Evening star., 1901-02-23
DRAMA

Guilty he said LIT has been given more I'M
portance than it really warrants. The Wmte
Rats number about 600 members, while the
association books have on record 24oo ac!s
that are not affiliated with them Ihelr
strike, as they call it, was manlfestly un-
fair, however, as it was without notlce 10
the managers and plainly was intended 10
haraSS more than to accomplish any
thing else. In actual result, it has lost them
everything and more than they have con-
tended for, as the managers are a unit III
asserting that any performer who mas
struck shall not be re-engaged at any
| time. Moreover all houses that were mo-
mentarily affected have now engaged other
| acts, and their bills are just as good and
| business as large as ever.
"From our standpoint, therefore. the strike
| has not proved a coup d'etat, as the RatS
| expected, but has become boomerang ana
| reacted ingloriously upon them. The d1ner-
! ence between the association and the hats
| is not now because of salaries. Their main
| demand is that we shall do all our booking
| through their society office. Such thing:
involving the forfeiture of our Individual
| business liberty, is not to be tolerated, and
sooner than accede / would close my the
| ater as vaudeville house. 1t is conclu-
| sion that commends itself as wise and
| proper to every business man. AS to our
abolishing the charge Of per cent commits
| sion for booking acts, that is something we
| are more than willing to do.
1T was / who introduced at the last man
ayers meeting resolution. which was
adopted. that at our meeting on March .
next. the matter be considered and COM
missions wiped out not later than June
next. This will be done, whether or no, as
there are 2.4O0 acts, not Rats. which will
benefit by our action. So far as the New
Grand is concerned, its doors will remain
open. Should l not be able to obtain bills
Of the same high standard as I have been
| giving. l have other plans in view Already
| am in receipt of kilograms from the man
ayers of quite number of legitimate COM
l ay,tn- Il 70 hrO fIaty Low and
companies at the Grand and my Baltimore
house in the event that 1t becomes desirable
| to do so.
'In such a case the same scale of prices
will continue. and it is easily to be seen
| that such move on the part Of vaude
| vile managers would exert a great in
fiuence in depressing the price of admission
to the regular houses, which ], along with
many others, contend are higher than
should be. Altogether we have the
theaters, the money and the experience, the
outcome may be safely predicted as one
that will be eminently advantageous to the
Managers Association. Personally, 1 don't
care whether a performer is White Rat or
not, so long as he permits me to conduct
my own business in responsible and
equitable manner. For me to do anything
else would be as much out of comprehen-
sion as it would be suicidal to my own in
terests. Therefore, on the platform Of
| malice toward none and liberty for all I
take my stand All my best headline fea-
lures not White Rats, and l can see no
| reason now to apprehend anything but a
continuance of good bills and appreciative
audiences
1t is quite possible that this demonstra-
ton, which to the casual observer might
almost seem semi-humorous in its charac-
| ter may change the aspect of amusement
affairs in this city to considerable ex-
tent The New Grand claims to have
enough acts available to fill in its time with
out any assistance from the regular vau-
deville players. Among the attractions
available are those which have difficulty
in securing time because they are not on
| the books Of the syndicate. and others who
are anxious to play in Washington. but
who have not been able to get openings.
Some that are mentioned as being obtain
able are Henrietta Crosman. Mrs. Fiske,
Haverys Minstrels, Primrose and Docksta-
der's Minstrels, My Friend from India"
and an opera company to be especially Or
ganiZed by the Grau-Savage management
It is among the possibilities that the White
Rats will eventually be compelled to MAIN
tain theaters of their own as we'll as book
ing establishments
The statements of representatives Of the
two conflicting interests do not reveal any
radical difference of opinion on the per
cent commission question, and it is barely
possible that enough common ground may
be found to stand on with dignity, while q
truce is arranged.
1t is understood that the sympathies of
the managers who compose what is known
as 1.-THE Syndicate" for booking legitimate
attractions, are with the vaudeville
managers. One Of the results Of the
present agitation may be that the produc-
ton Of legitimate entertainments to fill in
time at vaudeville prices will cause cut
in the cost Of seats all along the line, as 1t
Is doubtful whether a vaudeville house
could hold its regular clientele. with prices
at top-notch even for high-class plays. And
drop would represent competition which
the legitimate theaters could not avoid
meeting.
1t was announced In New York last night
that the following prominent players had
sent out a statement declaring their SYM
pathy with the movement inaugurated by
! the White Rats. OF which organization they
are members: Nat G. Goodwin, De Wolf
Hopper Henry E. Dixey. Maurice Barry
! more. Dan DAILY. Louis Fields. Joseph Web
er John T. Kelly, Dave Warfield, Peter F.
Daley, Sam Bernard and Otis Harlan.
In a little red frame cottage at West
| Troy. N. Y. James A. Herne was born.
Forty years ago Troy was not as rapid
village as others the map. and Jim
Herne,' as he was called, was fine, whop-
ping. brainy boy, who began to peer about
| into employments which might lead to ad-
| venture. breadth Of experience and vague
y,
| plenty OF muscular demands In the daily
routine, exceedingly small mental opportu-
nifty and low remuneration sent James to
books deep and lurid, to dark recitals, mslo-
dramatic stage performances and dusty
shelves of romantic literature tragic class
les and the grewsome plays of Kirby's days,
Those were the real the true the develop
! Ing days of dramatic talent in America.
There was absolutely no commercial incen-
tive to adoption of the stage as a profession.
| The ablest leading men were paid $40 or SIG
per week and required to furnish every item
| of wardrobe. Stars were their own man
ayers and the ubiquitous press agent had
never breathed. Every actor engaging for
a special line of business was presumed to
| be up In the part belonging to that line in
| all the standard dramas, and the repertoire
| Of the least pretent1ous was something to be
| marveled at by a later-day collar-and-cuff
1 favorite. The result of this plainly unin-
vtting hue Of the financial department of the
| profession. and the honest toilsome pros
| poets in the matter Of study and attain
ment, brought to the unsteady footiiehts
only devotees, men of exalted ambition and
soulful intent. women Of promising beauty
\ and pronounced mental gifts
Brisk sOubrettes, sad-eyed emotional as-
pirants and piquant ingenues were fnstrucf
ed according to the evident complexion OF