in 1907 in 2006 in 2008 The family's history in America began when Duvvid Schubart (
transliterated to "Shubert") and his wife Katrina (Gitel) Helwitz left their native town of
Vladislavov in the Russian Empire (now
Kudirkos Naumiestis, Lithuania) with their eight children, two of whom died after the journey. They arrived in New York City from
Hamburg, via England, on June 12, 1881 on the
S.S. Spain. They then settled in
Syracuse, New York. Due to their father's alcoholism, the three Shubert sons (
Lee Shubert,
Sam S. Shubert, and
Jacob J. Shubert) had to give up much of their formal education and instead go to work when they were still children. Lee and Sam sold newspapers outside the
Bastable Theatre, and
David Belasco took notice of Sam and cast him in a small role in a play. Sam became enamored with the theatrical arts and went on to be promoted through a series of managerial jobs in Syracuse theatres, including program boy at the Bastable, assistant treasurer at the Grand Opera House, and treasurer of the Weiting. Lee and Jacob also began working in management roles in local theatres, and by 1900, the trio had acquired ownership of the Grand Opera House in Syracuse and the
Herald Square Theatre in
Manhattan. The three brothers broke the monopoly on the theatre-management industry (represented by the
Theatrical Syndicate under
Abe Erlanger and
Mark Klaw) in the founding of their agency, known today as
The Shubert Organization. By 1942, they owned, leased, or managed 20 of New York City's approximately 40 legitimate theatres and controlled some 15 in other cities. By 1953, they had produced 600 shows under their credits and had booked 1,000 shows into their numerous theatres. They also managed the
National Theatre in
Washington, D.C. until 2013. Jerry Stagg identifies Lee Shubert as the key partner in the business, telling of how he built the most successful theatrical empire in history. Stagg characterizes the trio as vulgar and uneducated but acknowledges that they made a personal monopoly amassing millions of profits in the process. Entertainment and popular taste were the goals, rather than the enhancement of the dramatic arts. The Shuberts opened new theatre districts in many major American cities, employing thousands of people over the years. By 1924, they controlled 75 percent of all American theatres, producing 25 percent of all plays. In response, their actors created
Actor's Equity as a labor union to counterbalance the Shuberts' power. When the
Great Depression caused the
bankruptcy of the Shuberts' corporate empire in 1933, their advisors urged them to retire and enjoy their accumulated wealth. Instead, the Shuberts sustained their business by pouring their own money into the venture. Thus, according to Stagg, the Shubert family almost single-handedly kept legitimate theatre alive in America. ==Notable productions==