Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1908-11-07
.BELASCOS ADD TWO
THEATERS TO STRING
BUILDING SITE CHOSEN IN SAN
FRANCISCO
Sacramento Also Will Be Favored in
Beneficent Enterprise of Ene-
mics of the Theater
Trust

By arrangements completed yester-
day for the building of two new play
houses in California, the Beiascos
will be placed far in the lead in the
show business on the coast. The loca-
ton of the site of the San Francisco
house was not given out, but it was
announced that it is to be one of the
finest theaters on the coast, and that it
will be modelled after David Belasco's
Stuyvesant theater in New York. The
Sacramento theater will be in Mar
ket street, and will be almost an exact
duplicate of the San Francisco house.
Each will cost about $15O,OOO The
carrying out Of this plan will give the
Belascos four high-class theaters on
the coast.
Mr.. Frederick Belasco, who returned
Yesterday from San Francisco, gave
out the details of the new building en-
terprise, but declined to make any
statement regarding the Associated
Press announcement that the Belascos
would work in connection with the
Shuberts and Mr.. Fiske the coming
season.
Our largest undertaking just now
is the building of the two new play
houses in San Francisco and Sacra-
mento," said Mr.. Belasco. THE San
Francisco site will be one of the finest
in the city, in the downtown section,
and it will be a genuine surprise to
the people of the west. 1t will be mod
eled after the Stuyvesant theater of
my Brother David, and will be COM
pleted in about eleven months, al
though it will not be hurried at the
expense of the artistic qualities OF the
building. 1t is the very best site in
the big city today. When 1t is COM
pleted I shall establish a stock COM
pany that will vie with the old stock
companies in which Mr.. Drew, Mrs.
Gilbert, Ada Rehan and other great
artists played. We will bring stock
work up far in advance of anything
ever seen on the coast"
This plan brings Los Angeles into
the field, and means that the choice of
the best will fall to Mr.. Belasco, be-
cause he can offer the greatest number
of weeks for production.
Big Enterprise Planned
MIR. Belasco admitted that he had
been summoned to New York to talk
over some big things for the coast.
what are the big propositions you
have in hand?" he was asked.
Il can't say" he answered. my
brother has written and telegraphed
that he wanted me in New York to
discuss matters that would mean much
for the coast. l will leave the last of
LIle month, anu SIldil Dt BOllG 1OI SSN-
eral weeks. I only know that in a
short time / will be in control of four
theaters in California, with the right
to book a half dozen more If / care to.
This will mean that I will control the
stock proposition out here, and l be-
lieve that it also will mean that the
people of California will have an OPP
portunity to see the very best produce
tions at moderate prices and played
by the highest class of stock actors.
The days of the cheap travelling COM
panies, producing plays that have
made successes in the east and charg-
ing eastern prices, are over. Star
stock companies will produce the best
of plays, and if travelling companies
come here they will have to be of the
very best if they expect to do any bust
ness. This means a great deal for Los
Angeles and San Francisco. 1t means
that the stock system on the coast
will prevent poor or secondhand COM
panies from coming here, and only the
best will be able to obtain good fnan-
cial results"