Flames burst from the attic of the Mask and Wig Clubhouse, located at 310 S. Quince Street, early Saturday morning - but the 2 a.m. fire was not part of the group's annual spring show.
The fire, which is still being investigated by the Philadelphia Fire Marshal, was reported by an unidentified person who saw the flames and informed officials, according to Mask and Wig board members. The fire department is still trying to identify the caller.
While insurance representatives are still assessing the damage, Mask and Wig chairman James Wong and Secretary-Treasurer Anthony Maggio said there was extensive water damage in the attic, the Ned Rogers Theater on the second floor and in the Grille Room on the first floor.
However, they said there appears to be minimal damage to the caricatures and other artwork that were kept in the Grille Room.
The club has historically put on its annual spring show in the Clubhouse on S. Quince Street, and it has not cancelled a spring show since World War II.
Keeping with tradition, Mask and Wig will open the show "A West Wing Story: You Can't Scandal the Truth" on April 18. The show's new location, the Prince Music Theater located at Chestnut and Broad streets, is still tentative.
The clubhouse, under Mask and Wig ownership since 1894, has been under construction since May 2007. Originally speculated to be finished by last December, the most recent expected date of completion was March 14 - the day before the fire broke out.
At the time of the fire, the Clubhouse was only two weeks away from being completely finished. The club planned to move in the weekend of Spring Fling.
