727 Commercial St. | map |
Opening: Perhaps 1852. The location was a block south of Portsmouth Square on the south side of the street just west of Kearny. Commercial St. runs
east/west between Sacramento St. and Clay St. It was cut through
in 1850 as an extension of Long Wharf. Dupont St. became Grant
Avenue in 1906. Thanks to John Lumea for determining the address.
Frank L. Fenton's 1942 Stanford thesis "San Francisco Theater, 1849-1859" noted on page 9 that two companies ran seasons in 1852. One was the season of a French company of popular dancer Mme. Dizier that opened on September 13. The following night was the opening of a company headed by someone by the name of Binghan. French drama was offered every Sunday. Fenton notes that these groups performed into 1853. A season under the management of a Mme. Felice opened September 13, 1853.
The Union got a mention on page 155 of Helen Throop Purdy's 1912 book "San Francisco - As It Was - As It Is - And How To See It." It's on Google Books.
"In
the old Union Theatre on Commercial Street, above Kearny, little Lotta
Crabtree sang and danced her way into the hearts of the miners..."
The theatre got a listing under "Places of Amusement" on page 235 of the 1854 city directory. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating it via Internet Archive:
"UNION THEATRE -- (French) -- Commercial street, above Kearny. Open every Sunday evening."
June 26, 1854 was a reopening under the management of actress Laura Keene. Her career is discussed on page 207 of "The Cambridge History of American Theatre," edited by Don B. Wilmeth and Christopher Bigsby. The page is included in the preview on Google Books. The discussion of Keene is in a chapter by Douglas McDermott titled "Structure and Management in the American Theatre." After performing and managing in Baltimore she decided to come west. He notes:
"....Keene may have decided to explore other possibilities by going west, where, it was said, amorous miners pelted actors with gold nuggets. Whatever the reason, she arrived in San Francisco 2 April 1854... Struggling as a starring actress, she turned to management.
"The American, one of San Francisco's two major theatres, was to be torn down. So Keene leased a minor theatre, the Union (used once a month for performances by French-speaking amateurs) and opened on 22 June [sic] with actors dispossessed from the American....
The Union got some pre-opening coverage on page one in the "Musical-Theatrical" column of the June 22, 1854 Daily Alta California. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating the item via the California Digital Newspaper Collection website:
"UNION THEATRE -- Laura Keene will open the Union Theatre, on Commercial street, on Monday evening next. Extensive repairs, decorations and alterations are now in progress, which will render this establishment one of the neatest and most beautiful theatres in the country. The manageress, who has given evidence of her business talents as such in Baltimore, and whose chaste and elegant presentations as an actress made her the reigning attraction at the best managed theatre in the United States, (Wallack's) and have won for her the admiration of the appreciative lovers of the dramatic art in this city, intends producing comedies of the old and modern school, legitimate plays, well-established stock pieces and choice burlesques, in a style of perfection, in study, dress and appointments, that has hitherto been too much overlooked in this city.
"The acting company of the theatre will be as follows, embracing many well-known favorites: - Miss Laura Keene, Miss Caroline Chapman, Mrs. C. Claughley, Mrs. Ann Kerr Hunt, Mrs. Hamilton, Miss Josephine, Messrs. Phelps, Mann, Geo. Spear, Wilder, Coad, Hamilton, McCabe, Baker, Dumphries, and others. The orchestra will be under the direction of Mr. John Dean. Miss Keene intends sparing no pains, expense, or exertions to make the Union an elegant resort for the lovers of the drama."
More was revealed in the June 25, 1854 Daily Alta California. Thanks to Art for locating this on the CNDC site:
"UNION THEATRE. -- Most extensive repairs and thorough changes have been made in this establishment, and it is now a. neatly arranged and as pretty a theatre as there is in the United States. Miss Laura Keene, the enterprising managress and superior actress, has spared neither labor nor expense in fitting up this elegant temple of the drama with a view to the production of pieces in the choicest style, free from the imperfections which have often marred stage productions in California.
"The theatre will be opened with a fine stock company to-morrow evening, and we are much mistaken if the play-going public do not appreciate the endeavors which Miss Keene has made, and will continue to make, for their gratification."
Keene's season at the Union ended abruptly at the end of July, 1854. The performances at the Union under Keene's tenure are discussed on page 207 of "The Cambridge History of American Theatre":
"It was a strong company, featuring local favorites William and Caroline Chapman and David 'Doc' Robinson. However, it was not a group skilled in her repertory. Keene adapted herself, appearing in topical burlesques written for her by Robinson ('The Lioness of the North,' 'The Camp at the Union'), slowly adding a few of her regular roles (Beatrice, Pauline) and experimenting for the first time with spectacular melodrama ('The Sea of Ice'). The theatre seemed to prosper through the end of July, and, though she was announced in the bills for 1 August, did not appear, sailing instead for Australia with Edwin Booth and D.C. Robinson..."
