The Story of Lobero Theatre

}

f

WINTER. 1965

NOTICIA5 QUARTERLY BULLETIN OF THE SANTA BARBARA HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Beggar on Horseback

By Reginald Faletti The year nineteen hundred and sixty-four marks the fortieth anniversary of the completion of the new Lobero Theatre.

On August fourth, forty years ago, the Theatre was opened with the presentation by the Community Arts Players, under the able direction of Nina Moise, of a play which was still running as a success on Broadway.

The play, a satirical comedy by George S. Kaufman and Marc Connelly, was entitled “Beggar on Horseback”.

Before coming West, Nina Moise had been directing at the Provincetown Players, an organization which came into being as a result of a casual suggestion by scenic designer Robert Edmund Jones to a group of friends and which developed into one of the more distinguished and success ful of the community theatres.

In 1920, Nina came to Hollywood to take the position of an assistant director at one of the motion picture studios. In those days, engagements of this type sometimes were of short duration, and it was not very long before the studio closed temporarily. As fortune would have it, Nina had just received a telegram from Santa Barbara, asking her to direct a play.

She accepted and came to Santa Barbara to direct “Country Cousin” at the Potter Theatre, in which the leading lady was Isabelle Ferguson Greenway, later to become a Congresswoman of the United States from Arizona. Next came an offer by Albert Herter to direct his production of “Mary Magdalene”, which, after some hesitation, for she still felt she would like to return to Hollywood, she accepted.

One thing led to another, and finally Nina decided to abandon her ideas of a career in the motion picture studios and stay in Santa Barbara. She then proceeded to direct a series of plays, all at the Potter Theatre. It was through Nina, aptly urged and abetted by his sister, Margaret Carrington, that Walter Huston was persuaded to take a part in the play “Boomerang”.

Walter and his wife were in vaudeville at that time, and it was his sister’s firm conviction that he was wasting his time “as a song and dance man and that he had in him the makings of a very fine actor.

Margaret Carrington, who, many years later, was to marry Robert Edmond Jones, maintained a home and a studio in Montecito. She was well known in the professional world, and many young actors and singers who later were to become famous came to her for coaching, including Roland Young and John Barrymore while he was preparing for “Hamlet”. She was 1

of great help to Nina in taking over people who ha,d special problems with voice and speech. It was in her studio that Walter Huston rehearsed and, in the early stages, only on those occasions when he could be dragged from the golf course. However, as rehearsals progressed, he became more and more interested and enthusiastic, with the result that the play was a tremendous success and marked the beginning of his legitimate stage career. He next appeared in Brock Pemberton’s “Mr. Pitt” in New York and, while the play did not succeed, Walter Huston was a great success and his performance set him on the road to stardom.

In 1922, a group of far-seeing and generous citizens, vitally interested in bringing to Santa Barbara all that could be learned from other lands, sent Nina abroad to study the theatre in Europe. She visited the theatres in Berlin and Munich, where she was given the opportunity of learning about the mechanics of the theatre, which, at that time, were considered almost more important than the play itself. No production was considered worthy of serious consideration unless it had its complement of revolving stages, wagon stages, hydraulic stages and electric “horizonts”, as they were called.

In 1923, after closing the season at the Potter, Nina w'ent to New York and, as a result of this trip, it was decided to open the new Lobero Theatre with a production of “Beggar on Horseback”.

Fortunately, the play was owned by Winlhrop Ames, a frequent visitor to Santa Barbara and a man of vision, whose interest in the theatre was more than selfish, and arrangements were made with him to allow the Community Arts Players to produce the play. This probably marked the first time that a much-discussed Broadway success was allowed to be pre sented in a remote section of America while it was still at the height of its popularity in New York.

Credit for this accomplishment must go first, of course, to the owner of the play for his vision, and second, to Miss Moise and the Drama Com mittee for their enthusiasm and qualities of persuasion. Mr. Ames was most cooperative in allowing our director not only to see the New York production as often as she wished, but to go backstage and take measurements of the sets and obtain all the technical information she desired. This was of tre mendous assistance in the Santa Barbara production, for the play, with its series of fantastic dream scenes, a large cast and elaborate staging, was an undertaking that might well have intimidated a less courageous director.

Roland Young, who was playing the lead in the New York production and who had been with the Provincetown Players when Nina was directing there, begged her not to undertake a production that had taken professionals three weeks of running in on the road before it was considered ready for Broadway. But there was no stopping Nina!

Volunteers were recruited as stage managers to handle the large cast and the properties and to maintain order in the wings. Hamilton McFadden, who for a time had played the part of the poet in the Broadway production was engaged as assistant director and was placed in charge of the electncial switchboard, recently selected in New York by Nina to handle the eighty five light cues, not one of which was missed on opening night.

It took the services of twenty professional stagehands to build the production and to rehearse and run the performances. As scene changes, 2

all twelve of them, were made in the dark with the curtain up. Nina re hearsed the crew for a full week on this particular phase of the production alone, in order to accomplish the changes quickly and without noise. Be cause of the nature of this production, the services of David Imboden were engaged as technical director in charge of all mechanical and technical de tails of the production. The backstage organization was so good that the running time of the Santa Barbara performance was fifteen minutes less than that in New York!

Robert Hyde loaned antiques from his famous studio in the adobe now owned and occupied by the Santa Barbara Foundation. Furniture, lights and costumes were borrowed from other shops and homes. All lent generously. Truckloads of flowers were brought in for the performances from the John J. Mitchell estate. Volunteers were enlisted to help with the costumes and to help in carrying out the myriad details that were a j)art of a production of this size and complexity. All told, there were nineteen individuals who assisted in costumes and stage decorations, ten others who assisted in details of production and over forty individuals and firms who lent their services and facilities to help make the production the success it was. A truly massive and remarkable participation by a community which, forty years ago, was nowhere near the size it is today!

The task of selecting and rehearsing the cast of sixteen men and five women was, of course, that of the director. To do this successfully with amateurs requires patience, courage and intuition—an intuition that will lead to the selection of someone who has had little or no acting experience to fill a role which many a veteran professional might find challenging.

It was such an intuition that led Nina to select Arthur Bliss, Gertrude Wesselhoeft Hoffman and her young daughter, Gertrude, to play three of the leading roles.

Arthur Bliss, a young Englishman, who had only recently come to California with his father, was chosen to play the lead, that of Neil McRae, a young and gifted composer. This young man, who had had almost no previous acting experience, was an individual of extraordinary talent and a concert pianist. In the play he is called up on to play the music he has composed for a pantomime. In the New York production, Roland Young sat down at the piano and the orchestra did the rest. But in Santa Barbara, Arthur Bliss not only played the music in the scene beautifully, but gave an outstanding performance throughout the play. Later that year he was to conduct his “Colour” symphony in the Hollywood Bowl and in 1950 he was knighted by the King of England for his great contributions as a com poser and conductor to the music of England.

The casting of the sympathetic young ingenue, Cynthia Mason, was not an easy task, for not only did she have to be attractive, but, more im portant, she had to complement and support the role of McRae. Arthur Bliss, having been cast, was anxious and sometimes impatient to have the part filled, but Nina was not to be rushed and, here again, her extraordincyy intuition came into play. She insisted on waiting, for she remembered having seen a young girl whom she was convinced was just right for the role, but who w ould not be graduated from college until about two weeks after rehearsals had started. The young girl was Gertrude Hoffmann. George Pierce Baker, the founder of the teaching of drama in the United States at Harvard, 3

who later went on to establish the Yale Drama School, after seeing her first performance said he saw in her the makings of a great comedy actress.

Alas for the English speaking stage she w'as never to realize this potential, for she and Arthur fell in love and were married.

Gertrude Wesselhoeft Hoffman as Mrs. Cady! Another outstanding piece of casting. When Mrs. Hoffman, wife of Ralph Hoffman, then Director of the Museum of Natural History, protested that she had never set foot on a stage,Nina told her to stop talking rubbish, because she had been acting all her life. Needless to say, she was a sensation in the part of the wife of an exaggerated type of. American businessman, constantly knittino’ always talking. Years later, Mrs. Hoffman was to crash Hollywood, where for 25 years she was one of the leading character actresses, playing dramatic and comedy roles with many of the greats in the industry.

There were others in that cast brilliantly selected by Nina, who turned in outstanding performances. Bruce Campbell, as Neil McRae’s long time friend, Dr. Ries; Robert Neustadt as Mr. Cady; and Ney Neen Farrell, as his daughter, who later was to achieve success in motion pictures and the Civic Light Opera and who is now one of the important singing teachers in Hollywood; Brainard Beckwith, as the insufferable son of Mr. and Mrs. Cady; Isabel Keith Morrison and Sophia Brownell, who alternated in the part of Miss Hey; and Beatrice Ames, who played Miss You. But let us not forget the memorable pantomine in the second part of scene, the play. Entitled “A Kiss in Xanadu”, it was part of a fantastic dream which slowly and silently loomed up out of a darkened stage to reveal a scene in the royal bedchamber before a great open window, beyond which were a moonlit balustrade and flowers and trees and stars.

