In 1903 the William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre opened in Berkeley at the University of California adorned with architecture from ancient Greece.
William Randolph Hearst, was born in 1863 and grew up traveling the world with his mother, Phoebe. William got an early start to his future media empire when his father handed him control of the San Francisco Examiner, which George had acquired as payment for a gambling debt.
Although Benjamin Wheeler is credited with the idea and execution of the Greek Theatre, it was the
director of the Greek department at the time who might have really been the catalyst. With his
letter to Wheeler in 1899, Edward B. Clapp was the first person on record with the idea of not
only the Greek Theatre, but the idea of using Ben Weed’s Amphitheatre as the site.
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| Ben Weed's Amphitheater |
By this time, the University was comfortable turning to its benefactor and only female regent to discuss the funding for such an undertaking. (43) President Wheeler took Phoebe Hearst on a tour of Ben Weed’s Amphitheatre and she was immediately impressed with the location.(44) Hearst, in turn,
made a move to associate her son with the University, resulting in his initial gift of $42,000, his
name given to the theater and, decades later, support from his company which gave the property
its shape today.
William Randolph Hearst, after dropping out of Harvard and purchasing several publications,
married a young actress by the name of Millicent Wilson. His mother disapproved not only of his
lifestyle, but of his lack of interest in any sort of philanthropic activity.45 There is no record of
Hearst’s desire or intention to fund the Greek Theatre, but rather the implication that “it was
necessary to find some means of appeasing his mother, and second because of his political
involvement, it was to his advantage to demonstrate a public spirited nature.”46 Though his
Designed by John Galen Howard, this was his first, the 1957 backstage complex designed by Ernest Born and landscape improvements designed by Ernest Born (with some level of consultation by Lawrence Halprin). During Howard’s tenure as Supervising Architect at the University, Julia Morgan worked under Howard as his assistant. She helped draw the elevations for the master plan and assisted Howard during the construction of the Greek Theatre.One year after the completion of the Greek Theatre, Julia Morgan opened her own practice.(21) She rebuilt The Fairmont Hotel after the 1906 earthquake.
While the original site was a loosely defined but extensive portion of the lower hills east of the
main Campus Park, subsequent developments on all sides have reduced it to relatively
discrete bounds.
An outdoor space known as “Ben Weed’s Amphitheatre” was used for some campus gatherings
on the same site before Phoebe Hearst, Emile Benard and John Galen Howard reshaped the
campus and set the stage for Howard’s 1903 classical structure which survives today with a high
degree of historical integrity. Howard’s original design was notably more elaborate than the
theater as built, with a roofed colonnade at the upper promenade, but as executed the Greek
Theatre embodied the essentials of a classical theater, following fairly closely the model at
Epidaurus, Greece built in the second half of the Fourth Century B.C.1 Howard’s use of a spare
Doric order, executed in cast-in-place concrete with a thin cement parging visually complements
the relatively unadorned project as executed. Set in the hills above the main campus, it
expressed the contemporary ambitions of establishing a new expression of Western civilization in
the unspoiled landscape of the West.(2)
The structure underwent relatively little change from its construction until after World War II.
In 1957, the only significant alteration occurred, adding a layer of Modernist architecture
and landscape architecture which has become an essential element in the property. Architect
Ernest Born deftly flanked Howard’s original stage backdrop, or skene, on the north, west, and
south with largely subterranean backstage buildings and with landscape architect Lawrence
Halprin tied the site and circulation on the north and south with a series of terraces, ramps,
planting areas, and service spaces. The project reinforced the classical definition of the
amphitheater, its spaces, and vistas, while using a very distinct visual language that allows the
1903 design to read clearly. Few exterior changes have occurred in the half century since the
Born design was executed.
