David Belasco

David Belasco was an American theatrical producer, impresario, director and playwright. He was the first writer to adapt the short story Madame Butterfly for the stage, and he launched the theatrical career of Mary Pickford. Belasco pioneered many innovative new forms of stage lighting and special effects.

The son of Abraham H. Belasco and Reyna Belasco, nee Nunes, David Belasco was born in San Francisco, California, where his Sephardic Jewish parents had moved from London, England, during the California Gold Rush, he began working in a San Francisco theatre doing a variety of routine jobs, such as call boy and script copier.

Source: Wikipedia