This item located by Art Siegel via the CDNC site appeared in the "By Telegraph To The Union" column of the August 2, 1854 Sacramento Daily Union:
"San Francisco - August 1... Miss Laura Keene left for Australia to-day in the brig M. A. Jones, and the Sheriff took possession of the property of the Union Theater this evening."
Ms. Keene returned to San Francisco in March 1855 and leased the American Theatre for a successful season running from April to July. After closing out the season and appearing at farewells and benefits, she sailed for New York on August 1, 1855.
The theatre was then in use by other companies. It gets several mentions about productions in the late 1850s in Frank L. Fenton's 1942 Stanford thesis "San Francisco Theater, 1849-1859." There are several snippets on Google Books.
Ferdinand Gilbert, E.G. Bert, and one other partner took over the theatre in October 1863, initially calling it Gilbert's New Idea Melodeon. Gilbert had been running Gilbert's Melodeon at Clay and Kearny until November 1862. He had sold his interest in that venue so he could do some traveling but was back in San Francisco by mid-1863 and, in addition to the Union, also became involved in The Willows, a resort at 18th and Mission.
Thanks to John Lumea for the research about Gilbert in "The Emperor Was Not Amused," his article for the Emperor Norton Trust. As John notes, Gilbert seemed to be always involved in more than one theatrical venture at a time. By December 1863 Gilbert had opened a new Gilbert's Museum and Menagerie on Market St. near Montgomery.
It's unknown how long Gilbert was associated with this house on Commercial St. Soon his former partner E.G. Bert was running the theatre and calling it Bert's New Idea Melodeon. By 1867 Bert had also taken over the theatre at Clay and Kearny, by then called the Olympic.
Chinese drama at the New Idea / Union: Chinese companies played the house beginning in 1865. In "Celestial Drama in the Golden Hills: The Chinese Theatre in California 1849-1869" (California Historical Society Quarterly, June 1944, v. 23 #2) author Lois Rodecape mentions the Union:
"... During the middle sixties there were two Chinese theatres in more or less permanent operation in San Francisco: one located on Dupont Street [the Son Son Fong], the other a few blocks away on Jackson [the Royal / Old Chinese]. Occasionally a Chinese company still found its way briefly into an Occidental playhouse. Thus, in March 1865, a group of actors, jugglers, and acrobats was billed at the 'New Idea' Theatre -- the old Union in new disguise -- where they appeared for a week or two. In June of 1865, a theatre was fitted up on the first floor of the Globe Hotel at Dupont and Jackson Streets. [See the page on the Globe Chinese.]
"The fall of 1867 marked the beginning of a first period of recognized prosperity for the Chinese drama. After a newly imported troupe took over the old Union Theatre, some interested reporter dug up, along with information about the major San Francisco houses, some figures on receipts of "the Chinese Theatre." According to his tantalizingly vague report, the Chinese drama grossed $5,365 in September, $9,102 in October, $6,199 in November, and $4,016 in December. We may interpret this at will, bearing in mind that there were at this time players at the Globe Hotel, and two other theatres [sic] listed in the city directory, in addition to the new Union Theatre company, to which the statistics probably apply.
"More definite was the announcement, in November, that a new theatre was to be built for the successful Union Theatre players. One John Apel, owner of a lot on the north side of Jackson Street, between Dupont and Kearny, had been persuaded by Chinese financiers to erect a two-story brick building at a cost of $40,000 for the specific use of the Union Theatre company." [See the page on the Royal / Old Chinese Theatre.]
Thanks to Mark Reed for locating the article. A slight quibble. In the 1867 city directory there were only two listed as "Chinese Theatre." One was the Globe Hotel operation, listed as at the NW corner of Dupont and Jackson. The other was the Son Son Fong, listed as being on the east side of Dupont between Clay and Washington. The Union was listed, but as the New Idea Theatre, not as a Chinese venue.
The theatre was listed as "Chinese Theatre" in various city directories in the late 1860s.
There were roof problems in 1869. This item was located by Art Siegel in the middle of a column of miscellaneous news items in the May 10, 1869 Daily Alta California:
"Falling in of a Roof.— The roof of the Chinese Theatre, on Commercial street, between Kearny and Dupont streets, fell in at an early hour yesterday morning, fortunately doing no damage further than completely burying a portion of the scenery used in the terrible dramas produced at this place of amusement. During the day workmen were busily employed in removing the debris, and doubtless the play will go on as usual to-night. This is said to be the fourth time a similar accident has occurred at the same place."
Another news item located by Art Siegel. This one appeared in the October 24, 1870 Daily Alta California:
The theatre was listed again in the 1971 directory as "Chinese Theatre."
Closing: The date is unknown.
More information: Early French language performances were also offered at the Adelphi Theatre. Claudine Chalmers, in a caption on page 36 in her 2007 Arcadia book "French San Francisco" asserts that the 1st Adelphi was on Commercial St., evidently confusing it with the Union Theatre. There's a preview of the book on Google Books.
See the timeline for the pre-1906 Chinese theatres down at the bottom of the page for the Grand Chinese, a venue on Washington St. That page also has links to various resources that discuss early Chinese theatres.
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