The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1910-02-22
NATIONAL HOME
FOR The THEATER
Scheme to Better the Drama
and Hell p Actors,
VAST STRUCTURE TO Be BUILT

fACtoEs TuHo VI ATlSEiSd " FAA W
Building In New York For Housing
Varied Cooperative Charitable and
Business Stage Enterprises.
Daniel Frohman, president of the
Actors Fund of America. announced
the other day a project involving phi
lanthropy, business and an investment
of at least 100000 which may go far
toward revolutionizing the dramatic
profession In the United States. Man
ayers, players and to considerable
extent the public will all be affected
to great degree by the contamination
Of the plan.
The plan involves the erection of
half million dollar structure near Cen
trail Park South, in New York city,
which will not only house what may
be described as the United Charities"
of the three allied professiOns-th
drama, music and the fine arts-but
also a noncommercial theater for the
testing of new plays, a general book
ing agency, meeting rooms for actors
and managers and the business offices
of an old age pension fund. Of the
various branches of the great work
planned this last part of the general
plan and the national booking agency
will touch most directly upon the ac-
tors, for at present they have to give
anywhere from 10 per cent to so per
cent of their salaries to the private
agencies.
To Cost Half Million.
In discussing the vast project Mr..
Frohman said that, while two years
ago the plan was hailed as wildly
visionary by leading members of the
profession, they have now all come to
see Its practicability, even necessity.
I'VE hope to begin operations by
next fall" he continued. I'VE expect
to clear at least 100000 at the coming
Actors fund fair to be held in the
Seventy-first Regiment armory, New
York, during the week of May 8. A
good share of this must &c to the
fund itself, which is sadly in need Of
repletion, but the rest should be used
for this vast philanthropic scheme
from which Investment an income can
be procured.
1T will take very large structure
to house so many interests, and il will
not cost less than 100000. We do
not believe that there will be any diff
Guilty in raising this sum through the
fair, benefits aud donations. as sew
eral of our wealthiest philanthropists
have already promised their support.
Scope of Vast Enterprise.
zone whole floor will be given to the
United Charities of the three profess
sions. Youth is the chief asset of
most of the vaudeville players, sing
ers, chorus girls and especially the
hundreds of art models. AS rule,
when these people are deprived of
their means of livelihood the outside
charitable organizations give them a
chilly reception. The Actors Fund of
America cannot cope with all our own
poverty, and the other organizations
are even harder pushed. With all
these charities under one roof much
more can be accomplished
"Supplementing this is an old age
pension fund, whereby the members
Of the profession themselves can pro-
vide against want in old age.
"a great national theatrical ex
change, which will do away with in
dtvidual booking offices and the big
fees they exact for engagements of
only week or month. will occupy
one more floor 1t win be a good thing
for the manager and also for the actor,
who will no longer have to tramp from
Office to office. II will also protect
the actor from INSCRIPTIONS managers
and dubious, questionable places of
amusement This is particularly nee
essary for the art models. The Art
Workers club is doing much noble
work to protect these beautiful young
women, and our national organization
would extend that work even further.
To Aid Young Playwrishts.
Another floor will be devoted to
the development Of the native drama
Failures in the last two years have
been very frequent. To minimize the
risk Of failure we will have small
theater to seat about 300 persons
where new plays may be tried out
without going to the expense of col
leeting a company, preparing costly
scenery and going out on the road for
trial. There will be plenty of stage
people In the building who will be glad
to give some spare time to this tryout
It will also make 1t easy for young
authors to get trial for their plays
and thorough hearing from the man.
ayers.
There would also be lecture rooms
on this floor, where critics ard pro-
fessors of dramatic literature would
be invited to deliver addresses on top
les Of interest to the profession ard
the public
The club features of the plan com
prise big meeting room for the pro-
fession. a restaurant with reasonable
prices and library.