A Prince and Princess, bored with the restricted lives their positions imposed upon them, sought adventure in disguise in the moonlit night. They found it unknowingly with each other on a bench in a public park in Xanadu, where, for a few fleeting moments, they recaptured an ecstasy ab sent loo long from their lives. And then the clock struck five and the sun arose and the adventure was over.

Angelica Bryce, delicately beautiful as the Princess, with Ian Wolfe, romantic as her Prince, and the music, always the music, brilliantly played

by Arthur Bliss, accompanying the action throughout the scene. A scene long to be remembered.

At last, after six weeks of rehearsals, came opening night at the New Lobero on the Monday evening of August 4, 192d. The first two performances were reserved in their entirety for members of the Community Arts Associa tion and thereafter, for the two weeks run, the production ran to packed Wisest of the early prophets in the community theatre. Percy Mackaye, wrote in 1909 his dream of a new kind of theatre. “There is participation, there is creative expression, there is neighborly ritual .

Wliile community theatre was not new to Santa Barbara, we believe “Beg-ar on Horseback” achieved a climax in which all the elements dreamed of bv Mackaye existed to a greater degree and to which there was a dedi cation, not only by the cast and those connected directly with the production, but by a large segment of the community.

4

The leading article in the March, 1925 issue of The Lillie Theatre Monthly, devoted to the building and the opening of the new Lobero Theatre, said, in conclusion, that the production of “Beggar on Horseback” and the highly successful productions that followed it fully demonstrated the extra ordinary resources of the playhouse and placed Nina Moise among the lead ing Little Theatre directors and the Community Arts Players among the ablest and most progressive amateur organizations in the country.

Ynez Dibblee Ynez Dibblee, whose story “Fredo of San Julian Ranch” appeared in the Summer, 1964 number of Noticias, was greatly ad mired by her intimate friends. In the community, almost family, entertainments of a half century and more ago she was one of the prime movers and, oftentimes, the central figure. As a boy, T saw her dance on the stage of the old Lobero Opera House at the numerous charitable enlertainments and kirmesscs that were a fea ture of our lives in those days. T remember very clearly seeing her as she is portrayed in the accompanying photograph, dance the “Sword Dance” to an enthusiastic audi ence composed largely of her friends and members of her family. Her slender book of poems was to he seen on tables and in bookcases in most of the residences of Santa Barbara. Today, it is a collector’s item of considerable value and is very difficult to obtain.

From her younger sister, Delfina, we have the following sensitive estimate of Ynez.

The Editor

I SHALL TKY to express though inade quately somelhing of the personality of Ynez Dibblee as artist, dancer, poetess, diseuse. Her gifts were numerous, The joy she felt was the true spirit of her creation, and life moved her with this spirit of earth and its beauty.

The artistic soul is self triumphant, and the intangible qualities of her mind and spirit were uppermost in her personality.

May this spirit that was hers be always with us.

DcIfina //. Dihhlcc

o

Jose Lobero

By Hewett Reynolds In the spring of 1864 a new saloon was opened by a young Italian, Jose Lobero. The saloon became popular because of the convivial spirit of Jose Lobero, and because he was able to provide attractive entertainment with his skill in playing on the trombone and other instruments and his lilting singing of Italian airs.

Not much is known of Jose Lobero’s early life. Before coming to Santa Barbara, he was an entertainer in a tavern in San Luis Obispo. It is said that he was lured to California along with the thousands who were drawn here by the lure of gold. At any rate, he was an accomplished musician far above the ordinary; and hearsay has it that at one time he played in an orchestra before the King of Italy.

Spanish music had been the traditional music in Santa Barbara; but the Italian airs were something new. They caught the fancy of the people; and soon Jose Lobero was called on to play for dances and other enter tainments. He gained such favor and prominence that he became known as The Maestro of Santa Barbara. From this arose the plan to build up an orchestra here. At first it was small; but to become an associate of Jose Lobero was a distinction; and eventually, by 1870, it developed into a band of twenty-two pieces.

So this form of entertainment had a wide appeal to the inhabitants of this one-time colony of old Spain, which by this time had become a town in the new State of California. Feminine hearts were especially susceptible to such charms. He became a favorite of the ladies; and this gave him a field to choose from. To him Clara Cota seemed the most lovely; so they were m arried at the Santa Ynez Mission.

Usually marriage is a spur to further ambitions. Such was the case with Jose Lobero. Like most Italians, he was a lover of opera and the theatre. Since the people of Santa Barbara had become so enthusiastic about his music, he thought they would like Opera. However there was no avail able hall. Nevertheless there was a school house on Canon Perdido Street which might be altered and enlarged for such requirements. But the location was not choice; for the adobes in the neighborhood were in a poor state of repair, and the local Chinese, then regarded as inferior beings, had inoved into these houses. Because of these conditions, the price of the school house and the land was cheap. He secured a loan from Col. Hollister and pro ceeded to build a theatre which would compare favorably with those then existing in Santa Francisco. In proportion to the possible patrons of the theatre in Santa Barbara at that time, the proposed length of 125 feet and width of 58 feet seemed adequate. The ceiling was 28 feet high, and the stage was sufficiently large for any entertainment. He was fortunate in securing an artistic and appropriate curtain which had been intended for a theatre in San Francisco. A clipper ship at anchor in the Bay of San Francisco dominated the center! and nearby on the canvass were a side wheeler steamer and several small craft. Lobero himself painted many of the stage sets; and he got boys to grind the pigments for the remunerative wage of fifteen 6

cents a day, with a bonus of plenty of sweet lemonade. The W’ork went along w'ell and early in lf>73 the tlieatre was ready.

Jose Lobero already was enough of a showman to realize that the opening of the theatre must be a crowning success. This could not be realized by relying on a mere stroke of genius, or the rubbing of a magic lamp. He started to recruit casts long before the opening date, and con ducted a long series of rehearsals covering a period of six months. At last, on Washington’s Birthday, 1873, the theatre was opened with a parade by the band, followed by a grand ball. And it was not long before Jose Lobero’s enterprise became the center of life in Santa Barbara.

To rely on local talent from which to recruit the casts for plays was not enough. Although glowing plans to bring a railroad to Santa Barbara in the early seventies had been discussed many times, they had not been brought to completion. So to reach the town it was necessary to rely on stage coaches travelling on rough and dusty roads, or steamships sailing on very uncertain schedules. However, the population was stirring from the languid life of ease which had prevailed since a settlement first was establish ed. Mortimer Cook founded the lirst bank in 1871. Inspired by the suecess of this venture, William Eddy and others founded another bank in 1875. People now had more cash to spend on entertainment and Jose Lobero felt it his mission to try to meet their desires. Accordingly he got in touch, with groups of professionals playing in San hrancisco. He engaged the “Temple Star Alliance to come to present a series of plays at his theatre.

In the repertoire were ‘East Lynne” and "The Irish Doctor”. As a coneluding performance “The Santa Barbara Fireman ’ was played to an enihusiastic house.

Other travelling companies of players made their ap|)earances with varying degrees of success, depending on the skill of the actors. There were often delays in the arrival of ships; so that plays were not put on the stage exactly on schedule. In 1875 Vivian and his troupe missed the “Orizaba”, and the dates of their performances were postponed from January 8 and 9 to January 18 and 19.

It must be remembered that even though the Gold Rush and the open ing of the Comstock Lode brought great wealth to California, there were far fewer well-to-do people then than there are now’. Amusements were not a part of their daily fare. They were distinctly a luxury, llie effect of the |)anic of 1873 gradually spread westward, and in its wake came paralyzing fear. This led to the crash of the “Bank of California”, which dragged other institutions with it. However, Santa Barbara’s two banks remained open owing to the good sense and courage of their managers, who dramatically kept 'numbers of gold pieces in plain view of anxious customers. Never theless, a wave of lightening the purse strings spread everywhere, and many took a second thought before they would purchase a ticket for a play at the Lobero Theatre.

