New locally produced documentary sheds light on traditions associated with Freemasonry
The world is fascinated by the mysterious and mythical, and for this and other reasons the Fraternity of Freemasons has captured the imaginations of many. As a membership organization, many of the events and rituals of Freemasonry are available only to members, contributing to the shroud of mystery that has grown around the organization.
While the organization has existed for centuries, membership in recent years has been declining, and many members feel the organization is misrepresented in popular culture. With this in mind, local Freemason and filmmaker Brian T. Evans, owner of BT Media Productions, recently took an opportunity to use his professional skills to dispel myths and clarify misunderstandings about the organization by documenting one of its signature rituals in the documentary, “The Masonic Table – The Art of Dining in Freemasonry,” now available for streaming on Amazon Prime.
Evans, who is a member of Lexington Lodge No. 1, explained that the idea for the film originated during the pandemic. After realizing in 2020 that the organization couldn’t hold its Annual Festive Board, one of the group’s most anticipated annual events, the idea to funnel energy into a creative and educational project that would help preserve and document the details of the Masonic tradition emerged.
Brian Evans, owner of BT Media Productions and a member of Lexington Lodge No. 1, directed the documentary film. Photo by Brian Oates Photography
“We decided during that time that we wanted to record a production that shows the world – Freemasons and others – how we do a Festive Board, and some of the behind-the-scenes work,” Evans said. “We thought it would be a great opportunity to showcase this.”
Filmed in July 2021 at Spindletop Hall, the film documents the traditional Masonic toasts, songs and other rituals of the Annual Festive Board, a tradition affiliated with Freemasonry since the official initiation of the organization in the 1700s.
“Freemasonry was originally organized in 1717, and our lodge was created in Lexington in 1788,” Evans explained. “We were a formed lodge before Kentucky was a state. Back in those times, Freemasons would get together and have big feasts.”
Evans noted that today many Freemasons aren’t as educated on the history of Freemasonry as they were in the past.
“Not every lodge holds the Festive Board – it’s a bit of a lost tradition,” he said. We wanted to provide an educational piece to help other Masonic Lodges know a little more about their history.”
The Masonic Festive Board, often referred to as Harmony, is a social and celebratory event that plays an important part in creating and cementing the fraternal ties affiliated with Freemasonry, according to John W. Bizzack, a fellow member of Lexington Lodge No. 1 and a producer of the film. Centering on a structured formal dinner, replete with formal toasts and songs, the event is practiced in different ways among different lodges, but its observance is as old as Masonry itself.
“While books and papers have been written about the event, the topic has never been preserved in a visual format,” Bizzack said. “We thought it was important to do that and to share that with not only other Masons but with the public.”
Producer, John W. Bizzack, served as director of ceremonies for the Festive Board dining event that was documented in the film. Photo by Brian Oates Photography
The film has been a success for BT Media Productions, a division of BT Web Group. BT Media Productions has been in operation for three years, and “The Masonic Table” – the organization’s first documentary – won an award for Best Editing at the Crown Point International Film Festival in Chicago.
Winning is especially sweet considering that all of the documentary footage was captured in one 18-hour session with essentially no budget, Evans said.
“We raised a small amount of sponsorship money from other lodges, but we couldn’t rent space for filming for more than one day. We had to gather all the men and the crew together, capture multiple takes, and since it was a live event it was an extremely challenging process,” he explained.
“It was a heck of a lot in a short period of time, but we pulled it off. We’re pretty proud.”
While education for other Freemasons was one driving force for the documentary, the creators are clear this film isn’t just for Masons.
“The audience is twofold – the public, who want to know more about Freemasonry, and Freemasons who want to know how to host a celebration like this one,” said Evans.
According to Evans, Freemasonry is often misrepresented by various entertainment options as a spiritual or mystic organization.
“There is a tremendous amount of false information out there about the Freemason fraternity,” he explained. “It’s not a religion. Everyone there believes in God, but we come together in a way that allows and is tolerant of all beliefs and lives for the purpose of creating friendships.
“We’re men looking to have relationships with other men, while trying to figure out how to be better men for our partners, our children, our peers and our colleagues,” he added.
Evans describes Freemasons as a solemn organization that uses the symbolism of tools used by stonemasons to learn how to be a better person. He pointed to the compass, which is present in many Masonic emblems, as an example.
“I can look at a compass, and it can tell me that I can draw a circle and stay within my compass – to not go outside of my personal compass and do things that are not true to myself,” he explained.
Evans said there are three Masonic Lodges in Fayette County and approximately 350 lodges in the state of Kentucky, with somewhere between 20,000 and 25,000 members. Lexington Lodge #1, where Evans and Bizzack are members, has nearly 160 members.
More than 100 members from six different Masonic jurisdictions were present at the Festive Board event that was documented in “The Masonic Table.” Filmed in black-and-white, with interviews with Masons interspersed with shots from the dinner, the film captures the elegance of the ritual (though certain parts of the evening were left out of the film in reverence to the privacy of the fraternity).
Evans has a dual hope for his film. As the owner of BT Media Productions, he said his company is looking for other things to tell the story of. “I hope this inspires an interest in people looking to have their stories or the story of their business told in a documentary-style format,” he said.
And as a dedicated Freemason, he said, “I want the world to know that Freemasonry is a great organization – and those who are curious should look into it and understand it before judging it.”
“The Masonic Table – The Art of Dining in Freemasonry” is a locally produced documentary film documenting the traditions associated with the organization’s Annual Festive Board. Filmed in one evening at an event hosted by Lexington Lodge No. 1 in July 2021, the film is now screening on Amazon Prime. Photo by Brian Oates Photography