Needs and Dreams: the Hearst Greek Theatre in the 19o0s

Prior to the existence of the William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre, the site was utilized in its natural state for student activities. To begin, insight will be drawn from an interview with Warren Charles Perry. Perry was a University of California, Berkeley alum of 1907 and later a faculty of UC Berkeley’s School of Architecture who was interviewed about his first-hand knowledge/experience of the Greek Theatre and its development in the early 1900s.[1] According to Perry, the site of the Hearst Greek Theatre was formerly referred to as Ben Weed’s Amphitheatre, where celebrations such as senior events took place.[2] An analysis of Perry’s interview suggests that over time, it became clear that Ben Weed’s Amphitheatre could no longer be used as a makeshift gathering place. It is here where the story of the Greek Theatre in the 1900s begins.

In order to discern the reason for the construction of the Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley, knowledge from William Dallam Armes, a Berkeley alum and later faculty of the university’s English department, will be discussed. Armes notes that the theatre’s construction was to fulfill a practical purpose, driven by “a real need of the institution.”[3] Armes’ identification of the reasoning behind the construction of the Hearst Greek Theatre suggests that as a growing institution, UC Berkeley lacked a permanent site of gathering that could hold a large capacity of people. The UC administration, especially UC President Benjamin Ide Wheeler, believed the answer lay in the creation of a Greek Theatre.[4] Financial support to build the theatre came from William Randolph Hearst, with encouragement from his mother, University benefactress Phoebe A. Hearst.[5] The architect of the Hearst Greek Theatre was John Galen Howard, and he more generally served as the supervising architect for the design of the University of California, Berkeley from 1901-1922.[6]

In building the Hearst Greek Theatre, Howard took inspiration from the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus in Greece for both aesthetic and logistical reasons. As Armes describes, the Theatre of Epidaurus was chosen over other ancient theatres because its design was the most well preserved and because its structure was best suited to be recreated in Berkeley.[7] Howard largely modeled the Hearst Greek Theatre after the Ancient Theatre of Epidaurus in Greece, as showcased by his inclusion of features such as the stage, orchestra, Doric columns, and classic cornice[8]. However, Howard did not simply copy and paste the Greek model, as some modifications departed from ancient Greek architecture. For instance, A.R. Milligan, in his work “Reports from the Classical Field,” mentions that the stage in the Hearst Greek theater was larger in proportion to the theater compared to the Greek stage.[9] Moreover, Armes mentions that Howard also took inspiration from ancient Roman architecture, as evidenced by Howard’s inclusion of a seat arrangement that mimics that of a Roman theatre in order to ensure that audience members have a good view of the stage regardless of their seat.[10] The Hearst Greek Theatre was completed in 1903 and features ancient Greco-Roman architecture. Taken altogether, it is clear that while Howard’s design was greatly influenced by the Theatre of Epidaurus, he also deterred from replicating it exactly as to account for The Hearst Greek Theatre’s purpose in Berkeley.

Another important aspect in the story of the Hearst Greek Theatre in the 1900s is whose needs it served in the early 1900s. As earlier mentioned, primary sources indicate that the main purpose of the Hearst Greek Theatre during its inception was to establish a campus meeting facility. In practice, this meant the usage of the Hearst Greek Theatre for events such as commencement ceremonies. For instance, the San Francisco Chronicle published a news article in 1904 detailing how commencement day would be held at the Greek Theatre and be celebrated with all the conventional academic pomp.[11] The article is dedicated to describing the various attendees and celebrations that occurred at the Greek Theater during commencement day in 1904, illustrating how the Greek Theatre was utilized for important, University sanctioned events such as commencement.

Besides its role as the location for graduation ceremonies, the Greek Theatre hosted other events throughout the time period of its construction in 1903 until 1910. To elaborate on this point in further detail, insight from Mark Allen Wardrip’s dissertation “A Western Portal of Culture: The Hearst Greek Theatre of the University of California, 1903-1984” will be utilized. Admittedly, Wardrip’s work is a secondary source, but it is necessary to draw on since primary sources do not cover all aspects about which communities utilized the Greek Theatre for what purposes during the 1900s. By the end of the decade, the Hearst Greek Theater came to be utilized as a multi-purpose campus facility for a wide variety of outdoor events. The Greek Theatre was utilized as a “concert platform, a forum, a stage, a classroom, a campus center, and a convocation site” used by UC Berkeley and the local community alike.[12] Due to the growing popularity of the Hearst Greek Theatre, UC Berkeley’s Greek Theatre Committee established guidelines and procedures for what events could be held at the Greek Theatre by 1908. This contributed to a decrease in the number of events held at the Greek Theatre compared to during its earlier years, since there were additional rules associated with which programs could be held at the Theatre. For instance, the Committee held that performances needed to be of educational value.[13] Crucially, these guidelines affected the wider community, since non-University groups could access the Greek Theatre only “with at least one month’s notice and the unanimous approval of the Committee."[14] Based on this information from Wardrip, it is clear that UC Berkeley was responsible for a shift in the access to the Hearst Greek Theatre from its establishment in 1903 until 1910. Importantly, it can be observed how UC Berkeley sought to achieve greater control and authority over what occurred in the Greek Theatre and by whom.

The first piece of historical context that can help establish the historical context of the Hearst Greek Theatre is that motivation for constructing the Greek Theatre was due in part to a broader movement of constructing outdoor theatres. For example, Lina Jewell states that the enthusiasm for building theatres “was an outgrowth of an early 20th-century movement promoting the benefits of staging drama in undisturbed nature, to enhance the spiritual and civic life of all community members, rich or poor.”[15] This historical context is useful because it shows how the construction of the Hearst Greek Theater was driven by a larger movement in America to create a space to facilitate unity among community members of varying backgrounds.