This hit Jose Lobero very hard. In him the artistic sense was dominant; and as in many artists the ability to handle money was decidedly a minus quantity. Even from the days when his saloon was a popular success, nc did not save money. Instead he would often turn it over to drinkers at liis bar who painted bright pictures of quick riches. T'hese so called inveslrnents never turned out well. Even the short lived success of tlie theatre did not 7

bring him prosperity. Instead debl.s piled up. He lost the theatre, and even his saloon. Deep discouragement took hold of him. Always relying on the cheerful effects of wine, he took to heavy drinking. This was no relief. In stead he plunged into deeper dispair. Age laid its heavy hand on him more rapidly. He grew very corpulent and moved with difficulty. Life itself was intolerable. So he died by his own hand—A very tragic fate for one who had brought so many pleasures to the life of Santa Barbara. To this day, the name “Lobero” suggests delightful entertainment.

In subsequent years the theatre was used from time to time for plays and other entertainments; but there was no inspired guiding hand. The building fell into disrepair, and finally was declared unsafe. Eventually it was torn down. However, in the 1920’s, the sense of need of a good theatre arose, and as a result a group of public spirited citizens built the present Lobero Theatre, which fills a unique and cherished spot in the entainment life of Santa Barbara.

The Story of Lobero Theatre

By Ehnestine Koefod The story of Lobero Theatre of our day is a saga of the social life of Santa Barbara and, as a matter of fact, of the nation as a whole during the past four and a half decades. We shall devote ourselves here, however, only to the first decade. It begins in the very early twenties—the period immediately following the first World War, which has variously been des cribed as hectic, as turbulent, as flamboyant. Much of this appellation was no doubt merited, but people also were weary of conflict, of the turmoil of a world on fire. They sought the more humane pursuits, the values that lifted mind and spirit. The theatre seemed to be one of the answers as it had been from time immemorial to man’s seeking of what was real, what was beautiful, what was good. Thus, it seemed a natural phenomenon that a group of amateurs should gather together to produce whatever of fine drama was penned by the dramatists of America and of the world that might be made available to them. The pattern of the quality of plays that have been presented was set at that time to continue down to the present day. No compromise on quality was ever countenanced. Plays were cheer fully selected by play-reading committees to insure that only the best were chosen.

Santa Barbara was unique in that it was then, as it has been since, mecca for many who were gifted .with creative abilities—the Albert Herters, the Henry Eichheims, Victor Mapes. Irving Wills, Reginald Faletti, Henry Profant, Kate Brinton, the Walter Hustons, and many more. They in turn attracted others for varying lengths of stay who were drawn to Santa Bar bara by its intellectual and cultural climate. These marshalled their talents, too, and in the summer of 1920 the first drama committee, the Community Arts Players, was formed under the leadership of Mrs. Michel A. Levy, enthusiastically assisted by Margaret Whittemore and Frank Ingerson as vice-presidents, the chronicler as Recording Secretary, Mrs. L. W. Wilson

8

as Corresponding Secretary, Thomas Hodges as Treasurer, William Ash worth, Albert llerter, S. M. Ilsley, Pearl Chase, R. Mosher, E. Regan, Mrs. Albert Herter, Harry Brainerd, Mrs. George Potter (now Mrs. Sam Stanwood) as directors.

In the Fall of 1920, two sets of three one-act plays were presented with the following well known persons: Harry Brainerd, David Imboden, Inez Dibblee, William Ashworth, Otlelie Hansen, Mary Smith (Mrs. George Washington Smith), Isobel Keith Morrison, Dwight Bridge, George Ray mond, Lockwood de Forest, Jr., and Edward PolTley. These were followed on January 15, 1921, by Victor Mapes’ “The Lame Duck”. A young pro fessional, Edna Schmitt, coached these plays. Albert Herter, savant, artist, aesthete, was Director. The only playhouse availal)le was the Potter Theatre on lower State Street, which subsequently suffered almost complete des truction in the earthquake of 1925.

The opening of the next season, 1922-23, marked the adveiit of Nina Moise as Director. Her fame is legendary in theatre annals of Santa Bar bara. Her first production was Booth Tarkington’s “The Country Cousin” with the beauteous Isabella Ferguson Greenway as the epitome of the name role. Others supporting her were Mabel Wagner, Clara Herbert. James R. H. Wagner. James Ware, Carolyn Hastings, Dwight Bridge, to name but a few. it was a delightful production.

March, 1921, saw the opening of Maeterlinck’s “Pelleas and Melisande”, a breath takingly beautiful production for w’hich dozens and dozens of townspeople gave long hours stencilling costumes and building sets under Albert Herter who, by the way, was the father of Christian Herter of our day. It is worth noting that, from the outset of citywide drama in Santa Barbara, the help of citizens from all Avalks of life has been unstintingly given, back stage as well as on stage. Hardy perennials w'ere Augusta Hazard (Mrs. Danny Roberts), Mrs. Grace Cramer, Robert Hyde, David Im boden, Malcolm Thurburn who designed many of the most beautiful sets, Paul Whitney, Litti Paulding, and Mary Steele, who was prompter for 32 plays. They proved tireless in combing antique shops for properties, in providing costumes, acting as prompters, writing publicity, even delivering tickets. The plays that have been presented could not have achieved their ai●tistic excellence without their help. Dr. Wills and Reginald Faletli. always closely identified with production, are giving further details on the mariy productions that brought fame to Santa Barbara’s thespian endeavors in the fi rst decade of community theatre.

“Pelleas and Melisande” was followed l)y Shaw’s “Pygmalion” (April 30) “Successful Calamity”, Barrie’s “Dear Brutus”, Galsworthy’s “Joy”, “Clarence, the Devil’s Disciple”. “Within the Law” was produced February ●1. 1922, in the chambers of the Superior Court at the Court House! There followed “Arms and the Man” and “Man, The Temple” written by Albert Herter himself, “Alice Sit By the Fire” and “Lulu Bett’, which saw Harrison Ryon added to the already well known regulars that trod the broads. “Enter Madame” was presented in January of 1923. It is one of the plays that people still talk about today. Nina Moise had a genius for casting to type.

She would see someone in a shop or on the street and instantly know that he or she was the perfect selection for a certain role she had in mind.

There was no denying her and she always proved to be correct. Reno Bechio 9

was one of those. He left his fish market for the long and arduous hours that such plays demanded. He was the lead in “Enter Madame”, supported

by Leona Ott, Albert Herter, Paula Gates, Hamilton MacFadden, Harvey Genung and others. The play proved to be a smashing success. It was great fun. The audience revelled in it.

Nina Moise then presented a long list of plays of which “The Boomer ang” headlighted Walter Huston of subsequent movie fame.

Long before this it was apparent that the Players needed a home of their own. More than one turned to the Old Lobero inertly sleeping the dreams of its famous past. It was a charming edifice which had flourished for a number of years under the aegis of Jose Lobero, who had built it in 1872, dedicated it to musical and theatrical performances he himself wrote and produced, to an occasional dance program and to whatever balls were held in this era. From all we can learn, it was a favorite haunt of the gentle senoras and their escorts, who sat in the boxes on a level with the stage, fanning themselves in the rocking chairs placed there for their comfort.

The chairs on the floor of the house and the benches in the tiny horseshoe balcony were always occupied by other faithful devotees.

“So began the history of Lobero Theatre”, wrote Edwin Corle, former member of the Lobero Board in his “Royal Highway”, “and for many years it remained the center of social and cultural life in Santa Barbara. . . . Today modern Santa Barbarans believe that as long as Santa Barbara continues to exist there will always be a Lobero, a testimonial and a monument to the all-sacrificing pioneer.”

In 1922, when Santa Barbara’s population was about 18,000, an appeal for funds to acquire the old adobe theatre was initiated and proved a rewarding one. It was spontaneous and outgiving. Everyone was approach ed for a contribution and everyone gave. Only two persons gave over 1,000 dollars. The remainder was in small amounts. Approximately S180,000 was raised, for which stock in the theatre was issued. This money was used to build the theatre and was administered by a Lobero Theatre Company. In 1929, the theatre was turned over to the Drama Branch, which took over complete responsibility for the management and maintenance of the theatre.

As stated above, the charming old adobe built by Jose Lobero was the choice of almost everyone. It was purchased from the Hollister estate but it was soon learned that the building was no longer structurally sound. The present architectural gem w-as built by George Washington Smith and Lutah Riggs. It has remained timeless and ageless, although there are times when Santa Barbara’s phenomenal growth has caused the directors to wish for a larger seating capacity.

In 1922, the varied allied arts in Santa Barbara combined to form the Community Arts Association. The Community Arts Players became the Drama Branch of the Community Arts Association to join with the Music Branch, the School of the Arts, the Plans and Planting Committee (organized

by Bernard Hoffmann and chairmanned today by Pearl Chase). The ac complishments of all these efforts won the admiration of Henry S. Pritchett, then head of the Carnegie Foundation but domiciled in Santa Barbara. A grant of S25,000 was awarded by the Carnegie Foundation to be distributed 10

I 1

■Af.

I ,r

-is

\

I 4

1

:S.

