The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1906-07-22
HEATER-BUILDING W,


front of San Franciscos rehabilitation even
II if the city's repute as the best show town
OF its size in the world had not been wide as
the world. In the formation of brand American
communities, the "opry house rates second to the
newspaper pioneer necessity, so 1t is extra
ordinary that providers OF stage amusement were
among the first brealr ground for the raising of
PROSTATE metropolis. Ere the ruins were cold the
erection of makeshft playhouses in progress and
permits TO build new Columbia, new Alcazar and
a Orpheum were applied for. All three struc-
lures are rising rapidly material be
obtained
Manager Fred Belasco announces that the Alcazar
will be opened for business the evening of October IS
with the best dramatic stock company that his money
and prestige can enlist White Whittlesey has al
ready been engaged as leading man, and the opening
play will be OF the costume" species.
Manager J. J. Gottlob is in New York picking out
good things for the Columbia, and his leutenants
hope have the theater ready to receive the public
Sefore the coming season wanes. Manager Meyer
feid says he will be surprised if the Orphcum is
divorced from the Chutes and going it alone Ellis
street within months
In addition to the theaters in operation and con-
struction there are at least half dozen in contempa-
ton. The Central is to be rebuilt upon its former
site and is Fischers while the temporary business
district will be thicl1ly dotted with humble
temples to Thesps and Orpheus if current plans do
for there can be such thing as overproduction of
amusement, even in an amusement-lovng town
As Doc" Leahy for many years the TivolTs i'm
presario, has gone into housebuiding and Office
holding, there is slim likelihood of the long-estab-
lshed home of opera rising from the debris in the
immediate future. But the Tvoli corporation remains
existent and the Tivol title is too valuable an asset
10 be permitted go by default There will be a
new TivoH. Greater San Francisco would hardly be
complete without it.
Shakespeare in the Open.
If it is that the directors of the Greek Theaer
endeavoring to arrange summer series of
Shakespearean productions, they should undergo
much difficulty in procuring acceptable people to
This is the playerfolks compulsory rest time and
almost any of them would gladly abandon ideness
the prestige and pelf to be obtained by doing
Shakespeare al fresco at Berkeley. Nor would it be
necessary to go far aield find capable
Nat Goodwin is in Southern California; Mrs. Fiske
is at Ben Lomond; Alice Lennon leading woman for
Mr. Willard, soourns within hailing distance of the
Greek Theater; Constance Crawley dwells in Los
Angeles, and T. Daniel Frawley is said to have
cotere Of experienced legits Seattle Therefore,
il might be possible have credtable productions
of Shakespeare at Berkeley without going beyond the
Sierras in quest of talent Midsummer Nights
Dream" LAS You Like It and Merchant OF
Venice" are mentioned the plays selected Mr.
Goodwin is peerless Bottom Miss Lemons Rosa
lind IS said TO be charming personation and for
Shylock-where is Dick Hotang? Pend
ing the reopening of the Columbia and a return of
hgh-class drama to this side of the bay, the Greek
Theater cement might do less sensible thing,
considered either in pecuniary art promoting
sense than Shakespeare in the open air.
IbScn in Los Angeles.
When ambitious Western towns tried to appropriate
~ themselves certain atmosphere" that more
,or less routed from San Francisco by the recent
Los Angeles selected music and
drama as its share of the drifting spois. With
alacrity that was not surpassed even by Seattles
endeavor to capture universal recognition new
commercial metropolis of the Pacific Coast. with
heroic acquisitiveness equal to that shown by Berke
leys scholastic calm in its attempt to assimilate
the buoyant bohemianism that crossed the bay with
our refugee painters and sculptors, the City of the
Angels claimed supremacy, by right of succession
as the theatrical hub of the West