And thus I find myself working as a “Masonic Outreach Specialist,” promoting the benefits of Freemasonry to society. When approached by theatre technicians, however, there is the additional question concerning the design process. How did the artist’s know what to paint? How did the masons ensure appropriate symbolism on each backdrop without revealing any secrets?

My standard response includes a discussion on the appearance of theatrical manufacturers who became Masons. Scenic studio owners, regalia suppliers, and publishers greatly profited from Masonic membership and their fraternal relationships. These are the individuals who directed how the degrees would be staged and the appropriate costumes and props for each production.

Was profit their sole reason for becoming a Mason? I like to believe that their motivation for joining the fraternity wasn’t profit, but this association was a lucrative endeavor.

Did all of the scenic artists understand what they were painting on drops? Absolutely not, and the pelican in the 18th degree is a perfect example. Not even Moses in 1924 (the year before he joined the fraternity and became an active member at the Scottish Rite in Pasadena, California) understood the symbolism of the pelican.

(Fort Scott, KS Pelican)

The pelican is an integral part of the Peristyle composition, either appearing as a painting on the backdrop, painting on a cut drop, or included as a set prop. Sometimes the set prop was even illuminated as a large light box.

The symbolism of the pelican is sacrifice; piercing its breast to feed its young. This image was also found in many churches, often as a stained glass subject.

(Yankton, SD Pelican)

In Fort Scott and many other Valleys, however, the pelican holds a worm in its beak. Salina, Kansas, St. Paul, Minnesota, and Winona, Minnesota are just a few examples of painted scenery where the pelican does not pierce its breast.

(Winona, MN Pelican)

(St. Paul, MN Pelican)

(Salina, KS Pelican)

How was this detail lost in translation? Lack of information.

The design failed to show the detail of blood, so the artist just improvised.

To be continued…

(Sosman and Landis Design – Holak Collection (PA49) University of Minnesota, Libraries)

Fort Scott, Kansas. Details of the Peristyle Scene below:

Tales from a Scenic Artist and Scholar. Acquiring The Fort Scott Scottish Rite Scenery Collection for the Minnesota Masonic Heritage Center, part 13.

The rigging crew would later admit that no one knew what my contribution would be to the project, even Prewitt, the owner of BellaTex, LLC. Would I sit with my camera in hand and slowly photograph the removal process, or would I actually get my hands dirty? It is important to understand that when I was sent to Fort Scott, my directive was to solely supervise and not to help out as a “common laborer.”

It is important to understand that throughout the duration of my career I always worked alongside my crew, never expecting anyone to perform a task that I wouldn’t do myself. I realized long ago that this type of attitude and a general willingness to get one’s hands dirty, had a positive impact on any work environment. Showing great appreciation for your staff and lending a hand is such an easy thing to do and it always pays off in the long run.

In addition to this instilled work ethic, I was raised to conquer obstacles and take pride in my work. Therefore, when I encountered the thick layer of contaminants coating the scenery and set pieces, I couldn’t ignore it. It is possible that others would have ignored the dirt, rolled the drops, shipped them, and dealt with the consequences later. That was not an option for me, so I tackled this initial obstacle.

We covered both the stage floor and auditorium floor with heavy duty plastic to catch the majority of the dirt that fell off of the drop as it was lowered to the floor and stripped of both battens and hardware. I purchased both dry mops and wet mops to clean the plastic as often as possible so that dirt from one drop, wouldn’t contaminate another drop.

Then, the drop was placed on the auditorium floor face down. I used my handy Festool dust extractor to remove the majority of loose contaminants with its special HEPA filter. The drop was then flipped face up so that I could vacuum the loose particulates from the painted surface. This initial cleaning was to protect the painted surface during shipping and limit the amount of airborne particles in the space on site.

Dirt and pigment would continue to dust off during the rolling and transportation, necessitating additional vacuuming and cleaning with archival sponges before any necessary repairs or restoration. The vacuuming for each drop in no way made the surface completely clean nor free of contaminants. After vacuuming both sides, it took four of us crawling across the floor on our knees to loosely roll the 36’ long drop. This loose roll meant it could be carried down the winding staircase to the first floor where it would then wait to be rolled onto 25’ cardboard tubes.

The drops couldn’t be rolled immediately after vacuuming on the second floor as the winding staircase could not accommodate a 25’ rigid tube. This was the process prior to rolling, wrapping, and loading onto our shipping truck. Multiply this procedure ninety-two times.

The need for any additional cleaning prior to any restoration was a point of contention with the CEO. Even after several conversations, I could not convince him that this initial cleaning was not sufficient. Nor would he believe that the drops had to be stabilized or any repairs made prior to hanging. It was impossible to convince him that the dusting pigments and other surface contaminates were dangerous to both the performers on stage and the audience members.

To be continued…

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

The Volcano Scene

The 17^th degree of the Scottish Rite can be one of the most exciting degree productions on a Masonic stage. Lighting flashes, thunder rumbles, the ground trembles, and a volcano explodes, toppling buildings in the foreground of the painted composition. A red plume of lava shoots into the air, while rivulets of lava stream down the mountainside and gradually spill into a lake. Slowly, the sky and water become a bright blood red. The first time I documented this scene was at the Winona Scottish Rite Theatre, were volunteers assisted in successfully presenting the scene.

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

The staging relates to the breaking of the seven seals in the Book of Revelation. Cataclysmic events occur and a variety of painted visions are magically revealed in transparent sections of the composition. Fort Scott had five small drops for the visions. These small paintings were almost always the work of an inexperienced artist as it was a perfect opportunity for them to show their skills in drawing and figure painting. If it really was a horrific end product, it wouldn’t matter due to its placement on stage, plus the dim lighting would conceal most of the flaws.

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

In my mind I imagine the following dialogue:

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

Artist 2: Give him the Vision drops again.

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

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

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

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

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

To be continued…

(Pictures will be uploaded tomorrow due to hotel internet service!)