The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-05
Conference Of Players and
Managers Goes Long Way
Toward Settlement.
PRODUCERS MEET TO-DAY
Sothern and Marlowe Back
Demand for Arbitration Of
Holiday Pay.

As - Fcsuit OF tfnS meeting inc o1poCtar
ton was raised that the present theat-
rical turmoil growing out Of a contract
allowance for extra holiday matinees
will be abated and the threatened strike
Of players averted.
At the conference, which was held in
the office OF Sam Harris. president Of the
Producing Managers Association, In q
last attempt to solve the difficulties.
council Of the Actors Equity Association
we're present, together with prominent
players. Included among them were
Bruce McRae. vice-president of the A. Il
A.; Frank Gilmore. executive secretary /.
Grant Stewart recording and corre-
spending secretary; Donald Brian. who
has been prominent In alizning the
actors In their present stand; John Cope
and De Wolf Hopper. Morris Gest OF
the producing Arm Of Comstock q Gest
was also on hand.
Managers to Confer To-day.
Both sides declined after the closed
Rao~ccoAhbo W AAoho pUbitC Wh&t hao
taken place. But 1t was learned from
a reliable source that the theatrical
tangle had been carried q long way
toward solution, and that II was believed
by both elements that this was the fore.
runner OF q final settlement
The matter will be taken up at a
meeting Of the managerial body to be
called to-day by President Harris, and -
statement from this body which may
lead to peace Is expected. The producers
also will have presented to their formal
notice by l.. Lawrence Weber, their sec
Rotary, the letter which the actors sem
Friday embodying their resolutiona The
managers. who heretofore have refused
to meet a joint committee from the actors
at all. will confer with them again to-
morrow.
Both sides had been led to adopt an
attitude more amenable to arbitration,
II was said, because each had already
to some extent experienced the hard
ships OF walkouts. No general strike
had been officially ordered either by
the Actors Equity Association or the
American Federation Of Labor. of which
acting on their individual responsibility
had refused In large numbers to accept
the contract offered by the managers
in lieu of that demanded by the A e. A..
and in order to stand by their organixa-
ton had left the companies for which
they were engaged.
According to Mr.. Gilmore, the num-
Der of such unofficial "strikers' during
the past month has exceeded 200 In
New York city alone. with many mors
In the rest OF the country. A prominent
instance was that OF Robert McQuarrie
leading man for Grace George. who
opened her season at Asbury Park last
night.
All the other members OF Miss Georges
repertoire company except Mr.. Nc.
Quarrie were engaged by William A.
Brady early this spring under the
standard contract for which the A. 2. A
stipulated. Mr.. McQuarrie asked for ar
equity contract after the middle OF July
A. e. A. Joined the American Federation
OF Labor and thereby strengthened theii
cause in case OF a strike.
Mr.. Brady instead, II Is reported. Of
fered him the contract which the man
ayers had agreed among themselves Il
present TO their casts Mr.. McQuarrit
declined to accept this and left the com
pany. His retirement caused a della,
of a week in the production of "Sh,
Would and She Did," Miss Georges new
vehicle, in which she was at first sched
uiCu ~ beoAe ACA NSeA ~
July 2S
John Cromwell, stage director for Mr.
Brady. was hastily called from the par
of the detective captain, which he hal
been filling since "At s:45" opened n
the Playhouse, and was Installed in Mr.
McQuarrie's role. He played opposit,
Miss George at the New Jersey resor'
last night.
II. C. Browne Quits.
Another instance Is that o. Harry @
Browne, a member of the executiv,
council of the Equity. Engaged for q
role in a road company of "Oh. NJ,
Dear" the Comestock Gest musica
comedy success at the Princess Theatr,
last season. he, was offered the man
ayers contract. He held out for tn,
Equity arrangement, and finally left tn,
| company on his own Initiative about Z
month ago. Eventually 1t was said tn,
management offered him the Equity con
tract, but by that time he had accepted
a position with movie company.
Many OF the actors, however, wer,
not SO fortunate, and were In bad imam
cial circumstances during their sell
chosen idleness. Still they stuck to thei
guns. sometimes as many as six in on,
company informing the actors uniol
headquarters that they had walked out
One road company Of recent Broad
way success was organized with a cas-
composed entirely Of non-Equity mem
bers by a manager who determined I,
adopt drastic measures. 1t was re
ported, however, that after one rehear
sal his stage director informed the man
ager that his non-union players wer,
impossible from a histrionic standpoint
and the plan for tour was abandoned
As an example of the growing supper
from the leading members OF their pro
fession which the actors were obtain
III their movement against the man
| ayers the A. E. A. yesterday made pub
| lie a letter from e. II. Sothern to Franci
Wilson, president of the actors body.
sOthern supports Actors.
The eminent Shakesperian interpre
| ter. writing from his home at Litchfield
| Conn. on Friday on behalf OF himsel
and Julia Marlowe, his wife, espresso
approval of the actors stand and com
mended their union with the A. +. /
His letter follows:
"At this crisis In the existence of tn
Actors Equity Association, Mrs Sother
and ! wish to express our sympath
with your request, that the mana ger
should consent to arbitration In IN
question of payment for extra hollda
matinees. We are sorry that II becoue
necessary to adopt extreme measures /
enforce continued recognition of tn
Equity Association and we wish ths
the managers could have seen their wa
to cooperate with the association in a
matters concerning the welfare OF tn
NIL nH mr.