The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-07-30
STAGE SLAVES DEAF
TO CALL OF STRIKE
Pretty Maids and Handsome
Youths Refuse to Leave
"Chu Chin Chow" Jobs.
GEsT's SPELL UNBR0KEN
Actors Association Claims Vic
tory Despite Evidence of
Defeat.

As Miss Marjorie Wood. chief Sldve
Girl In "Chu Chin Chow" the Arabian
Nights spectacle which is to be put on
at the Century Theatre next week or In
tho near future. unless the strike that
the Actors Equity Association is trying
TO stir up among the 22e members Of the
company because Morris Gest won't sign
an A. Il. A. contract as Francis Wilson
wants him to. becomes q real strike and
not the fxzle the Century Theatre press
agent declared II yesterday-well, as
Miss Wood says. n she IL to be ciassed
with a common day laborer who has to
belong to q union to protect himself,
where In art7 What is the artist7 She
loves her art; she loves the stage; she
loves Morris Gest; Morrie has always
treated her right, and she'd rather have
Morrie Costs word than any A ID. A.
contract, even II II was handed her on a
silver platter.
From which 1t may be deduced that
Miss Wood refused the role that Mr..
Wilson and Frank Gilmore assigned her
OF head striker In the great union labor
realistic drama which was to be staged
at the Century Theatre yesterday after
noon. In fact, no sooner did Marjorie
get the strike order than she sat down
and wrote her resignation from the
Actors Equity Association. Also. not
trusting Mr.. Burleson's mail facilities,
she delivered the resignation orally to
Mr.. Gilmore, the executive secretary OF
the A. e. A., when he burst painting into
the rehearsal of "Chu Chin Chow" and
ordered all hands to drop that light
stun and cast themselves for the strike
drama without delay.
Whf1a NJ GitIpnra mas afi1l hraaf h-
less from the shock of Miss Woods de-
sertion he turned his eyes to the stage
entrance, and II there wasn't Comstock
and Gest, in the person of Morrie him
self. strolling In and trying to look as
II he just happened around and hadn't
TAXED wildly UP in response to an 8 o s
call to hasten and protect the Theatrical
Managers Association from the wicked
plots OF the A e. A. Right there Nor
RE grabbed centre stage and proceeded
to play the part of the hero, pushing
Mr. Gilmore. who had cast himself
for that role, into the thankless one
OF the arch villain. And whereas Gill
more had expected to be starred In this
press notices as having some
of the best lines in the performance and
getting a hand every minute or 50 Nor
RE dexterously fixed It 30 that he Jared
better than the unknown actor
who comes on and says MY lord. the
waits"
Mr.. Gest Says q Word.
To an audience composed of the agi-
tated Mr.. Gilmore, beauteous slave girls
In sections of costumes such as slave
girls wear at rehearsals when their
trunks haven't come: prompters in their
shirt sleeves: Lyall Sweet, the English
producer. who has come over to rehearse
the American production Arabian poten-
tates in United States dress or undress;
a sulky male chorus. lovely female
&c. &C.. &C.. Mr.. Gest, taking
centre stage and assuming an attitude
which combined the fatherly and the
oratorical In equal parts, spoke thus:
"As for this Actors Equity Associat
ton thst Is seeking to stir up trouble in
my company which Is like a happy fam
lily. what is Il? Who heads It? Francis
the president, IL a reputed mil
Gest shook his head sadly.
as one who would scorn to become a
no matter how hard the pro-
ducing business tried to make him one
''and Frank Gilmore. an English actor
who hasn't worked at his trade for Ave
years''-here Mr.. Gilmore created a
diversion by making desperate efforts to
DuISI luUO tnC 1Ccllo InIOuku TIC
centre door. and was only restrained by
the combined strength OF three Arabian
sultans and a slave driver-"and Harry
a labor agitator from England.
''If this bunch can induce my company
to walk out on me and my firm. which
tends them like a father. which visits
them when they are sick and pays them
full salaries. no matter how long they
may be away having operations. or in
fiuenza. or no matter what. which pays
extra for matinee performances and In
fact does all that an Actors Equity As
ISOLATION contract could compel II to do
and then some-if this bunch. I say, can
Induce my people to leave me am dis
appointed" Here Mr.. Gest paused and
wiped his eyes then changing his tones
from the throaty whisper of extreme
to the high indignation of
the outraged father who cries. "Avaunt.
ungrateful girl. II you prefer false
lover to your fond father" he proceeded:
III there is any member OF the 'Chu
Chin Chow company here who has failed
to get a square deal from Comstock &
Gest let MIN or her hold UP his or her
hand. We will never sign a contract
offered by the men who head the Actors
Equity Association. I'm not.saylng but
what we'd sign II men like John Drew
and Henry Miller and George NJ. Cohan
headed that association. We'd be proud
to in that case. Well. now. the re-
hearsal of 'Chu Chin Chow is going to
proceed. Anybody who thinks the Ac-
tors Equity Association will pay his or
her hotel bills and buy them cigars IL
a man or candy IL a woman. and clothes
and the rest of the things that even
actors have to have-anybody. say.
who is willing TO depend on Messrs.
Wilson and Gilmore and Mountford to
that extent had better walk out now.
There is the door. Now is the time"
Walkout Il Problem.
Now there is a difference OF opinion
.s TO how many walked out Press
A gent Page issued a typewriter state
rent saying that only one OF the 226
walked out, and he didn't really walk out
because he wasn't there. He just sent a
,ote saying that he would not work os
he was n member of the Actors Equity.
80 Mr.. Pagecsaid. but later in the day
Francis Wilson, having presided over
souncil of the Actors Equity at their
1742 Broadway. stated
hat the assertion that only one OF the
1875 members of the Chu Chin Chow
company walked out when called on to
trike was an absolute falsehood."
But anyhow. when Lyall Sweet In his
hirt sleeves stood up on the railing
round the place where the orchestra
its and in his English accent called on
he Chu Chin Growers to assemble for
ne rehearsal all hands seemed to be
here. And while Mr.. Sweet exhausted
lis vocabulary and rose from the gentle