In the 1900s, UC Berkeley sought to establish and prove itself as a premier university in California. During this time period, there was growing public sentiment about the superiority of California and its potential. As exemplified by sayings as Berkeley being representative of the ‘Athens of the West’, UC Berkeley was poised to take advantage of the physical features of California and the promise of new beginnings in order to further cement itself as California’s university.[16] Moreover, by achieving this reputation, UC Berkeley could help California take its place as a world leader. Relatedly, the historical context from Sally B. Woodbridge that Theodore Roosevelt was scheduled to be a commencement speaker at Greek Theatre in 1903 shows how there was hightened pressure to completing the Greek Theatre in time for President Roosevelt's attendance. In fact, the project for the Greek Theatre was finished quickly, given that it began in 1902 and was completed in the following year. This can show how the University was racing against time to finish the theatre for not only practical purposes, but also to prove itself and fulfill public perception about the idea of the University’s potential.

This historical context is also connected with the conceptual context that was discussed in class: UC Berkeley as an elite establishment. This conceptual framework helps demonstrate how the University has wielded both meanings of elite in that it is “both academically rigorous and also in pursuit of normative power structures.”[17] This concept is present in the story of the Hearst Greek Theatre and helpful for interpreting why what happened at the Greek Theatre is significant.

Finally, conceptual context about how buildings can convey cultural meaning is useful in interpreting the meaning of this story. Dagmar Motycka Weston, in her article “Greek Theatre as an Embodiment of Cultural Meaning,” expresses how Greek society valued theatre as a sacred institution.[18] Moreover, the ancient theatres in Greece were important in that they reflected Greek culture by inclusion of Greek cosmology, mythology, religion, and ritual through architecture and by means of how the building was utilized. Weston also notes that the Greek Theatre was a “highly democratic institution” that emphasized equal access to all of Greek society.[19] These concepts about ancient Greek theatres are important because it provides context about how the Hearst Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley maintained and/or deviated from this original context.

With consideration to the numerous historical and conceptual context associated with the story of the Hearst Greek Theatre in the 1900s, it is clear that the Hearst Greek Theatre is a product of its time.

To elaborate on the first historical context that was provided, the outdoor movement of the early 1900s certainly played a role in motivating University administrators to consider transforming the natural environment to create an outdoor theatre. Rather than opting for an alternative design for a gathering facility, the University purposely chose to build an outdoor theatre, indicating that it was influenced by the movement to construct theatres.

With regard to the historical context about the University’s reputation in California, the relationship between the Hearst Greek Theatre and the aforementioned context is that the University sought to manipulate the natural landscape in service of demonstrating UC Berkeley’s prestige and capacity. Moreover, the knowledge that Howard and his team were racing against time to complete the construction of the theatre in time for Roosevelt’s commencement address in 1903 also shows the determination of the UC to strengthen and uphold its image.

The relationship between the Hearst Greek Theatre and its story to the conceptual context of UC Berkeley as an elite establishment is that the construction of the Greek Theatre was built in pursuit of this idea. While the primary sources put forward a narrative about the practical needs of the University, it is clear that there were other forces at play in guiding the construction and later the trajectory of the Greek Theatre during the 1900’s. An illustration of this is how, in 1908, the Greek Theatre Committee instated regulations of who could use the Greek Theatre for what purposes. By placing limitations on the accessibility of the Greek Theatre via an authorative body of the University, UC Berkeley perpetuates the concept of how it is an elite establishment.

Lastly, the story of the Hearst Greek Theatre from the time period of 1900 to 1910 is connected to the conceptual context about the cultural meaning of ancient Greek theatres. Much like how Greeks conveyed cultural meaning through their Greek theatres, the University sought to communicate aspirational ideals in the form of the Hearst Greek Theater. Moreover, while Howard and those involved with the project were inspired by Greek architecture, he also included changes that departed from the Greeks, enabling the Greek Theatre to be well-adapted to Berkeley. Moreover, the way in which the Greek Theatre experienced changing rules and regulations beginning in 1908 shows how the Greek Theatre preserves traditional power structures by dictating the accessibility of the facility. This departs from how ancient Greek theatres were a democratic institution where all of society had a say. Ultimately, this discussion shows how there are similarities as well as points of contrast in the story of the Hearst Greek Theatre and its relationship to cultural meaning of ancient Greek theatres.

In contemporary discourse, the story of the Hearst Greek Theatre in the 1900s is probably given little thought. Indeed, countless people come and go to the Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley throughout the year for various events and purposes. However, the story of the Hearst Greek Theatre in the 1900s is significant because it can enhance our understanding of UC Berkeley’s place in American culture. The official narrative of the Hearst Greek Theatre from primary sources in the 1900s advances the reasoning that the Greek Theatre was conceived for practical purposes. However, this official narrative is limited, as it does not account for other developments pertaining to the Hearst Greek Theatre during that time period. Specifically, the historical and conceptual context of this story enables us to understand how UC Berkeley strategically devised the Hearst Greek Theatre to support its reputation and image as California’s premier university. This understanding can be applied more generally to other buildings on UC Berkeley’s campus, not just the Hearst Greek Theatre. Ultimately, this story suggests that the University aims to convey cultural meaning and aspirational ideals through its built environment. Most importantly, the story of the Greek Theatre and its intersecting feature reveals that UC Berkeley’s function extends beyond merely serving as an academic institution— it demonstrates how UC Berkeley reflects and reinforces the values of progress and civilization that are so deeply regarded in American culture.

Overall, the story of the Hearst Greek Theatre in the 1900s expresses the University's efforts to build upon achivements of the past (e.g. through its incorporation of Greek architecture), in addition to its committment to realize a planned future that ensures UC Berkeley's legacy.