The William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre in Berkeley

The William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre, known locally as the Greek Theatre, is an 8,500-seat venue owned and operated by the University of California, Berkeley. It was built in 1903 on the site of an outdoor bowl used as an amphitheater since 1894, known as Ben Weed's Amphitheater. The project was championed by University of California president Benjamin Ide Wheeler and financed by newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst. The theatre was the first university building designed by John Galen Howard, with assistance from architect Julia Morgan, and its design is based on the ancient Greek theater of Epidaurus.

The theatre serves as a venue for the Berkeley Jazz Festival, graduation ceremonies, and addresses by noted speakers such as President Theodore Roosevelt, Bishop Desmond Tutu, and the Dalai Lama. In 1957, a basement backstage area was added by architect Ernest Born, including a large plaza and two stage-level constructions. In May 2012, a seismic retrofit and expansion by CAW Architects and Overaa Construction added four reinforced concrete columns concealed in the original structure.

The Greek Theatre officially opened on September 24, 1903, with a student production of The Birds by Aristophanes. However, it hosted a graduation ceremony with an address by President Theodore Roosevelt in May 1903 while still under construction. The venue has hosted numerous musical artists, including the Grateful Dead, who played there for the first time in 1967 and performed a total of twenty-nine concerts by 1989. The theatre remains a venue for annual events like the Bonfire Rally and Charter Day ceremonies.

Sources: Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap, Wikidata, Wikimedia Commons