The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-04-09
WEEKLY THEATRICAL LETTER
By JAMES CIR ANT THuRsToN

jectionable men. Promises were made
 by the spectators that all objectionable practices would be eliminated.
 The managers rejected the plan. While many of the old ticket specula- tors were gentlemanly, never offensively persistent and were actually of use to patrons, there were also a number or nusances and a considerable number of ruffians among them. The crowd of men
 who hung around the theatres were dis tinctly an obstacle to traffic and a prov ocation of disorder.
 There have been times when audiences have found it difficult to get into the | theatre because of the mob of specula- | tors outside, and small ricts have been the result.
 | Senator John G. Sake has introduced | a bill relative to the sale of tickets for | amusement in public streets. The bill | provides that any person who in a pub | lie thoroughfare offers for sale or con | csicts the business of selling any ticket of admission to any place of amusement | shall be deemed guilty of a misde- meanor.
 Senator Saxe, In prosecuting the bill, said his district contained a larger DOT tion of theatres than perhaps any other | in New York and he was familiar with l the evils arising from the theatre ticket speculation He related personal expe- riences of excessive prices charged. Tho same measure is pending In the assem- 1 bly,.
 The Vaudeville Managers Protective association,, which includes vaudeville, circus and moving picture managers, will include in its contracts a clause pro- viding that should any performer re- fuse to work on a bill including non union performers such action will cancel all existing contracts with all the mem bers of the Managers association. statement of the attitude of the association toward the artists Nill be printed.
 This will be posted in all theatres con- trolled by members of the association. The managers say they will refuse to employ any performer going on strike or refusing to work with non-union artists, the managers thereby placing themselves on record as being for an ''open shop The managers declare they do not in tend to antagonize any interest or create hardship by the formation of the asso- | citation, but they intend to protect the | vital part of their business against at | lacks The managers state their object | is to protect the artists who want to I work as much as the managers who em- l ploy them.
 1 It is so generally understood that strik- 1 ing artists in the future will be consid- l cred Tn the same uSlli do oi 'iSe' "iie' were listed for the last three years as playing "opposition.'
 | Charles J. Ross Is sponsor TOT a scheme which will afford new vaude- vile acts an opportunity to obtain d l try-out here instead of being obliged to | go out to Union Hill or other way sta l tions, which are inconvenient for both | the performer and the manager The | theatre of Ross is planned to give man agers a chance of looking over new acts. Ross believes he will be able to obtain a theatre on Broadway, for which he has been negotiating. He says good artists are frequently frozen out of the profession for a lack of a chance to show l what they can do.
 l The indignation aroused among the | Catholics in regard to the common use | of profane language on the stage has l finally resulted in some appreciable re- | form.
 l letter written by Arthur s. Colborne to Mayor Gaynor, requesting his assist ance in doing away with the abuse has | evidently had its effect, for when Mir. Colborne visited the theatre last Mon-
 day and sought Manager Fred Kimball he was assured by him that the pro- | fame use of the sacred name of God l would be eliminated from the play during
 it's entire run in this city.
 MT Colborne received letter from