\

V*

' ^ ' . -f ● '* 13

»

I -CurUt/i^ <~4?♦*»«●»#»●<●#I /

«

:: / ."/ /

r

NINA MOISE Dudley Carpenter came to Santa Barbara in 1919. In 1926, he moved into a studio at 322 E. Canon Perdido Street, where he lived until his death in 1955, at 85 years of age. Many of his portraits, including this one of Miss Moise, were done in red crayon.—Editor.

'DS. iot COfl

Doalgncd br Ualoola Thnrbvirn 3lr«oter, Irting rlclial Har. 13-14-lS, 1930

among the various branches of the Community Arts Association. Naturally the Drama Branch was one of the participating agencies.

It was in August, 1924, that the present theatre had its gala opening with the brilliantly produced “Beggar On Horseback” with a notable cast of players. The consumation of Santa Barbara’s dream of a theatre of its very own triggered a city wide celebration to mark the event. Two members of the Lobero organization, Hamilton MacFadden and I. William MacLennan, were Lobero’s members on the Fiesta Committee. Santa Barbarans old and young donned Spanish and Mexican costumes and a four-day Fiesta was held to celebrate the premier performance. There was dancing in the streets.

Beautifully caparisoned horses and their riders came in from the ranches to take part in a Thursday parade depicting the early history of Santa Barbara. Businessmen paraded the long distance from the ocean front to what was then Upper State Street. The great and the near great, the old Spanish families, rode in open carriages to the acclaim of the multitudes.

An oxcart lumbered along, flower-bedecked floats bore gay dancers saluting the cheers of friends along the parade route. Staid businessmen portrayed ● the native Indians of Santa Barbara and the Spanish Conquistadores and the gentle Franciscan friars. Spanish was interspersed with English in the oh’s” that rang up and down the street. An historical pageant was pre sented by Charles Pressley in the Peabody Stadium. So great was the joyousness of the occasion that, like the New Lobero, Old Spanish Days was to become a permanent part of Santa Barbara.

12

The 1924-25 season brought to lamented end Nina Moise’s association with the playhouse. Colin Campbell Clement’s plays brought fresh talent to the boards of Lobero. He returned to Cleveland in 1926 to devote him self to the writing of plays and a volume or two on the theatre.

The advent in 1926 of Irving Pichel, charter member of “English 47 Workshop”, Professor Baker’s play producing laboratory, was one of the milestones in the history of Lobero. His very special magic consistently kept all of his productions to a high level that equalled any Broadway production. His every play was a success, from “Caesar and Cleopatra” to “Peer Gynt” to “Twelfthnight”. Unfortunately, in the fall of 1927 Irving Pichel, too, left for broader fields. He first produced his own plays for Los Angeles audiences, later becoming affiliated with the movies in directional and acting capacities.

In November, 1927, Charles Meredith joined the Lobero Theatre as Director. His plays, too, were distinguished and successful.

In 1929, there were two special events—John Van Drulen’s “Young Woodley” was directed by Margaret Huston Carrington, and Philip Barry’s “You and I was directed by Nina Moise who was summoned back for this special assignment.

A new season opened November 21, 1929 with a new director, George Barum, whose service came to an end with the return of Irving Pichel directing a series of fine plays opening with “Dr. Knock” and closing with Shaw’s “Saint Joan” and a Fiesta play “Emperatrig” written by Day Tuttle.

These plays rounded out the decade under consideration in this article.

The end of the decade marked the beginning of the Depression in America, which was to place the whole fabric of theatre in the nation in the doldrums. Santa Barbara was hit very hard in 1932. The carrying on of activities was pursued heroically, but drama in Santa Barbara, as in America, ground to a standstill. Many in Santa Barbara who had labored at Lobero turned to social work. Welfare agencies both private and public were work ing incessantly and untiringly to meet basic needs—food and shelter and the care of the young.

As long as men can not live by food alone, however, revitalization of the theatre was inevitable. In 1938, the debts of the theatre were paid off, the County accepted ownership of Lobero, and it has been leased to the Lobero Theatre Foundation ever since for maintenance and management.

Many local groups use the theatre and fine music and drama are currently presented.

Before closing we should like to recognize those who labored long and faithfully that Santa Barbara might enjoy a high standard of the works of dramatists garnered from the world over. Our honour role (we fear the passing of time has dimmed the memory of some whose contributions were outstanding) would list the following who served in an administrative capacity on Lobero Boards: Mrs. Michel A. Levy, Mrs. Murry Cramer (the present Mrs. Francis V. Lloyd), Mrs. Archie Edwards (Martha Wagner Edwards), Mrs. Catherine Brinton (Mrs. Irving Wills), Mr. Frank Mulhauser, Mr. Samuel Ilsley, Mrs. Charles Ott, Mrs. Bernard Hoffmann, Mrs. Ralph Stevens, Mr. Francis Livingston, Dr. Irving Wills, Mrs. Kirk Johnson, Mr. William Ashworth, Mrs. Charles B. Raymond, Mrs. Frederick Forrest Peabody, Mrs. Reginald Faletti, Mrs. William Carrington, and Mrs. 13

0. N. Hathaway who, as secretary, did much to smooth the path of those working at the theatre. They all toiled that the message of the plaque that adorns the foyer of the theatre might be perpetually recognized. It reads: On this ground stood the theatre of Jose Lobero for fifty years a center of picturesque social activity and gay entertainment in old Santa Barbara.

1873-1922 The present playhouse was opened in August 1924 to carry on this tradition.

George Washington Smith

By Scott L. Boyd Fifty years ago, on January 2nd, 1914, my brother, Clyde, and 1 established the original Boyd Lumber and Mill Company on lower Anacapa Street in Santa Barbara. Five years later, after service as an officer in the American Expeditionary Forces in the First World War, we were joined by another brother, Francis. Twenty-five years after this start, in 1938, our business was closed out. Perhaps it will be remembered by some of the older residents that 1914 came to be known as “the year of the great flood” as well as “the beginning of the World War”. At any rate, it was to be so remembered by us because, after it stopped raining and things had dried up somewhat, we hauled out of our mill yard about a thousand loads of silt, which had been deposited there by Mission Creek. About five years after Francis joined the Firm, the town was shaken by the now famous earthquakes; and again there was great damage done to our plant. All this personal history is of interest because it was at this Mill that I became acfiuainted with George Washington Smith, a man who was to become famous throughout California as an architect.

Tlie exact date of Mr. and Mrs. Smith’s arrival in Santa Barbara is uncertain, but it must have been soon after the opening of the First World War because in August, 1914, Mr. Smith is known to have been a student in Julian’s Academy of Painting in Paris. When the German armies marched through Belgium and into Northern France, he was advised to leave Paris.

This he and his wife did and, returning to New York, he rented a studio and continued his painting. He enjoyed this work and was greatly stimulated in it by his painter friends there, George Bellows and Robert Henri. Oc casionally, the Smiths went on j)ainting junkets to the Arizona Desert and to the California Coast at Monterey and at Santa Barbara. About 1916, the Smiths decided to make their permanent home here in Santa Barbara.

After renting “Green Acre” on Oak Road for a while, they purchased a lot on Middle Road and built a studio-residence there. Although he had been trained as an architect at Harvard University, at this time Mr. Smith ex pected to spend the rest of his life in painting.

16

I became acquainted with Mr. Smith during these first years of his residence in Santa Barbara, for he came often to the Mill to purchase ply wood for his paintings. On one such occasion, while he was in our office, he asked me what I would think about his opening an office in Santa Barbara for the practice of architecture. He told me that, as he had been trained as an a rchitect at Harvard and had liad some years of experience in the architectural office of Newman, Woodman, and Harris of Philadelphia (he and Harris had been fellow students at Harvard), he had noted with inter est that many new buildings were being erected in Santa Barbara and Montecito. He thought he saw an opening here for him as a designer. This all was a surj>rise to me, for I had known him only as a painter; but I shared his ideas of this new growth in and about the community (it was this great spurt in building that had brought me to Santa Barbara) and so I was delighted to encourage him to “open up shop”. This he did with marked success, as is known to all now. His beautifully designed homes were of such high type that he soon was submerged in this new work. I doubt that he ever again was able to return to his painting. He was, of course, because of his early training, licensed by the State of California to practice archi tecture.

Most fortunately, our Mill had an outstanding mill superintendent, Mr. Herbert E. Weyler, now deceased. Mr. Smith found Weyler to be just the man to carry out his milKvork designs to his liking, and so these two men worked perfectly together. This relationship lasted during the life of Mr. Smith, that is, until his death in 1930.

