The Maitland Theatre

332 Stockton St. | map |

Opening: September 22, 1919, a project of actor/director Arthur Maitland. It was referred to as both the Maitland Theatre and the Maitland Playhouse in news items. The theatre was in the Wiltshire Hotel, on the northeast corner of Stockton and Campton Pl. Campton is between Post and Sutter. 

 

Seating capacity: Unknown

 

 

The Wiltshire, and the 332 address of the Maitland, is seen above Campton Pl. in this detail from the 1913 Sanborn fire insurance map. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating it. Stockton St. is along the left, Sutter St. across the top. 

 

 

A September 22, 1919 story about the opening with a bill of four one acts. Come for a matinee and have tea in the lounge. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating this for a Facebook thread about the theatre on Ken's Movie Page.

 

A September 22, 1919 story in the Examiner located by Ken McIntyre.  

 

 

An October 12, 1919 story in the Examiner about the theatre's "gay little tea room." Thanks to Patrick Carroll for locating this. 

 

 

An October 13, 1919 article about a production of "The Master" that was located by Ken McIntyre. 

 

 

A kid gets away with $80. Thanks to Patrick Carroll for locating this February 26, 1920 story in the Chronicle.

 

"Ungrateful Actors" was the headline for a story in the February 28, 1920 issue of the paper Organized Labor. Thanks to Art Siegel for locating it via the California Digital Newspaper Collection. The copy about the Maitland: 

 

"At the present time are two theaters in San Francisco, small in size and still smaller in business methods, employing non-union help in every department. One is the Maitland Theater at 332 Stockton street; the other is the Players' Club Theater, on Bush street, near Octavia. Every possible effort to have union men employed has met with failure, the old worn-out, threadbare excuse, generally used by promoters that the performances are for 'educational' purposes, being given in this case for the employment of non-union musicians, stage hands and other help."

 

Captured after "a thrilling chase." A robbery attempt was foiled in March 1920. Thanks to Patrick Carroll for locating the story. 

 

An April 1920 ad located by Ken McIntyre for "The Man Who Married a Dumb Wife." Ken included it in a Facebook thread about various San Francisco theatres in 1920 on Ken's Movie Page. 

A February 1921 ad Ken located for a production of "Trilby."

 

Society ladies attended a 1921 production of "The Willow Tree." Thanks to Ken McIntyre for locating the Examiner item.

The Maitland got a listing in this 1921 San Francisco Greeters Guide. Thanks to Kevin Walsh for sharing the image of this page from a copy in his collection.

Closing: March 1922. Art Siegel has the report: "Seems the theater closed in 1922 after 3 seasons, when Arthur Maitland packed up and headed east to pursue fame and fortune." It's in neither the 1922 or 1923 city directories.

Status: The building the Maitland was in has survived. It's now the Taj Campton Place Hotel. 

 

The building in 2021. That's Campton Place on the right. It's a photo from the hotel's Twitter account.

More information: There isn't any yet.

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