March, 2018 Issue
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Staging Scenes at the Scottish Rite in Santa Fe

by Wendy Waszut-Barrett

    In 2013 the Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple was listed for sale. Jo Whaley, a professional photographer, decided to document the 1912 backdrops before the building was sold. She contacted me during the fall of 2013, as I had restored the scenery a decade earlier. Fortunately, there was a change in command and the building was taken off the market.  It was the beginning of a new chapter for the Santa Fe Scottish Rite as they planned for the future and proposed a book.

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    During the summer of 2015, we started to establish a list of images for Whaley to photograph and use in each chapter. Many of the photographs for my chapter were to depict translucencies, transparencies, netted details and other scenic effects.  We quickly realized that I would need to be on site a least a few times to explain the images that would support my text.  I was fortunate that Whaley had worked as a scenic artist and understood what I was trying to include in my chapter and why.

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    By the summer of 2016, we were finalizing images when the press made a request; they wanted the pictures of the scenery with costumed figures.  Although I was extremely exited with the prospect, we were entering into unchartered territory.  Having permission to photograph the painted scenery was one thing, capturing images of degree productions was something else entirely. I began a long campaign, lobbying for the opportunity to photograph all of the scenes as they would have been presented in 1912.  The strength of my argument was that we were not revealing any secrets. Whaley and I would replicate scenes from the past, ones that were not staged at the present for current members.
    On September 16, 2016, I received confirmation that the Sovereign Grand Inspector General of New Mexico was granting us permission to photograph all twenty-seven theatrical scenes as they were presented in 1912.  The photo shoot was scheduled for October 17 – 23. I would be on site as the artistic director, to help stage the action for each scene with appropriate costumes and properties. We had seven days to successfully document each degree, and each day was divided into three photo sessions. 

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    Whaley and I would have one hour of set up, two hours with the models, and a final hour for clean up and review, before starting the process all over again.  In the evening we processed all of the images shot during the day and selected our favorites. Fortunately, some of the scenes were scenic tableaux that didn't include costumed figures and Whaley was able to photograph them before my arrival.

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    Working with Whaley was a delightful; we shared the same language.  She received an MFA in art and an MA in visual design and photography from the University of California – Berkley.  As a young artist, she was a scenic artist at the San Francisco Opera and other Bay Area theaters.  Her work, exhibited for more than thirty-four years, is held in the permanent collections of numerous institutions, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and the WestLicht Schauplatz Für Fotographie, Vienna.  In the fall of 2018 an exhibition of her work will be held at the Georgia O’Keefe Museum, Santa Fe, New Mexico. It is her magnetic personality, however, that makes working with her absolute magic.
    We approached the composition in a similar manner and understood how the painted drops need to be lit.  During our week long photo shoot I learned a lot in terms of photography. I am going to walk you through our process.   After lowering the lines, placing the set pieces, selecting props and locating the appropriate costumes, we were ready to set the lights.  Red, blue and white lights were originally delivered to the Santa Fe Scottish Rite in 1912.  Over time, this combination was replaced with red, green and white.  When I restored the scenery fifteen years ago, I recommended that they replace some of the green lights with blue to help the nighttime scenes.  Therefore, we had, red, blue, green and white light to work with during the photo shoot. After the scene was lit, Whaley checked the light level throughout the stage.  Then we discussed the action that would have occurred during the degree and positioned the camera for the first image.  Whaley took a photograph of the scene while I stood in the center, holding a white piece of paper. This was for color reference.

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    Finally the models were positioned and Whaley was able to begin.  She had her camera tethered to the laptop. This allowed us to instantly check the resolution, color levels, and compositional format.  Each scene was intended as an artwork, something that could stand alone without text or explanation. Furthermore, the files were so large that any one of the images could be enlarged to show the texture of the fabric.  Whaley went out of her way to document painting techniques and small details for me, understanding that they would never be included in the publication.

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    The real work for the book began after the photo shoot. Although we staged scenes for the degree portfolio that would highlight the Scottish Rite degree productions, there needed to be an overall flow to the pages of full-color plates in Whaley’s chapter.  For the next twelve months we would continue to tweak images throughout the design process.  As our project evolved, Whaley would go back and photograph additional images for the chapters.  I am fortunate to have worked with such a talented individual on this highly collaborative endeavor. The best part of the process was not creating the book; it was working with Jo Whaley.
Here is a brief description of the book, soon to be released on May 1, 2018.
    Santa Fe's Scottish Rite Temple, built in 1912, is a historic landmark and the home of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite of Freemasonry in New Mexico. Essays examine the emergence of Freemasonry, key Masonic figures during New Mexico's territorial period through statehood, and the architectural significance of the Moorish-Revival style building. Illustrated with contemporary and historical images, the book reveals the theatrical production of Masonic degrees and the creation of the backdrop collection. Today, many of the country's Masonic buildings are being repurposed and their collections are being liquidated. Through the heroic efforts of its members, the Santa Fe Scottish Rite Temple has been preserved, remaining under the continued stewardship of the Freemasons, who share their building with the community.

Editor's note about the upcoming book:
The Santa Fe Scottish Rite: Freemasonry, Architecture and Theatre
. Museum of New Mexico Press. Editors: Wendy Waszut-Barrett and Jo Whaley. Scheduled to be released May 1, 2018.
It is currently available for pre order at Amazon Prime for $32.07. Here is the link.