The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-12-13
By Walter Anthony

drama was about the only expense
which did not cause the house much
troubIe-that was the salaries of the
actors IN those days the much
abused trust was not yet well or
firmly established Companies went
stranded on the road and there were
no return tickets to the farm. Every
show west OF the Mississippi which
came TO grief scattered quickly toward
the Golden gate. where d night in
park was not an impossibility, and
where the air is balmier than else
where on earth. So San Francisco
was fun Of unattached players, many
of whom have since made big names
for themselves in the history Of the
American drama. Hence the Alcazar
in spite of fits uncertain paydays, did
not want for players.
Among the first to join the forlorn
forces at the Alcazar was Francis
Powers, author of THE First Born"
He was a jovial soul, then, and
bohemian. He could dine, contentedly.
on a sandwich washed down with beer
and he took the blows of adversely
like q man. But his wife-she was UNI
happy, Of course, as any mans wife
would be. They tell the story that on
one occasion, when the family ex-
chequer was at lowest ebb and the
6reary fats Of poverty were bare to
the cruel world, she went to a fash
ionable store and bought $500 gown
in which she trailed majesticaly
across the Alcazar stage, to the amaze
ment of the entire company, includ-
ing her heroic husband. She didn't
have even speaking part but she
believed that an Alcazar production
should be well dressed belief, in
passing, which has become an estab-
lished tradition in the house of Belasco
Powers made frequent incurSions into
Chinatown. We all do when we're
broke. The exhibitions of real pow
erty-the poverty which is hardly rag
covered-made ordinary impecuniosity
seem regal in comparison, and so Pow
ers went to Chinatown. He began to
acquire an intimate understanding OF
Chinese character and habits, and grad
ually his play was evolved.
To those who witnessed The First
Born" last week the conviction must
have come that it is not quite like it
used to be. Eleven years have passed
over our heads since it was staged and
made a sensation. Eleven theatrical
seasons have altered the face Of the
drama somewhat, and THE First Born"
well staged and acted as it was last
week, ran but a week. When it was
first produced on the night of May 10,
1897. It commenced a career which took
the play through to August 81, or 100
nights. That is still the record for a
single production in San Francisco.
A little light had been let in on the
Alcazar fortunes by the production of
East Lynne" which even then was old
and gray headed. They told u.s." said
Walter Belasco, that East Lynne
would finish us; that it would complete
the series of disasters and close the
house But it didn't. Instead we had
little success, financially, with the
piece, and made few dollars. We all
ate regularly that week"
Then came Powers THE First Born
A stork of good fortune carried it into
the house of Belasco &c Thall, and the
name survived. At first, during the ini-
tial week, few saw the piece. The the
alter didn't advertise those days, be-
cause ink and paper cost money So
It took some time before theater goers
realized that there was something do
ing at the Alcazar in O'Farren street
But success once deserved is sure to
come. and the people learned at last
about this strange, weird play which
nirrored the life which was a unique
feature in San Francisco. Then
the crowds began to come. They
swarmcd into the portals of the Asca-
Ear and they stampeded the box office,
where the ticket man, unused TO such
demands, struggled to count the money
and pass out the tickets. Belasco's
face assumed a smile which it still