Although his name is on the theater and he spoke at the 1903 dedication ceremonies, William Randolph Hearst was not really personally involved until the renovations in the 1940s. At the 1903
commencement speech, Hearst remarked that “My mother is responsible for the interest that I
have taken in this particular project.”(47) The donation of $42,000 was extraordinarily generous
for the time and set a precedent for future donations to the arts.(48)
Wheeler expressed his enthusiasm for using Ben Weed’s Amphitheatre, then an informal
amphitheater surrounded by a eucalyptus grove. Created by the senior class in
order to perform their yearly rituals, the amphitheater was in a natural hollow surrounded by
mature eucalyptus trees (probably planted in the 1870s).(49) The class simply cut down a
eucalyptus tree in the center of the area and used the stump as a podium. In a letter to William
Randolph Hearst, Wheeler extols the perfect match of the existing landscape to the project:
“The slope of the ground is almost exactly that of the Dionysiac Theater at Athens, and the seats
can be anchored to the ground with a minimum of excavation.”(50) However, comparing
photographs of the landscape of Ben Weed's Amphitheatre. with that of the area
as work on the Greek Theatre was being completed in 1903, it is easy to see that
the clearing did not make as much of a natural amphitheater as was first thought. In April of
1902, the official notification for the plan of the Greek Theatre was announced in the Daily
Californian. The eucalyptus grove with its tree stump podium was to be transformed into a
dignified amphitheater and meeting space. “On April 17, 1902, The Daily Californian carried the
notice that Ben Weed’s Amphitheatre would be remodeled by the University” into a more formalized meeting place for open air functions. Not only would a permanent structure be placed
in the grove, but the new amphitheater would include seats to accommodate 8,000 spectators.(51)
The construction of the Greek Theatre did not go smoothly, and the rushed time frame imposed
upon the University was made more urgent when Wheeler convinced his good friend President
Theodore Roosevelt to speak at the University’s commencement ceremonies during a planned
presidential tour of California. Since Wheeler, Roosevelt, and Phoebe Hearst expected the
theater to be complete in May of 1903, the initial clearing of brush and trees in December of 1902
did not bode well. Phoebe Hearst, however, had signed a contract with the construction
company of Lindgrin-Hicks that guaranteed that not only would the theater be completed by
July 1st, but that “enough of the theatre would be complete to accommodate the President’s
appearance.”(52) Once excavation had begun, it was discovered that the ground was much more
irregular than had been originally thought and “considerably more earth had to be removed to
achieve the symmetry necessary to maintain the acoustics as well as the even curve of the
architectural plan."(53) So much time was spent digging out the land and leveling off the stage
location that construction for the tiers and the seats did not begin until April of 1903.(54) Though
work was being done as quickly as possible, no concrete had been poured by the middle of April.
The first concrete was finally brought in via donkey cart on April 18th.(55) Preparations for the
1903 Commencement aside, there was still a large amount of construction to be done before the
Greek Theatre could be declared complete. Despite the “crew of fifty workmen (who) labored
overtime hours and weekends”(56) much of the structure was temporary. The weight and size of
the foundation required to support the performance area was so massive that the contractors did
not even try to complete the concrete work for the commencement. Rather, a temporary stage of
wood was erected, and a “skeletal suggestion of the finished product” was created with the
wooden forms.(57)
Theodore Roosevelt was slated to speak at the commencement; however, the first performance
held at the Greek Theatre was somewhat less dignified than The Regents had planned. Two days
prior to graduation, on May 12, 1903 the senior class took over the temporary stage to present
their Extravaganza: Knight of Ye Burnt Pretzel. The production, a satire based on Beaumont
and Fletcher’s Knight of the Burning Pestle which had been presented in Harmon Gymnasium
by the Stanford English Club a few months earlier. (58) Though some of the seats in the middle
sections were too wet to sit on, the impromptu audience made do with the nearly complete
theater.
By the 14th of May, decorations from the senior class Extravaganza were taken down, and
although the theater itself was still not competed, it was temporarily costumed for the
ceremonies in which Roosevelt was to give his dedication. In fact, it was architect Julia Morgan
who was responsible for the Greek Theatre being presentable at all. Morgan, who with the
assistance of “millions of yards of muslin to cover up the unfinished parts managed to create an
impressive setting for the commencement, even though it little resembled the actual theater
plan.”(59) Every effort went into the preparation and presentation at the Greek Theatre’s opening
day. Morgan had installed her decorations and “…garlands had been hung and a covered
platform had been erected for the guest speakers. The concrete tiers of seats had all dried
sufficiently to be used.”(60)
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| U.S. President Theodore Roosevelt, whom Wheeler knew from his days in New York, was invited to address the UC's graduating class of 1903. The Greek Theatre was not quite finished, but commencement took place there anyway. |
The San Francisco Chronicle also reported on the commencement: "In a great walled amphitheater such as has scarcely existed in the world since the memory days of Greece, one whose only roof was a perfect sky, azureous as that above Athens, President Roosevelt delivered the most striking and interesting address of his series of speeches in California."
Sarah Bernhardt performed in May 17, 1906 in a production of Jean Racine's "Phaedre" as a way to rebuild public morale and benefit for victims of the San Francisco earthquake and fire.
