Today in the CBO
The View from the BMU
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
14 June 2298 – Charles View Ampitheater
On certain Tuesdays for the 2297 and 2298 seasons, we will feature one of the settlements where teams in the Boston Minor Union play.
In our fourteenth trip around the BMU, we will go to the location of a one-time cult of the Commonwealth, Charles View Ampitheater.
Pre-War Opera House on the South Bank
According to a terminal found in the Boston public Library, Charles View Ampitheater "is an outdoor concert venue on the Charles River Esplanade in the Back Bay section of Boston, Massachusetts. Built in 1939-40, it is one of the city's prominent examples of Art Deco architecture." It is "best known for hosting the Boston Pops Orchestra annually for the Boston Fourth of July celebration, but is also used for free concerts most weekends and many weeknights during the summer months. The grass pavilion in front of the stage has no permanent seating."
The terminal goes on to read, "The original, wooden shell was built in 1928 as a temporary venue for the Pops with expectations of construction of a permanent structure in the near future. It was first used for a concert on July 4, 1929, with Arthur Fiedler conducting the Boston Pops Orchestra. A second, temporary shell, made of metal, was built in 1934.
"The permanent shell was designed by architect Richard J. Shaw, and was dedicated on July 2, 1940. In preparation for its 50th anniversary in 1991, it underwent significant renovation and repair along with modernization of its acoustics by Boston architecture firm Finegold Alexander. Bostonian Howard Brickman, a master craftsman specializing in wood floors, re-created the intricate interior paneling of the shell by hand.
"Uses of the Hatch Shell include concerts, movie showings and speeches, and as a meeting place for large events, such as AIDS Walk Boston and the Larry Kessler 5K Run. The grass pavilion is used for picnics, casual sports and sunbathing, in a manner typical of urban parks.
"The Hatch Shell underwent a $2.4 million renovation in 2018, the first since 1989. The exterior panels of the shell were replaced, which required a laser scan of the shell and fabrication of 673 separate panels in 93 different shapes."
Pillars of the Community
Nate Howard had an interesting encounter with the cult of the amphitheater when he got involved with the Cabots. He learned that Emogene Cabot was involved with the cult.
According to a terminal on the situation, "This pre-War entertainment venue is the base of operations for the cult known as the Pillars of the Community. This small-time religious movement is made up of initiates and preachers. . . . The cult leader, Brother Thomas, however, will try to convince [people] to join their group. He will make grand statements about improving the lives of everyone in the Commonwealth. If one agrees to go ahead and join the group, Thomas will take the [person] into the back room of the amphitheater and ask them to forfeit all of their worldly possessions in favor of the Pillars of the Community."
Further information about the cult showed, "Presenting themselves as a new movement that is quickly gaining traction in the Commonwealth, the Pillars of the Community seeks to gain new followers through the distribution of fliers to nearby settlements. Its missionaries promise those who join a 'better life' and welcome all who come to the Charles View Amphitheater seeking the 'truth' about the troubled world. A man named Brother Thomas leads the cult and personally sees all new initiates who are looking to become members. He sometimes pays a visit to settlements to spread the word about the Pillars, and encourages all new members to voluntarily give up all of their 'worldly possessions' as a first step toward 'salvation.'
"A trained eye can discover that the cult is in reality a cover for a scam operated by Thomas. He uses his fliers and message of false hope to lure unsuspecting wastelanders to the amphitheater so he can extort them for their possessions, threatening to kill them unless they hand over everything peacefully. In fact, locals are annoyed of hearing about the conman's 'salvation racket,' and Ham eventually had to throw Thomas out of the Third Rail in Goodneighbor because he was bothering customers. He even has caused trouble for the affluent Cabot family by kidnapping and holding their daughter Emogene after a 'disagreement' over joining the Pillars of the Community in which she turned violent. Due to the effects of a mysterious serum she uses, it took the entire cult combined to get Emogene subdued and locked up. Eventually, the Cabots send their new mercenary, [Nate Howard], to rescue Emogene after finding out that she ran away with Thomas."
After the Pillars Were Dispatched
Nate Howard had no choice to dispatch the cult once it was discovered that Brother Thomas would not release Emogene. Though the cult became violent, Nate used tactics to separate the cult leaders from the victims. Some leaders had to be taken down like Brother Thomas, while others were captured along with the members of the cult.
Nate then used that opportunity to show them Brother Thomas' own words. All of them denied but ultimately came to realize that they were conned. With the help of counseling and good old chems, Nate was able to convince some to follow the path of the message of helping others without the need for people to give all of their possessions.
The Pillars of the Community then became more of a movement in line with the Minutemen, and many of the original cult members still reside at the Ampitheater.
A few of their missions these days include helping distribute goods and medicines to fringe settlements and providing counseling to those who have tragically lost loved-ones to raiders and creatures of the wastes.