The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-17
TYRANT! CRY THE CHORUS.
FEMININE WRATH OYER A NEW
RULE OF THE STAGE DOOR.
IL was Airned Against the johnnie.. but the
Chorus Girls Arc Almost In Revolt over IT.
stnre-noor Discipline and Persons who
May Pass It-Giris who Refuse suppers.

Chorus Girls Are Almost In Revolt over 1t
stnre.Door Discipline and Persons who
May Pass It-Giris who Refuse Shippers.
There's sadness in the ranks of tho chorus
girls at tho Casino just now. More than that.
there's indignation there. too. The nightly
spectators never would suspect 1t, but the linn
ber.voiccd, limber.legged women who amuso
them are threatening to strike. in worry sup.
pressed murmurs. which are allowed to roach
George w. Lederer, manager OF tho company,
only In a vague way. They declare quito openly,
however, that he is u tyrant. and that he would
not allow them TO call their souls their own IL
he could help IL.
What's IL all abouti Why, silpply this: In
order to maintain the necessary discipline in
his company Mr.. Ledercr has been forced to
make u rule which says that any chorus girl
found under the escort Of any man not an i'm
mediate member Of her family cousins don't
go worth a cent? on her departure from tho
theatre after the performance shall be dis
charged. This rule went into effect two weeks
ago, and It has made trouble on the inside Of
the stage door and on tho outside as well. The
Johnnies are just as much cut up about 1t as
tho chorus girls.
1.-THE management was just forced into this
thing" said Mr.. Lederer. "Why. the pave
ment was so blocked in front of our stage door
every night with chaps waiting to escort tho
chorus girls home or to take them out to supper
that u big policeman himself could hardly make
his way through them. They weren't all John
MES, either; there were a lot Of elderly men
among them. The chorus girls were think.
ing 30 much about these engagements
and wondering II Tom, Dick, or Harry
would show up, that the anticipation
OF pleasure distracted their thoughts from their
work and led to carelessness, and I determined
to put n stop to 1t, then and there. The girls are
very angry with me, I understand, and there is
still some suppressed talk Of a strike. But thoy
don't dare let it reach my ears, for they know
there are dozens Of connolly girls with
good voices who are ready TO take
m 1nSi eaiiRs lae Hsre. sp Mr. C Coqbatt E MRS x s aslae g sS
with the company. He can tell you all about
this particular rule, how il is affecting our girls
door discipline aud traditions. Unjust be of to
one hundred people in this com pany. and sixty
OF them are chorus girls. be.ore we made the
men waiting outside the stage door every night.
They lined the whole biloxi, and even now they
take up their stand IN II" Railways along the
performance to go into the next BLOCK. toward
Fifth, avenue. and I found It crowded with men.
could not imagine what they were doing away
chorus girl. and ono can well imagine that the
around back OF the stage, and you can hear,
Without asking pS any questions what the girls
"Tne Belle Of New York was being re.
hearsed. Dan DAILY, who takes the part of
President Of the Young Mems Rescue League
speaking some lines about having 4.o44 rules
on conduct for the young.
THAT'S Just what Mr.. Lederer would like to
have for u.s." interjected a gipl.
on m0f course m1,I hsr you'd Ssyl h, Sn Ms %SEs. toTif t p9p 1bst
our freedom has been taken from U.s."
peroxide sfd; hes Ssss ssRpsss YS fss 3i Ss : sPG sisl sP b ) S'f
He'd find himself in a pretty pickle Il We
took a notion to strike" suggested a meek look
above a stage whisper. II. for ono, thought
that we We're engaged for our vcices and per:
sonnl attractions. and that when we rendered
the service due the management had no further
control over us. but 1t seems not III a meio-
BY this time Harry Davenport was singing
his song with the refrain:
T TaS ls.s q root root S sis ~ hole wI IIss l and song
Amt 1t a wonder he don't cut that out r.
He Of course. meant Mr.. Lederer. This
personal pronoun always does when spoken in a
spiteful tone AT the Casino now.
I've had eleven years experience with the
to the front. and I can honestly say that unless
a man is known 1t Is harder for a man to get
pass through chin The eye" eye Of "a a needle. 1t would be-
infinitely easier FOR him to gain access to q Jewel
,isnea in at e Ssne; .ta Tns door rs w Ssp only I in @Sn s one
thing, and that Is to obey the orders Of
b sI' , s%PsGy'f. to p as.. rf Ei%.. but al i iS5's
got by. He was in love, with one of the
would call on her in her dressing room. He
made several attempts to pass the stage door
thar made him mare determined than ever. Tho
, next night a trunk came To the stage door for
the the E ORR, ' aust. 0e 81 course 1ns o II @as Del Seliv tG 90 IN Gr h "T
dressing room. and when she opened II there
was her admirer. l believe. however. that our
hack doorlnan. Pat. would smell . man locked
hBetore we passed the new rule about half of
the chorus girls went away from the theatre
alone. even IL they met some one later. and the
ether half left here viii escorts; Really tho
ngement in making such a strict rule and en-
forcing t to the letter, One day Mr.: LedeEGr
answered 1t and "A voice said:
What partyr he repeated.
Who % YOU mean = Sid Mr.: LS9eEsr;
%So, what y i you wantr
morning. He knows. Get him to tho phone
answered the voice. who are your
".Sure Z asked the other;
Yes, my name is s~mith-John Smith.
What's yoursr The man gave it. and Mr..
Lederer grunted In an aside, Interesting. in
OF the stage and tell Miss So and So. who has a
leading part. that his carriage would call for
her at &c and that they would lunch together.
III you have any message to send back OF
tho stage send It to the stage door, ordered
Mr.. Lcdercr. This is the box office, and tho
young woman will not finish rehearsal until 5
o'clock
The fellow fred enough hot h~lankety blanks
over the wires TO burn EN- up, and said he'd call
the whole thing of. He abused Mr.. I4ederer for
al he was worth, thinking he was Smith and
little drcaminC that he WAS making the way
hard for himself and other such Johnnics.
I'VE have a family room down, stairs where
the relatives OF the chorus. girls who come to ac-
company them home can SIT and wait for them.
Since the edict went forth from six 10 n dozen
women are to be found there every evening do
ing fancy work, sowing and reading. and a few
men; They are sisters waiting for sisters,
brothers for sisters. and mothers for daughters.
This really establishes . new community Of PEG.
them together, Lhcy become acquainted with
one another. we become acquainted with them.
and altogether II makes a more wholesome at
mOsphere.
III any chorus girl Intends to leaye the tho
atre after the performance with n male relative
fho has to notify Pat, the doorman OAly