The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-04
SIGNS POINT TO END
OF ACTORS STRIKE


tor to the five which are scheduled
to come out of enforced retirement.
They are musical comedies under the
management of John Cort. being "Roly
Boly Eyes" announced for the Cort
Theatre on September le. and "Just
Minute" at the Knickerbocker. which
It Is hoped will last longer than It's
title implies. on September Is.
Denial was made at the Office of Will
lam Harris. Jr.. that East Is West"
would try conclusions once more with the
strikers at the Astor Theatre next week,
but 1t was learned that most Of the
original cast are still keeping It in
good state Of preservation by rehearsals.
Friendly Enemies" with Jess Dandy
playing the part formerly occupied by
Sam Bernard, may get away to a quick
start at the Manhattan Opera House
by Saturday, according to word from
the office Of A. II. Woods. though it
was said Louis Mann was kept so busy
thinking up speeches for the Fidelity
League that he didn't think he could
catch up with 1t until Monday.
Preparing for "FOIlies."
Preparations were still going on for
the presentation Of the "Ziegfeld Follies''
at the New Amsterdam Theatre, and
THE Challenge at the Selwyn, which
may break from cover tomorrow night
with non-union stage hands unless per-
emptorily challenged. George White
said he would produce a roof show, in
stead of the Scandals of 1919" at some
indefinite date. the change being aseribed
to a hitch in the contract which kept
the Scandals" anchored to the Liberty.
The meeting Of the managers yester-
day afternoon was the first full gather
ing they have had since the theatres
became empty. The inside dopesters had
information that the strike might have
been settled at the conference on the
preceding night IL there had been full
house. When the clarion call went out
for the gathering of the clans SO many
responded that the Conan & Harris
offices didn't have enough chairs to go
around, and for once in his life Sam
Harris, the president. appeared before
standing room only.
Out of the COB of rumors drifting
from the assembly came the report that
a cleavage in the association was likely,
and that a powerful trio who have
formed a coalition were in favor OF
granting recognition to the Equity and
adopting the slogan of ION with the
dance, let joy be unionized."
Another prominent group, with whom
this triumvirate previously had close
business connections, were said 10 be
equally firm for non-recognition and
standing pat and the possibility arose
that unless the strike was settled these
two factions in the managerial camp
would split and go off and play by
themselves.
The smaller managers In such
selves In the position of the playwrights.
who yesterday made another determined
effort to gain little more attention
than heretofore and to discount the
saying that nobody loves fat play
wright-.or a thin one or any variety.
The mediation committee OF FIVE, headed
by Augustus Thomas, had short con-
ference with the managers. after which
they toddled back to their home folks.
the dramatic committee of the Authors
League of America, In convention as
sembled at the Hotel Astor.
Dramatists Report Progress.
The dramatists asked for an extern
sion of their blanket powers for an
other twenty-four hours, reporting that
they were making progress toward de-
movement, in which the managers were
likely to be more willing to look at
the literary lights latest magnum opus
dealing with the settlement of the strike
than they were on an earlier occasion,
when the managers sent back the peace
manuscript unread with regrets that
they found II unavailable at the present
time
Having received permission the COM
mittee returned to the managers meet
ing to lay before them the authors new
atn nj sd aNr1n NJ nd
Frank Gilmore. executive secretary of
the Actors Equity Association Charles
c. Shay, head of the stage hands union,
and Joseph n. Weber, chief of the mu-
siclsns, that these organizations would
rot demand a closed shop for the actors
a. a condition TO calling off the Broad
Way worlds series.
During the afternoon, 1t was credit
ably reported, representatives from the
stage hands appeared before the man
agerial body and gave assurances that
they would agree to an open shop pro-
vided members of the Equity in the
future weren't Disseminated against to
the advantage of the Actors Fidelity
League, the rival organization which
has kept alive the managerial faith in
the trustworthness of human nature.
While these great events were passing
below decks william A. Page, in charge
Of the managerial press headquarters
above, was gazing sadly at what was
once an overlooking ice box, now under
the ban of prohibition by edict of the
managers themselves.
About the time that the open shop
assurances were being given n petition
was being passed around strike head
quarters on West Forty-fifth street de-
manding a closed shop, and in a short
time 1t had gained a circulation OF more
than 200 signatures. But John Cope, n
leader on the Equity executive council,
heard OF II and stopped it.
The forenoon yesterday was an epoch
of denials, the playwrights issuing a
statement denying that they threatened
10 bring pressure to bear on the man
ayers for a strike settlement; the
Equity, through Grant Stewart, denying
that the stage hands and not the actors
were now running the strilke--a coHclu
sion drawn from the closing of the Gallo
English Opera Company's production of
'"Phe Mikado" on Monday-and the
Fidelity denying practically everything
that the Equity has said or would say,
Earl Booth, chairman of the enter
tainment committee of the Equity, an
nounced that on Friday. the Equity
Revue" now at the Second Avenue The
atre, will open at the Savoy in Newark |;
an all star Vaudeville bill wifi start the
same day in Boston under the direction
of Hal Forde and Arthur Hurley, with
Donald Brian and William j. Kelly on
the bill, and a new musical comedy with
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