New-York tribune., 1919-08-31


Fund of America, was presented with a
check for 100000 that bore the sigma
urc of George M. Cohan. 1t was the
check Mr.. Cohan agreed to give to
finance the organization formed to rival
the Equity, and which the board of
directors declined after Mr. Cohan had
been elected president.
Actors Answer Hopkins
The executive council Of the Actors
Equity Association issued Il statement
yesterday in reply to one made Friday
by Arthur Hopkins on behalf of the
Producing Managers Association. The
Equity statement follows:
"Mr. Arthur Hopkins, in his most
recent statement, says: "A condition
like this can only mean chaos and,
finally, death to the theatre This
calamitous prediction Is false. Out of
chaos is born order; the chaos Of the
Revolution gave birth to the Constitu
tion of the United States. Death to the
theatre would not necessarily follow
Managers Association in their arro-
gance seem to think that their theatres
are the theatre The theatre is the
outcome of one Of the most deeply i'm
printed instincts in human nature and
has survived from the infancy Of man.
The public will see to it that its
hunger for the theatre will be appeased
That is necessary to its ordinary life,
and necessity is the mother OF lnven-
tion.'
=. "Means will be invented as demand
produces supply. The public wants to
see actors act plays; not to see man
ayers produce or present them Actors
want to act plays to public. This IN
tense desire will find the way. despite
| the efforts Of the managers to conflne
the satisfaction of their desire TO the
theatres they happen to own.
Denies Contracts Are Basic
"The entire producing business is
not built on individual contract, al
though Mr. Hopkins says it is. If his
statement were true, a play would be
killed if the cast for it were found to
be unavailable or different from that
which the producers hoped. What
really happens is that the plays are
produced with what casts are available
at the time, which is to say, with actors
then discngaged and alive. Mr.. Hop
kins surely does not mean to say that
he would kill a play if the actor he
built his hopes on had died. He would
produce it just the same, and, if still
useful, succeed even better than he
hoped. Managers are not impossible
in their first choice of cast.
"To show how little sincere is their
managerial argument about the in
dividual,' one of the glarng proofs
against it is the notorious practice of
managers of engaging a good actor to
originate part and having q cheaper
one study his work at rchearsals and
performances in order to give an imi-
tation or 'as good as duplication of it.
! The original actor, after dcvoting his
time and best efforts to his work, is
given his two weeks notice as soon as
his imitator is ready to replace him.
For that purpose some managers will
not engage actors for the season or
the run Of the play but only under q
two weeks clause, which gives them
free hand The Actors Equity AS
sociatlon has long recognized the hol
lowness of this individual plea
Inconsistency IL Charged
Mr.. Hopkins says the actor cannot
serve two masters namely, the
theatre and unionism Mr.. Hopkins
serves two; perhaps unwillingly. but
he serves thcm-the theatre and his
organization, which amounts to a
union, Mr.. Hopkinss duty to that union,
to which he is bonded in the sum of
S1000O may upset the contract with
the actor. Indeed, duty to that union
II
ments to arbitrate and recognize the
Actor Equity Association, thereby
bringing about all the present trouble
Mr.. Hopkins looks with dsmay on
the lowering of vitality of the
Theatrical business He should not
confuse the lowering of managerial
bank business with the vitality Of the
theatre Tine theatres fine vitality is
Just what has lowered those bank
balances. Its vitality is nhown in its
strength to throw off the managerial
shackles which for years-and for more
proft-havc bound it,
he substitution of new manage
ments or actor manarements will not
alleviate the situation, Mr. Hopkins
says. 1t will not alleviate the condi.
ton of present managers possibly
but 1t holds out a hope, as an ex-
pertinent or as an effort to bring {
constitution out of revolution. ThS
public has already shown its warm en-
couragement of this proposition. ano
it is fair hope that development vii
bring back to its ranks he thousand:
or cultured playgoers whom the poll
cles OF some Of the present manager:
and their union have for years es
trsnged from the theatre. The mutua
regard engendered between the actor
or author and the public is not ex
tended to the managers. He fost:
ms name by poster on that public, bu
tina does not win regard; that mere
: ~ indicates where to pay for tickets
True mutual regard is greater as
set than publicity and will confidently
be banked on in the very near future
by the true trinity constituting tht
theatre--the author, the actor and tn,
!, public"
Sam Bernard Files Answer
+ Sam Bernard, one of the defendant
IN the injunction suit brought by tn
, Winter Garden (the Shuberts) acains
officers and members of the Actors
, Equity Association, filed an answe
yesterday in the Supreme Court |
, was general denial of the charg
, that he had interfered with their busi
, ness.
l David Warfeld, an active member O
, the Actors Fidelity League, yestcrda
issued the following statement:
II believe the actors and actresses O
the United States have gained throur
- Fidelity the most remarkable and tn
most favorable contract that could hav
q been dreamed of. My heart and sou
\ are with the acting profession. bu
: nevertheless | can see clearly that tn
q profound obstinacy, as exhibited by tn
a Equity, Is causing continuance of tn
q terrific disturbance in the profession
@ This obstinacy of that organizatio
h seems centred on the selfish and il
logical demand for the recognition o
20 the Actors Equity Association as tn
Of Wv >y,<t 1