The old story that “work makes the man”, or, expressed in another way, that “a man is known by his work”, was never more true than in the case of George Washington Smith. During the few years of active, archi tectural work in Santa Barbara that remained to him, he established an entirely new character in his field, that of building and design; and his fame spread widely—to Pebble Beach and tlie Monterey Peninsula, to give but one example. We shipped his millwork to that locality for both the Templeton Crocker and the Hateley homes and for the Cypress Point Golf and Country Club.

Here in Santa Barbara, among other structures, he i)lanned the Mary Stewart residence on Buena Vista Road, the Milton Wilson residence in Hope Ranch, the original building for the Crematorium in the Cemetery, the Cudahy home in Montecito, and my own home on upper Garden Street.

The Kirk Johnson residence on Sycamore Canyon Road in Montecito was one of the last jobs he handled, and for this design he received an Honor Award from the Southern California Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. It is sad to recall in this connection that this award was made a day or two after his sudden death; and so he did not know of it.

To most Santa Barbarans of the present day, George Washington Smith is best known for his design of the Lobero Theatre. Actually, he made three designs for this important and conspicuously placed building before one of them was accepted by the citizens committee in charge of this project. The first of these had to do with the restoration only of the old, adobe structure.

At the outset, it was thought that all that would be necessary to do to the old Opera House was to put on a new front and to renovate the interior.

When the building was examined carefully by engineers, however, it was 17

discovered that the adobe walls were in so obvious a state of deterioration that they were unsafe for further use. This was especially true should there be an earthquake in the area. For this reason, the first plans to be formulated had to be set aside.

A second set of plans w’ere drawn. These provided for a new theater building with a balcony and a two-story facade, or front. After much study on the part of the members of the committee, this building was deemed to be too large in overall capacity and to require too much in the way of maintenance and general overhead; and so they, too, were disapproved.

In the third set of plans, the balcony was discarded entirely and the “front” was greatly reduced in size. An adequate stagehouse was retained, however. This smaller theatre building was completed in August, 1924. Snook and Kenyon were the general contractors. Gene Martin was the foreman on the job, and Edward Maybeck was the structural engineer. The dedi cation ceremonies were held immediately on completion of the building and were a part of the First Fiesta Celebration.

Miss Lutah Maria Riggs, who became associated with Mr. Smith early in the nineteen-twenties and who has practised her profession of architecture here with great success ever since the death of Mr. Smith, has very kindly furnished me with many of the intimate details recorded above.

Some Vagrant Musings on Community Theatre in Santa Barbara

By Dr. Irving Wills Theatre in one form or another has always played an important part in the cultural life of civilized man. If one delves into the history of plays, players and playwrights he uncovers a fascinating and closely interwoven pattern, an intimate relationship so to speak between reality in man’s life activities and the unreal—the land of make believe.

The various and complex reasons behind the development of theatre as part of his cultural life have been dealt with in many a lengthy volume and hardly concern us here. However, it should be noted in passing that were it not for the poet and playwright we would be ignorant indeed of many of the inner workings of the mind of man. Moreover, without the poet and playwright the science of Psychiatry would be in a far more primitive stage than as we know it today. For it has been the poet and playwright’s keen ob servation of, and insight into man’s emotions, whether through the eyes of Euripedes, Shakespeare, Shaw' or O’Neill, coupled with the inspired inter pretation and projection of, say, Mrs. Siddons, Eleanora Duse, Mrs. Leslie Carter, Margaret Anglin, Edwin Booth, Edmund Keen, the Barrymores or Charles Gilpin, and a host of others which have given us, the audience, the great spiritual satisfaction which the theatre affords, and perhaps more important, a belter understanding of ourselves and our fellows.

From time to time and through the ages, the theatre has been closely associated with religion and religious observances and practices. It was so 18

in ancient Greece, in llie Orient, and in medieval Europe; at a considerably later period, we read in Thomas Hardy a description of performances of the Mummers in a tiny English Village and their presentation of a Christmas play. This is a far cry perhaps from the bawdy productions in the time of Charles II and his favorite Nell Gwynn, but theatre nevertheless. Perhaps it was the decadence of “acceptable” theatre which resulted in the attitude of the Puritans in New England, toward any form of theatre for a considerable period after the landing of the historic Mayflower, and of the apparent schism between the theatre and some branches of the church.

Since we are not particularly concerned here with a detailed history of theatre in America except as it affects Santa Barbara, we may be forgiven if we hurdle a century or so and pick up our story in early day Santa Bar bara.

Robinson tells us in his book “Life in California”: “the mass com menced, Padre Vincente de Oliva officiated, and at the conclusion of the mysterious ‘Sacrificia’ he produced a small image representing the infant Saviour, which he held in his hands for all who chose to approach and kiss . . . The characters entered the procession adorned in appropriate costume, and bearing banners. There were six females representing shepherdesses, three men and a boy. One of the men represented Lucifer, one a hermit and the other Bartolo . . . The whole is interspersed with song and incidents that seem better adapted to the stage than to the church. For several days this theatrical representation is exhibited in the principal houses, and the performers at the conclusion of the play are entitled to refreshments.”

These plays emanated from Mission Santa Barbara, and some of the neophyte Indians performed as actors in those early productions.

While these offerings had, perforce, a religious theme, one must admit that basically they were produced to satisfy the urge which the public of that day had for the gratifications which these theatrical performances of fered—gratifications not supplied by the stylized ritual of the church.

In the early lo7()'s, Jose Lobero arrived in Santa Barbara and in 1873 built a theatre which bore his name, on the site now occupied by our present Lobero Theatre. This theatre became the entertainment center for Santa Barbara and it’s stage presented many musical and dramatic offerings, some of them originating locally but a goodly number being old classics brought in from the “outside” by travelling companies, known collectively as “The Road.”

The Road died of “natural causes”—too devious and complex to docugoodly number of skilled perment here, but from this hardy “school formers and future stars emerged. The Community Theatre may well be considered to be a more or less direct result of the death of tlie Road. The truth or falsity of this theory is argumentative, but the fact remains that the fall of the one and the rise of the other are more or less co-incidental.

In its beginning period in Santa Barbara, amateur theatre was said to be in the hands of a much maligned “social” group. This is neither strange nor unusual, since when one wishes to launch any cultural product he is immediately faced with a financing problem and to whom may he turn, if not to those who are best able to make the project possible? Further, there were among this group those, who, because of their connections with “the outside world, were able to assist in arranging outside financial support 19

through, for instance, the good offices of the Carnegie Foundation. And we were fortunate enough here in Santa Barbara to have among those who could afford to “angel” our early productions several who had that priceless ingredient, “taste”, and who were willing, indeed anxious, to see our early efforts carried out on a truly merit basis.

Witness then, an early production at the Old Potter Theatre where we had in the cast a “Socialite” as leading woman, and an Italian “Pescatore” (fishman to you). The latter gave such a superb interpretation of his role as to capture the “rave” notices in the local press! To this humble writer this represented the beginning of real “Community Theatre”. In a much later production there occurred one of many similar instances of what I am trying to document; the wife of a secondhand store merchant, a woman who had never before appeared on any stage, captured the audiences’ sympathies and acclaim, in addition to the praise of the critics. This too represents to me the theatre of the people. Tlirough the years we saw the “Socialite” debutant “holding the book” or painting the scenery, while her more gifted sister with a much more modest “background” trod the boards as the “leading woman.”

1 must hasten to say that, early in the game, we were more than fortunate to secure a most gifted director in the person of Nina Moise (.God bless her!) who came to Santa Barbara in charge of our activity in the old Potter Theatre. Nina had several priceless facets incorj)orated in her talent as a director. First, she could just look at a person and decide immediately if he or she appeared suited to the part. But, if she had tentatively chosen someone and then decided that he wasn’t the “Joe Doakes” which the role called for she would say with an engaging smile and a bit deprecatingly, as if it were her mistake: “T don’t think I like you in that part”. And that set tled it! Perhaps there might be another role for that person in that particular play, often, not; but somehow she got over to the guy or gal that she would be better satisfied with someone else. Her great gift was in making everyone feel that her judgement was correct, which it almost invariably was, and having personally got this treatment several times and having played a num ber of roles under her superb direction (however badly I may have done them) I remain convinced that Nina was a progenitor of what I look upon as the Golden Age of Community Theatre in Santa Barbara: Now there are many plays which are, in the jargon of the theatre, “actor proof”—that is, made up of roles which almost anyone, who can speak co herently and not stumble over the scenery more than once or twice during a performance, can interpret fairly convincingly. It is these plays which were, ihrough the years, such favourites with the “stock companies. But here in Santa Barbara we had a much more sophisticated audience than one finds in most towns of our then size. Those who supported our theatre most gen erously, were for the most part people of the so called cosmopolitan variety; a few belonged to the “I saw Booth” club. They were not to be satisfied with the ordinary type of “amateur” fare which the average Community Theatre offers.

