The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-07-08
THE POOR PLAYER
THREATENING TO STRIKE FOR
MORE BREAD.
mOrBut Greed of Speculative
and IgDOraIh Managers.

NJ ~ viz
New York Star Il he has lately OBJ
served several &C We straws which
show that the theatrical wind is bl W.
ing in a strange direction. The patient
actor man, after several seasons OF dis
tress and disaster, has been positively
looking about for some means Of bet
tering his condition. He thinks he
has found it among the queer things
that have been thrown up from the
depths OF the stormy sea OF labor agi
tation. He draws a parallel betwe IN
his own condition and that of the OPP
pressed, disconnected working classes.
He thinks there is something COM
mon in their needs, and-don't laugh,
because he is very serious about it in
deed-he wants to evolute into a gal
liant knight Of Labor. II there be
virtue in the strike and the boycott,
he doesn't see why the wearer of tinsel
crowns and cotton robes should not
reap the benefits of these exotiCs as
well as the carrier OF hods and the
tightener of brakes.
Some morning before the sun is too
high stroll about the actors loungtng
place-the slave mart, the Rialto-or,
in the language OF the laity, Union
Square. You will note there the ehab.
biness, the disconsolateness, the weary
idleness OF the actor man, aud II viii
convince you that big condition does
leeu ing. II you loosen his
voluble tongue with long and po-
tent glass OF beer, he will tell you that
the professional market is glutted;
that engagements are scarce as angels
visits, ana engag ments f)r next sea-
son are uuprece IDENTITY few; that the
past year has been unequaled for dis
appointments and desti u.ion among
his kind. He will point, in proof of
his assertions, to the large number Of
professional paupers that the Actors
Fund has chaIitably put out OF sight
undtGR ound, and to the great sum of
| moneFit has expended for the relief of
| the OK and unfortunate, in the curse
of the sea on aud he will shake his head
10 the INST depressing manner, and
utter pessimistic prOgn stications #
you asK h IN what are the prospec cts
for the next dramatic campaign. Then,
| II you choose to express 4 Curiosity as
TO the whyness of this lamentable state
Of affairs, ten to one he will assume
an injured, eemi-deiiant air and loudly
m ke answer: The managers The
managers, with their continental
greed their oily tongues, their uuprin-
Cipled methods and their internal
spe culstive procliviie1, srs at the bot
tom of the whole trouble. They have
persis' emily hoodwinked the pubic,
deceived tbs press and swindled The
actors We must organize; dye hear
Orea1izs for our own pro ectioD."
Evidently they have begun to or
game already. Muitsrings of suikes
aud rumblings Of boyCotts are already
heard IN the viCinage of the Square
There is "a movement" afoot among
the actors, Whether il will be one of
debi ity at the start, or whether il will
grow TO sturdy proportions and revo-
lutionize the theatrical world-grOwn
rot en- and corrupt by the rise OF the
p,rniCious combination syetam, the
subsequent ipfllx OF brssay specula.
tore, and the loss OF that self respect
aud esprit dc corps tbat formerly wa7 a
distinguishing Characteristic Of the
dr. ,matc gulld-these are questions
which time alone can answer,
II is apparent that in the present
dramatic disturbance the actor bear
TO the manager much the same rea
ton Us The lahorer to The capital at
There is an Gbysmel division between
, the two classes, II is not likely TO b,
! b idg until the present conditions
: under which they operate are com
' pletely altered,
As l remarked at the beginning
/, there are significant strsws whicl
show the direction Of the theatriCa
!. wind, rs well as other slraws tn
show the direction Of the UnioI
Square julep At the meeting OF tn
!, Act rs Oder Of Friendship the otbe
5 day in the Madison Square Thester,
v mmunica ion was read from IN
@ nesior OF Ame lean management, ,
k II McViCker. He said that 0rgsniz,
o Il is epidemic, and only the litte'
y vii slrvive This must be encoursi
n & news for play goe,s. McNiCkC
n has hld rare opportunities of obser'
II igg The eHe Is Of organization aud III
doc rine he advocates in his own Gil