The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-02-12
WEEKLY THEATRICAL LETTER
BY GRANT THURSTON

be guessed at. There are men who will not buy seat ticket. They are content to buy admission" or standing room tickets and see an act or two. Many of these would not go to show other wise. Mrs. Leslie Carter, after nine weeks of most profitable business in this city. began her road tour Monday week in Philadelphia, where her engagement was for two weeks. Mrs. Carter has cer- tainly "come back" Her new play by Rupert Hughes, Two Women,' Is ad- mirably adopted for the display of that emotional acting which has kept her in prominence for almost twenty years. Among the principal players in Mrs. Car- ter's support are ENJ. Radcliffe, Harri- son Hunter, Brandon Hurst, Harry c. Carlton. Helen Tracy, Lily Cahill and Mile Andree corday.
 One of the local theatrical managers has hinted at probable fight with the actors organizations. There are over 5000 performers in the White Rats." which is now affiliated with the American Federation of Labor. The Actors union which has many branches is also affiliated with the federation. The demands of the performers are. in brief, as follows: CD A scale of liv- ing wages during rehearsals; s(2) the purchase by the management of all costumes including shoes. hats and stockings: I3) the payment of full sal- aries during Holy Week and week be- fore Christmas; s(4)' the payment of salaries in full when companies. be- cause of failures in bookings. are forced to remain idle for a period; (5) sleep- ing car accommodations to be paid by the management.
 Recently a number of prominent &C., tors together with several play wrights
 
 protective association which shall ad- just several grievances now existing between players and managers. The remedies they hope to accomplish are outlined above. xse55H
 We feel" sad one of the promoters of the movement that actors should not be compelled to gamble with managers on an enterprise. If they put in their time at rehearsals they should receive at least enough salary to live upon. And then there is no good reason why an 70. tor should pay for any part of his cos tune any more than he should for a part of the scenery Those things are all ac- oessories, required and used for the ben eft of the producer. Certainly the same rule should hold true when a company is obliged to lay off through no fault of it's own. Included among those interest ed are a number of stars, several of the more successful playwrights and any ! number of lesser lights"
 The actors are affiliated with the cen- tral,labor bodies in this borough and over in Brooklyn, and take an active part in their work. And then some of the lead- ing playwrights are strong pro-labor in their ideas.
 David Graham Phillips relatives will, in conjunction with others. select man to write the last act of his play, White Magic" which is based on his story of that name which has already been published.
 Three finished acts of the play are in the possession of Charles Frohman. who happened to receive them at the minute that he was reading an &C., count of the death of the author. Ac- companying the manuscript was note from Mr. Phillips to the effect that hs would complete the last act soon.
 MT. Phillips intended to abandon novel writing and become playwright Soon after White Magic" appeared he wrote Mir Frohman that he intended to devote his time in the immediate future to writing plays.