Since they either furnished or sponsored the major portion of our sub sidy they were in a position to suggest and urge that we furnish them with more adult and provocative theatre fare.

Came a problem: In order to produce a play of major importance, it 20

frequently happened that the local amateur player was simply hopeless, not because of his lack of dedication, but simply because of his woeful lack of knowledge, experience and capability in this most subtle craft! In situations such as these, which arose all too often, as we sought ever to improve the quality of our productions, Nina wisely imported more experienced actors, from Pasadena, Hollywood and elsewhere to fill the “carrying” roles. There was criticism that this “professional” trend was discriminatory with regard to our so-talented local players and would eventually result in a “Stock Com pany” type of project. This view might have been entirely valid, had we been entirely self sup))orting, and satisfied with plays of the type suited to the capabilities of strictly amateur players.

1 recall discussing with one of our later directors, Charles Meredith, and Paul Whitney (excellent actor and sometime manager of Lobero), the feasibility as well as the desirability of presenting a few of the classics of an earlier day . . . pieces by: Moliere, Rostand, Sheridan, Anna Cora Mowatt, Bulwer-Lytton, and of course, the Great Master, only, eventually to agree with their judgment: “The Public Won’t Buy Them.” We had arrived at the period when, having lost the Carnegie subsidy, “box office” appeal was paramount, since we had to look for local support for our survival.

One rather important item of our early production activity in Santa Barbara, which was sponsored by the drama branch of our fledgling organi zation, was the occasional Albert Herter extravaganza . These shows were supposed to occur annually, but to the best of my recollection did not ma terialize quite as frequently. Whether this fact was good or bad, I am hardly in a position to say, but that they were done in the spirit of Communilv Theatre cannot be denied. How can one tell, when he or a group of he’s or she’s is groping about, what is going to be good or bad in that so speculative and ephemeral thing called theatre? Suffice it to say at the outset that Albert Herter was an established artist, a portrait painter of note, a designer of some of the important textiles of the period, whose artistic talents also in cluded costume design, set design, interior decoration. Herter had a feeling for the extravaganza in theatre and while the writing of the “story” was dele gated to someone else, the “story line” or theme was outlined by him. Of bis early productions one which I remember vividly was “King Solomon.”

Its central theme had to do with the legendary romance of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Sets and costumes were designed by Herter and ex ecuted by our own staff. Music was composed by Arthur Bliss, now Sir Arthur Bliss, famed composer and symphony conductor in England. The “Book” was written by Ira Remsen, local writer and son of a famous Pro fessor of chemistry of an Eastern university. The large choruses used in the production were rehearsed by Mrs. William Theodore Carrington, the very talented sister of the famous actor, the late Walter Huston, who had earlier played with our local drama group and then gone on to win fame, both on the speaking stage and in pictures in Hollywood. Margaret Carrington con tributed greatly of her talents to the making of this production. The staging was partly in the hands of Albert Herter, but it was our skillful director Nina Moise who tied the piece together. Whether King Solomon could be called a great success, theatre wise, there was much in it that was artistically con ceived and executed. It had all of the elements of community play making; the sets were built and painted by local amateur artisans. The costumes which 21

liad been designed, were cut, litted and stitched by a devoted little band happy to have a hand in the making of this show. And the large orchestra and the choruses were peopled with our own talented musicans—a true com munity effort.

In the old days of one of the ancillary brandies of show business known as Vaudeville, Variety or, among the performers in that thoroughly delightful variant of the performing arts, “Vodveel”, there was frequently heard the plaint of the successful performer: “Jeez, everbuddy wants tuh get inluh de act!” and this has since become a cliche in other walks of life.

In Santa Barbara during the exciting and creative period which I have atteniiiled to present in a sort of “once over lightly” manner, this may not have lieen literally true, but the active cooperation of everyone in the Com munity might have suggested it. Did we need a late model automobile on the sqI'P—dozen were offered. Did w'e want authentic costumes of a certain period?—perhaps they were to be found in one of the many trunks which Mrs. Gardner Hammond had in her attic; gowns made many years ago hy a famous French coturieur, for, perhaps, her grandmother’s gala Ball in Boston: or perhaps the role of one of the men in the cast called for authentic Fnglish hunting togs; Mr. C. K. G. Billings, a wealthy corporation executive and resident of Santa Barbara put his entire wardrobe at our disposal. I reccdl that 1 almost burst into tears when following a production which required authentic Japanese kimonos, I examined the devastation. The Kimonos had been supplied by Mr. Hale Marsh from his fabulous collection; the tragedy was that when the unthinking jdayers were through with them, no cleaning establishment hereabouts was able to remove, successfully, the gobs of makeup with which they were smeared. In a word, they were not only ruined but irreplaceable. Mr. Marsh, as had so many other contributors to the success of our theatre effort, scarcely shrugged at what was, to me, a tragic loss. You see, he. like so many others was sold on our Community ’ And the “Credit Lines” which apj)eared in our programs could project! never be expected to repay these gallant supi)orters of our project, for their contributions to it.

I am certain that in mentioning only a few who contributed so generously to the successes which we enjoyed and whose contributions we accepted so cavalierly, 1 have neglected to mention the many, who, names forgotten, gave of their substance, that our theatre should be something of which Santa Barbara might be proud! To recite the old cliche: “Everbuddy wanted tuh get inluh de act”. For such was the spirit which surrounded and embraced our Community theatre.

In choosing a series of plays for a season our Reading Committee tried balanced fare. But if their choice was the season’s comedy hit. it to plan could well be and often was, the directors’ nightmare!

To detail the techniciues of some of our directors and the way they de veloped the comic scene we played, would fill a far greater number of para graphs than I am allowed for this entire piece, but a couple of examples may help to show their skill in piloting us through those treacherous shoals, When for instance an earlier planted” line in the “Torch Bearers” .suggested that the reason one of the characters stumbled and almost fell dowji on tlie stage, was that he had weak ankles, the player, in rehearsal, walked on the stage ami let one of his ankles roll over until he almost fell 22

down. Nina almost shouted in horror: “No, No, No—for heavens sake don t hoke it.” Then patiently: “look, come down the stairs this way; on the last step falter ever so slightly; sit down, pause, raise up your foot, gaze at it, shake your head slightly and put it down”. It never failed to get a laugh!

Pichel, in “The Show,Off” to the man playing the title role; “look, you’re what the title of the play says you are—a showoff. Now, when you enter the room, you are the Big Guy—pause at your entrance—don’t read your opening line, as the script says—instead, take off your top coat, fold it care fully and place it over the arm of the sofa—start as if to speak-return to the top coat, take the carnation from the buttonhole and place it in the but tonhole of your jacket—admire yourself in the wall mirror, by which time the family and the audience are ready to shoot you! But you are then in character and when you read the silly line which George Kelly wrote for you, see what happens! (It was always a laugh).

Charlie Meredith essayed the most difficult of all comedy in the drawing room Comedy of Manners, “The Last of Mrs. Cheyney”. In this gay satire on English society one of the ladies at a party, where the guests are listening politely to a violin recital in the music room (off stage), walks into the drawing room, where she finds several other guests including Lord Billing (Meredith). Her line as she enters is: “She plays very well, is she a profes sional?” She read the dull line in a flat tone, at which Charlie said: “Look, get a flute-like, sort of falsetto, quality in your voice,” and stress the word Professional.” Again the line—“Is she a professional”—a laugh from the audience, then Charlie, a master of inflectional meanings in lines, replied so-o-o-o-o casually:—“Yes, but not at violin playing!” (The laugh which followed stopped the show.)

Serious drama is for real with most of us and for some reason the ama teur player seems better able to get into it and get out its meaning. Perhaps all of us even in our early youth have experienced, either actually or vicari ously. enough of life’s tragic or dramatic moments to be able somehow to project them with a reasonable semblance of reality. And although as rank amateurs we may not have completely understood the difference between realism and reality, our able directors guided our halting steps toward an acceptable performance. We learned that acting is not real it mu^ real—the actual thing. So if the scene called for breakfasting in an English country house and the ‘butler’ served us the proverbially tasty Kipper in the form of a long thin slice of cold banana, we learned to appear to eat it with relish; and we quaffed with apparent satisfaction and delight the vile tasting cold tea which always masquerades as Scotch on the stage!