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| Sarah Bernhardt at The Greek, May 17, 1906 |
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| Sarah Bernhardt at The Greek, May 17, 1906 by Arnold Genthe 1869-1942 |
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| Sarah Bernhardt |
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| Commencement 1920 |
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| 1920 postcard |
In 1934, the second act of William Shakespeare's "A Midsummer Night's Dream" was staged there by promoter and producer Max Reinhardt, whose production of the play was later made into a popular film. The first act was performed on campus in the Faculty Glade, and then the cast, holding torches, led audience members to the Greek Theatre, where the rest of the play, illuminated by the torches, was performed. The cast included such stars as Olivia De Haviland and the then 14 year old Mickey Rooney.
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| 1940 linen postcard |
A KRON-TV News report from 1969 at UC Berkeley's graduation ceremony in the Hearst Greek Theater features scenes of a protest speech against California's Governor Ronald Reagan and police conduct during the struggle for People's Park. Also includes views of watching crowds and students graduating wearing gas masks. Here's the link to the video: https://diva.sfsu.edu/collections/sfbatv/bundles/189603
A KQED News report from U.C. Berkeley's Greek Theatre on May 12, 1970 featured a speech by Ken Kesey, about the media's negative influence on society. He states a belief that: "The media exists on conflict and confrontation" and offers ways for social protesters to avoid being exploited by the press. Here's the link to the video: https://diva.sfsu.edu/collections/sfbatv/bundles/189504
The largest rally of the year is the Big Game Bonfire Rally, held at the Greek Theatre before Big Game, the annual football competition between UC Berkeley and Stanford University.
A KRON-TV
News report from 1969 at UC Berkeley's graduation ceremony in the
Hearst Greek Theater features scenes of a protest speech against
California's Governor Ronald Reagan and police conduct during the
struggle for People's Park. Also includes views of watching crowds and
students graduating wearing gas masks. Here's the link to the video:
https://diva.sfsu.edu/collections/sfbatv/bundles/189603
A KQED News report from U.C. Berkeley's Greek Theatre on
May 12, 1970 featured a speech by Ken Kesey, about the media's negative
influence on society. He states a belief that: "The media exists on
conflict and confrontation" and offers ways for social protesters to
avoid being exploited by the press. Here's the link to the video:
https://diva.sfsu.edu/collections/sfbatv/bundles/189504
The
largest rally of the year is the Big Game Bonfire Rally, held at the
Greek Theatre before Big Game, the annual football competition between
UC Berkeley and Stanford University.
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| Neil and Bob 1988 Greek |
Jerry performed here on
8/30/87
7/10/88
8/26/89
8/5/90
and with The Grateful Dead:
10/1/67
10/20/68
9/11/81
9/12/81
9/13/81
5/21/82
5/22/82
5/23/82
5/13/83
5/14/83
5/15/83
7/13/84
7/14/84
7/15/84
6/14/85
6/15/85
6/16/85
6/20/86
6/21/86
6/22/86
6/19/87
6/20/87
6/21/87
7/15/88
7/16/88
7/17/88
8/17/89
8/18/89
8/19/89
1. Robertson, Greek and Roman Architecture, p 166.
2. Helfand, The Campus Guide, p 17.
21. www.hearstcastle.org, Julia Morgan.
42. Ibid., p 254.
46. Ibid., p 44.
47. Ibid., p 50.
48. Cal Performances Centennial, p 33.
49. The exact date when eucalyptus trees were planted is not known, but Harry Butterfield, a horticultural specialist with the University of California cooperative extension service during the first half of the 20th century, noted that Joseph Rowell, a former archivist for the campus, told him that "all of the eucalyptus trees by the Greek Theatre and along the slope near the Library were growing when he came to campus in September of 1873" (Taylor and Butterfield, p 116). Butterfield credited the Reverend Samuel Wiley, who began a nursery on his property (at present-day College and Dwight Way) in 1863-64, with planting the trees: " . . . Reverend Wiley used to refer to the trees on the slope near the Greek Theatre with a sweep of his hand, saying 'All of these came from my planting'" (pp 116-17).
50. Cal Performances Centennial, p 18.
51. Ibid., p 41.
52. Wardrip, A Western Portal of Culture, p 50.
53. Berkeley Daily Gazette, April 23, 1903, quoted in Wardrip, p 51.
54. Ibid.
55. Ibid.
56. Ibid.
57. Wardrip, A Western Portal of Culture, p 51.
58. Wardrip, A Western Portal of Culture, p 52.
59. Ibid., p 52.
60. Ibid., p 53
