The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1912-01-26
CONSIDER PLANS
FOR A THEATER
Committee Named to Get Data
as to Expense of the
Enterprise.


! At committee meeting Of the public
service association at lunehjih the Uni.
versity Club yesterday, plans for build,
ing modern theater in Honolulu, and
bringing from the Coast fof, the best
stars and talent proeufabie, were dis
cussed, and a subcommittee was APP
pointed to secure all the data as TO
cost of site, building, operating eX-
pepses and cost of maintaining stock
company, or securing occasional stars
with their companies from the Coast.
The committee will report back when
full information is in hand, when it is
proposed to lay the entire matter be-
fore a convention of business men.
81 know more about filing theaters
than building them,'' said Harry Cor
son Clarke, the actor, who is here with
his own company. Then he gave some
excellent advice, the point of which
was that Honolulu absolutely needed
larger and more uptodate theater, and
that the completion of the Panama
Canal would compel the building of
such structure. Also that with the
completion of the canal, the British
companies going to the Orient and Aus
tralia would pass through Honolulu
and could be induced to stop over at
a comparatively small cost. Moreover,
Mr.. Clarke stated, these companies
were often the best that England had
to offer to Australia. Mr.. Clarke was
also booster for bringing down good
companies from the mainland.
Pacific Circuit Possible.
General Macomb heartily kokuaed
the idea of new theater, and thought
that such a move would induce Manila
to erect a similar structure and urge
the companies, coming to Honolulu, to
continue the trip to Manila, and that
probably an around the Pacific circuit
could be arranged. ar y.
Governor Frear was also heartily in
favor of any plan that would give Hos
nolulu new up-to-date theater and
bring good companies to the Islands. ,
President Gilmore of the College of
Hawaii urged that something of this
sort be DONE, not only as ana education-
al move for the grownup people, but to
teach the children of. Honolulu of all
nationalities who speak the English
language, to appreciate good drama.
w. r. Castle, who was the host, and
j. S. McCandless approached the mat
ter from the business men 8 standpoint,
and inquired into all details of cost
under the subsidy or guarantee. m
Mr.. Clarke said that subsidy of
$4,000 year should be ample to
secure good companies and stars.
G. d. Wright told of how he had
been one in, Minneapolis, years ago to
put up his $500 in a guarantee fund
to build fine opera house, and how
in four or five years it paid him more
than one hundred per cent profit.
Question of Tourists.
A. II. Brodie, of the Canadian Pa
cific Railway, assured those present
that Honolulu was merely on the verge
of tourist movement from the main
land, and that first-class theater and
good plays, while they might not at
tract the tourist, would certainly help
to keep him here, as it would give
him something to do in the evenings.
A. j.. MacKaye, son of Steele Mac.
Kaye, author of Hazel Kirke and
builder of the Madison Square and Ly-
ceum theaters in New York, gave his
idea of what Hawaiian theater should
he to meet climatic conditions, also as
to the possibilities of a roof garden and
open air amphitheater, where Hawaiian
music and light opera could be pre-
sented. s
H. Z. Kerr submitted the plans for
the theater that he had made and
they were studied by all present. As
at present planned, the theater will
be magnificent monument of art, but
the business interests consider that it
might be necessary to put in stores
that will help the proposition as a
paying investment, and then arose a
number of other matters of expense,
and the whole was referred to COM
mittee to gather full information and
present to meeting of business men,
when the matter will be carried for
ward another step.
The committee appointed to. secure
the necessary data is composed of A.
H. Ford, A. L. MacKaye, Prof. w. Al.
Bryan and C. D. Wright, with Archi-
tect III. L. Kerr and j. s. McCandless
in an advisory capacity. Among Others
who were present were w. +. Dilling
ham, w. r. Harrington, William VOL
tiers and Rodney Gilbert.
RtaM EaAn a arr