Just here it seems that a word should be inserted about a very ardent devotee of our early community group whose wife Susan, served long and effectively first on the Reading Committee and later for many years as a member of the board of directors of Lobero Theatre Foundation. I am think ing of Robert Wilson Hyde. Bob, as he was affectionately known, was first an artist, although he would have shied at such an appellation; but he had a genuine feeling for good theatre and to my knowledge never missed a per formance. He was a collector and secondarily a dealer in antiques both furni ture and artifacts and there was hardly a set during that golden age which did not contain at least a few pieces of furniture or a few priceless furnish ings, which Bob had gathered during his many trips abroad. And his feeling 23

for ihe proper mounting of a play was so sure that any play would have suffered, had he not been in the background, a place he always chose.

May I be permitted to say in passing, that Bob’s free-handedness in loaning any of the many priceless things which he had collected was so devoid of the mercenary, that it was often said in that older Santa Barbara, that if Bob should suddenly decide to call them all in, many people even among some of the social set in Montecito, might find it necessary to eat off the floor!

Many came from the “outside”, some to view, some to criticize (con structively we hoped), and some to give of their knowledge and experience help in a sometimes fumbling efforts here. I remember fondly, Alonzo Klaw, a devoted friend, and winner of a Pulitzer Prize for one of his productions on Broadway. Lon was the son of Marc Klaw, an important Broadway pro ducer, one of whose theatres, “The Klaw,” survives even today. It was Lon’s directorial help which made of “The Marquise” the finished production which it became.

Lon recalled to us many tales of his father’s many activities on the road.

For instance when thev had a show on “The Road” in perhaps North Dakota in winter and the audience stayed away, his father would send a boy “crier” out onto the streets to shout: “Hot Opry, Hot Opry”! This meant that the producer had somehow' got together sufficient money to fire up the old pot bellied wood stove which served as the “Central Heating” of that day.

There were so many in that earlier day who contributed to our succes ses. I think of gentle John Gamble, famous artist, whose paintings of the wild flowers are now collector’s items. John was so frequently “on the set” to appraise it w'ith his unerring eye for color (and for years he had only one) and keep us from the so fatal mistakes which the uninitiated can make with that subtle medium. Of Dudley Carpenter, noted artist whose crayon portrait of our beloved directress, Nina Moise, appears in this issue, and the many helpful suggestions he made toward improvement in our use of color in our sets. Of Ed. Borein, famous Western Artist, whose works are finally receiv ing national acclaim, insisting when we produced “Merton of the Movies”, that the real cowboy never wore his Chaps and Spurs in the house! But we, of course were following the Hollywood idea and paid no attention to him, much to his disgust.

It seems also that a more than casual mentioti should be made of the School of the Theatre w'hich w’as an important part of the then flourishing Community Arts A.ssociation. Its head was Ian Wolfe, a sensitive and accom plished actor, who later was to make and hold for himself a place in Hollywood. Who, of our earlier era, can forget Ian’s many superb characteri zations—as the butler in “The HoUentot”. as the crafty crook in that excel lent production of Franz Molnar’s provocative play “Liliom”, a Broadwav success, later ]>roduced again on Broadway as the musical: “Carousel”? or Ian in “A Kiss in Xanadu”, the curtain raiser for the opening of our present Lobero Theatre, or Ian in the delightful comedy “Doctor Knock” in which was the inimitable Paul Whitney; they captivated the audiences with those delicate spoofs, which are so often with their very subtlety such a joy to the sophisticated theatre goer, jaded by the too frecjuent j)resentation of broad slapstick, which has always tried to palm itself off as true comedy.

It was from the struggling School of the Theatre that we of Lobero drew much of our talent, and the contribution which this undervalued institution

24

made to our “adult organization” has in my humble opinion, never been properly recognized.

And what about those who “graduated” from our community project?

Not that it is necessary that we give anything to the world outside, if we furnish our local audiences with some semblences of the good theatre which most of our souls crave.

True we could not compete, nor did we ever try, to give to the “out side” the never ending parade of stars such as emanated from, for ex ample, Pasadena Playhouse. But we did send on a goodly number, some of whom began here and others who here perfected their art to a degree that they became acceptable elsewhere.

After all these years it would be impossible to recall everyone who, after “treading the boards” of the old Potter and later, our beloved Lobero, moved up to successful professional careers, but a few names seem to have made an indelible print on the tape of my remembrance. I think of Waller Huston, mentioned earlier, w'ho, on his return many years later to play in one of our summer theatre productions, told us of his first appearance at the old Potter and what it had done to fire his interest in a career in the theatre—of Ruth Nelson who left here after doing excellent work at the Lobero, to star on Broadway; of Ian Wolfe, also above mentioned, who after many years and scores of motion pictures and television roles is still an important figure in the theatre of the screen; of Gertrude hloflmann, that stalwart soul, whose first appearance on any stage was at Lobero, and who, at age sixty, when many seek an easy chair by the fire, crashed Hollywood and played with spec tacular success for over twenty-five years, as a “character actress” in pic tures, radio and later in television serials. Then there was Tyrone Power, son of that outstanding actor of the same name who was one of my favorite actors when 1 was still a lad in my teens. Power, the younger, played for and with us at the Lobero. We did not give him the art which was to make him world famous, but Lobero and our community theatre furnished him a place to practice his skills and some of us like to think his sojourn in Santa Barbara during which he appeared in several of our productions, helped in a small way to boost him on his way to fame and stardom. Yet another “graduate” of our project was Russell Lewis, whose talents both as actor and dancer added much to a number of our productions. It seemed for a time that Russell would always have to content himself with “bit parts”, such as those he did so well in “Liliom” and “Twelfth Night”, but his sensi tive portrayal of the title role in “Merton of the Movies”, left no doubt as to his abilities and presaged his later success as director and important thea trical producer in the Southland.

There were lesser lights, though no less important, if viewed broadly— Catherine Purdy, who did beautiful work in several of our local productions, was able to graduate from amateur status at Lobero to the professional ranks in Hollywood, where she played successfully in pictures for a number of years. Arthur Clayton, who played the title role under the direction of Nina Moise, in “Captain Applejack”, and “King Solomon”, as well as leads in a number of other productions including “The Hottentot”, had a go at pic tures and later returned to Santa Barbara as a leading man in an excellent road company presentation of “White Cargo”.

There are others who passed through our school” to enter the j)rofes25

sional ranks in other branches of the entertainment field. Some came to us with not only great talent, but often a considerable experience in the theatre.

However, the step upward from amateur to professional ranks is a steep one and there is little doubt that the “seasoning” which could be got in the com munity theatres in many parts of the country, and I include Santa Barbara, gave to many that added bit which enabled them to scale the walls of “show business.”

I feel certain that it was his experience here in this “professional” type of amateur theatre which enabled Irving Pichel to move directly to Republic Pictures in Hollywood and in a remarkably short time to emerge as Director in Chief. In like manner Colin Campbell Clements, while directing our drama group at Lobero was able to perfect his writing technique, publish several short plays and stories and move up to the position of staff writer of motion pictures in one of the major studios in Hollywood, and, with his wife, Florence Ryerson, write a Broadway success: “Harriet,” which his tragic and untimely death prohibited him from enjoying.

Day Tuttle is remembered by many for his “Simon” in the Noel Coward comedy, “Hay Fever”, but particularly for his tender and understanding in terpretation of the poignant and difficult title role in “Young Woodley”, the John van Druten play of Youth and its problems. Day went on to become the producer and impresario of the Mt. Kisko (N.Y.) Playhouse, a most im portant cog in the “Strawhat Theatre” wheel. In 1940, the first lady of the American Theatre . . . Ethel Barrymore, played under his imprimatur, in her revival of “The School for Scandal”!

Much later, the late Dan Sattler was to produce and direct an earlier Broadway hit: “Of Thee 1 Sing” and to go on to a successful career as a New York director.

I have previously mentioned our beloved Nina Moise, who came to us in the beginning of our serious community effort, bringing with her a wealth of experience both as actress and director. Nina left us for the bigger field— Hollywood, which had been calling her for a long time. There she became one of the very important people in that hive of “show business” as an out standing teacher of diction and acting technique, in the new motion pictures which had finally been given a “voice”.

Charles Meredith, also mentioned above, answered the call of Hollywood where for years he has played in pictures and television, but true to his earlier concepts of what is really worthwhile in the performing arts, has, through the years, given to various amateur groups in the Southland the benefit of his many years of experience, that they too might enjoy the gratifi cation which theatre affords to so many.

These are only a few of those whose lives and careers were inffuenced directly by their association with our community theatre, and who entered the professional ranks.

