Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-11
ACTORS ARE OPPOSED
TO SUNDAY CLOSING

N NTRANGE as IL may seem to the good
- people now promoting a campaign
~ for Sunday closing of the Los An
geles theaters, and ungrateful withal,
the strongest opposition to the scheme
comes from the very persons it is osten-
sibly designed to beneft-the player folk
and employees generally about the the
aters.
The Sunday Rest league, 1t is under
stood, bases its canvass for signatures to
its proposed petitions on the claim that
the actors are overworked; that they
have to give seven performances a week.
and have no day off; that theatrical en-
ployes, from managers to ushers, are IN
the same category, and that 1t is inhu-
man. Therefore, without regard to the
religiosty or morality of Sunday open
ing, they seek to close the playhouses on
the Sabbath on humanitarian grounds
exclusively.
But actors actresses and theater en-
ployes do not see it that way. On the
other hand, they condemn the movement
They declare 1t distinct source of harm ;
mischievous and not needed, in that the
very thing that is sought to be accom-
plished-one day week Offs already a
fact with all of them.
scheme do not understand the facts and
are unfamiliar with theatrical usages In
the first place, say the players, they now
get a day off a week, always. In one
house this is Sunday, in aother Friday,
in third Thursday, and so on. For this
off day they are paid.
Fear Smaller Salaries
In case Sunday closing were enforced.
1t would mean a dockage of one-seventh
or more in their salaries, as they would
be put on six days basis And it
would mean rehearsals every Sunday
without pay, thus depriving them of any
time to themselves. So that, it would
seem, they really would lose financially
and in point of leisure by the PROPOSE
tion. And the same rules apply, Of
course, to all other theatrical employees.
AS an example of this, the stock actors
quote the recent experience of the Call
fornians at the Auditorium. This house
is closed Sundays to plays, so contracts
were all made on a six-day basis. Yet
every Sunday the company rehearsed all
day at the Gamut club, without pay, and
really worked harder than any stock
company IN town.
Another phase of the subject which
seems not to have struck the advocates
of the scheme Is that were the local
stock houses closed on Sunday 1t would
mean undoubtedly daily matinees, to
make up for the losses sustained. If any
one wants to know what the twice-a-day
horror is let him ask the players who
have undergone this torture in the east,
where no Sunday performances are given.
This is the very reason why Los Angeles
attracts the best stock players in the
United States-because they avoid the
daily matinee and have time to do artis-
tic work. And conditions are so happy
here that many of these favorites have
remained with one company for years.
have bought their own homes, and are
permanent additions to the community
ALL Employees Agree
OF course the musicians, stage hands
and other employees are not only in sym"
pathy with the actors, but are likely ITO
suffer in the same way. They have ac-
lively begun to oppose the plan and their
unions have already taken cognizance of
the situation and are planning counter
fight. Both stage employees and musi-
clans unions have only recently made
contracts on a seven days basis after a
severe struggle, and they do not care,
they say, to reopen the controversy.
with everything to indicate that they
will get the worst of it in longer hours
and reduced pay.
That the unions will generally back the
theatrical employees is already strongly
indicated. They claim that Sunday is
the workingman's holiday, his one chance
to go to the theaters, and that he should
be free to do so if his own conscience
approves Also. they say, they do not
countenance a financial loss for purely
sentimental reason, which has only one
object-a weekly holiday-already en-
forced.
Don't Know Ireland
Another point. and very good one,
that the actors make is that the Rev.
Mr. Ireland who is understood to be at
the bottom of the agitation is unknown
to them, either as an ex-actor or as
preacher. He has, they assert, never
called on them or consulted them in any
way, but has spoken dlsparagtngly of
stage folk so often that they are con-
strained to repudiate him and his evil
dent good intentions.
The morale of the question and its sp1r-
ituality-the right and wrong of Sunday
theatrioafs-seems not to be involved In
the controversy as stated, on either side.
1t has been placed by the Rest league
purely upon humanitarian grounds. AS
such it seems debatable from either an
gle, and the case as the stage folk make
ii out is undoubtedly strong one. AS
to their own welfare, they certainly
ought to be considered the best judges, |
and if they are satisfied, nay, pleased, |
with the present status Of affairs, quien
sabe?