But theatre in Santa Barbara or for that matter anywhere else, is never organized or developed for the benefit of the few who may look upon it as a stepping stone to a career in the entertainment field. Indeed, to point to these few as either the important products or important beneficiaries of a community project such as the one which was so much a part of the social environment of an earlier Santa Barbara, is to me, to miss entirely the raison d’etre of theatre in community life. Those whom I’ve pointed out as bene26

filing directly from our Santa Barbara theatre activities are the byproducts of that laudable effort. From an intimate association with our community theatre for some twenty years and as an ardent theatre-goer for over twenty more, I have come to feel even more keenly the loss of the tremendous spirit ual, intellectual and emotional gratification which that golden age of com munity theatre furnished us, and which our modern entertainment forms, for example TV, cannot or at least do not supply. Call it a nostalgia of an aging theatre buff (which it possibly is) I find many here-abouts “who kneAV it when,” who subscribe to this same appraisal.

That there remains a largish group dedicated to the amateur theatre, whether it be of purely experimental type or the revival of past successes is obvious, if one but casts a casual glance in the direction of the sturdy play ers at Alhecama, with that able director Doctor Frank Fowler; the interest ing explorations in the experimental field which were carried on until rela tively recently by Hans Pusch and Richard Ames and particularly the ex cellent productions at University of California in Santa Barbara. Most if not all of these have been of the “low budget” variety, each one facing a han dicap which we of the earlier period did not have, but despite this the fact that they have all commanded interested and enthusiastic audiences, that they were produced by a group of dedicated theatre minded people, whether actors or set painters, says to me that the same spirit which prompted the Bard to give to Hamlet the immortal line: “the Play’s the Thing” is still very much alive in Santa Barbara.

Activity Report-Women's Project Board It has become traditional to close the Fernald House and the TrussellWinchester Adobe during the month of December, as few visitors find their way to the doors, and the board members’ calendars are filled with prepara tions for family festivities. However, it has also become a tradition for the members to give a Christmas party before the closing, which offers a valid excuse to trim the Victorian mansion in bright tinsel, red ribbons, pine cones and holly berries. This year was no exception, for on Monday, the first day of December, the active board entertained associate members and their friends, as well as the owners of the homes which were so generously opened in August for the Casa Tour benefit, at a Christmas Book Tea at one-thirty in the afternoon.

Mrs. Francis B. Manchester, using the title, “Books for Christmas Giving”, brought a wide variety of well-chosen current books which covered many fields of interest, including books for children. From each she gave a short review of the author and the story content, after which guests were given an opportunity to examine the books at leisure. Among the guests present, were two local authors whose books have been well received— Miss Julia W. Cunningham, author of “Dear Rat”, and Mrs. Harold C. Bodman, who writes under the pseudonym of Ysabel de Teresa, author of “The Nymph Was Mortal”.

Mrs. Leo McMahon, assisted by Mrs. Ruth Mayer and Mrs. Hamilton Greenough, were responsible for the gay Christmas decorations, and Mrs. 27

William Barton and her tea committee were in charge of the refreshments served in the beautiful dining room following Mrs. Manchester’s delightful review. Presiding at the tea table were the Mmes. Hilmar 0. Koefod and W. Edwin Gledhill.

Under the able direction of Mrs. McMahon, improvements are being made, as funds and volunteer help by members become available. September was a busy month for her committee, as two much needed areas were given attention—the powder room off the Music room, in the Fernald House, was painted by Mrs. Edward Toporeck, Mrs. Bertie De L’Arbre, Mrs. Ruth Mayer and Mrs. McMahon, arid curtains were hung at the window. Mrs. De L’Arbre also devoted a day in the Adobe to the cleaning and painting of the 100-year-old coal stove (given by Miss Maria Trussell), and to polishing the copper boiler on it.

An acquisition, of special interest to children, is a quaint four-poster doll bed, the gift of chairman Mrs. Alex Funke. It is not completely finished, but Mrs. Funke plans to cover the top and make a canopy frill, also a coverlet for the bed, from materials which had belonged to her grand mother. This of course, is a new feature in the Children’s room, to accompany the treasured dolls and their wardrobes, and the old fashioned baby clothes which have been given by other friends for preservation.

Mrs. Wilson Forbes, a director of the Historical Society, and liaison member of the Women’s Projects Board, entertained the active members at her Montecito home on October 8. Signs of the September 22-28 Coyote Mountain fire were visible as the flames had burned down to and around the Forbes home . . . saved only because the wind changed. Following lunch eon and the short business session, Mrs. Gladys Young, resident hostess of the Fernald House, told the members about the restored historic homes which she had visited earlier in the summer, while on a visit to Massachusetts.

These included The Brown House, in Providence, Rhode Island; The Martin House, in Newport, built in 1728; and several homes in Newport, built in the 1890’s, which were not Victorian style, but rather Italian and French.

Typical of these was the Vanderbilt home, “The Breakers”. Mrs. Howard Cole told also of the restored historic homes which she had visited in San Antonio, Texas, earlier in the summer.

Taking advantage of the holiday closing of the Fernald House, Mrs. McMahon had a rich, red carpet runner laid on the winding stairway, with a matching oval rug placed in the entrance hall.

Interest in the houses is increasing in the community, as illustrated by the frequent visits of art classes from nearby City College, the students making sketches in various mediums. On January 8 Mr. Robert Rutherford, instructor in California History, brought his class of 40 students from City College for a lunch-hour tour of. the two homes—conducted by Mmes. James T. Lindsey and George H. Finley.

On January 28, the Santa Barbara Historical Society held its annual members meeting and tea at the Fernald House, the business meeting sched uled for 4:00 o’clock, with tea served at 4:30 o’clock. In charge of preparing and serving refreshments were the members of the Women’s Project Board.

WiLBERTA M. Finley

28

SANTA BARBARA HISTORICAL SOCIETY OFFICERS ●Dr. Hilmar 0. Koefod

President First Vice President....

Second Vice President

Hugh J. Weldon Mrs. Wilson Forbes Paul 0. Sweetser

Secretary Treasurer Past President

Mrs. Henry Griffiths ●Thomas J. McDermott DIRECTORS

Mrs. Charles H. Cannon Rev. Virgil Cordano

Elmer H. Wliiltaker Dr. Irving N. Wills John Galvin* Thomas M. Slorkt;*

John Jordano. Jr. Mrs. Godwin Pelissero Edward S. Spaulding I.ockwood Tower Garrett Van Horne

John D. Gill

.Mrs. W. Edwin Gledhill Yale R. Griffith

* Honorary Directors

W. Edwin Gledhill

.Museum Director Curator Editor -in- Chief

Mrs. W. Edwin Gledhill Edward Selden

Spaulding,

NEW MEMBERS ACTIVE Cate School Mrs. Marian Daniels Miss Elsie Geertz Mrs. Beatrice Orena Guilfoil Dr. and Mrs. Theodore Hanley Mr. Eligio Herrera .Mr. Frank Kilhourne Los Angeles Public Library Mr. Roscoe Masonheimer Mr. and Mrs. Robert McLean

Mrs. Frank T. Perry Mr. Elmer Shirrell Ventura County Library

SUSTAINING

PATRON

Carpinteria Valley Historical Society .Mrs. Carl G. Erickson Mr. John F. Scott Dr. Dale W'hitncy

Mrs. J. W. Relyea Mr. and Mrs. Stuart S. Taylor

CONTRIBUTING

STUDENT Mr. and Mrs. Tim Hillebrand

Mr. and Mrs. Clarence A. Dwight Mr. and Mrs. .Arthur Z. Hirscli Mrs. Reginald Spear

GIFTS Mrs. John Bacon Mrs. Frank Bocek Mr. Marshall Bond Mrs. Sellar Bullard Mr. Henry Campbell Miss Tulila dc la Cuesta Mr.s. J. Moore Dillman Mr. and Mrs. Henry Egner Mrs. Carl G. Erickson Mr. C. W. Gartrell Mrs. K. D. Hallenbeck

Mr. Ralph Harris Mrs. Frances Kroll Mrs. Abel Maldonado Mrs. Leo McMahan Mr. Frank No<d Mr. John Parma Mrs. C. A. Partenheimer Prince Casiniir Poniatowski Mrs. A. B. Ruddock Santa Barbara Republican Women .Mr. Nathan Sweet

Rev. Father Joseph Thompson Estate of Carmen D. Underhill Mr. Howard Willoughby IN MEMORIAM Mrs. E. C. Hills Mrs. Joseph Knowles Mr. Herbert W. Green Mrs. William H. Ellison

HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP Classes of membership; Benefactor, $100; Patron, $25; Contributing. $15; Sustaining, $10; Active, $7.50; Student, S5. Dues arc tax deductible.

MAILING ADDRESS: 136 E. PE LA GUERRA STREET, SANTA DARBARA, CALIFORNIA

Non-Profit Org. QUARTERLY BULLETIN OF THE SANTA BARBARA HISTORICAL SOCIETY 136 EAST DE LA GUERRA STREET SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA

U. S. Postage PAID Santa Barbara,

Calif.

Permit No. 534