The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-08
MANAGERS SAY THEY
WILL FIGHT ACTORS



Hobbies and waited dreatily in line at the
box offices to have their money returned,
which was done in every instance except
one. In that case, the premiere OF
''Nightie Night" at the Princess Theatre,
the management announced that tickets
for last night would be good for the
opening of the farce later on.
The crowd seemed amazed that the ac-
tors and actresses should actually have
taken steps which aligned them with
striking harbor workers. railroad men,
longshoremen and trolley employees. In
some Hobbies the comment was over
heard, They must be crazy!r One
woman was heard to remark In the foyer
OF the Cohan q Harris Theatre, II think
I'll go to South America tomorrow.
That's one place where you can do what
you like to do"
For an hour after the strike was
! called, the theatres darkened and the
patrons paid back. the theatregoers how
cred outside theatre entrances, uncertain
where to go and apparently nonplused
at having their evenings enjoyment
snatched from their grasp. Then they
| began to wander aimlessly along Broad
| way. idly seeking what pleasure they
could for the rest Of the evening. This
naturally diverted large overflow Into
vaudeville houses like the Palace. so
| that standing room there was at pre-
MUM
At the Gaiety a curious disturbance
| took place Aftex representatives Of
John l.. Golden and Winchell Smith, the
! producers Of "Lightnin'." announced that
tickets, 1t developed that most Of the
patrons in this house appeared to have
| thrown away their coupon Cheeks
| conditions that seemed to be true on q
large scale Of no other house. Due to
| the difficulty of explaining this to the
box office. a congestion that almost de-
veloped into riot took place. However.
the difficulties were finally smoothed
over and every one went away satisfied.
The managers while not unprepared
! for such action on the part Of the A. E.
A. through indirect reports, declared that
they had received no official notification
| of 1t from that body during the after
noon or evening. They knew. however.
| that such a strike was likely after the
actors meeting in the Hotel Astor yes
| terday. which was the elimination of the
long fight waged this spring and summer
by the A. e. A. The demands of this
organization have been:
| Backed by A. r. of J..
Recognition by the Producing Mana
gers Association of the ActorA Equity
| Association ss representative of the the
atricai profession and empowered to do
! collective bargaining for II, and the
granting by the managers Of an Equity
contract by which the actors receive ex-
ira pay for performances on Sundays
| and on holiday matinees.
To strengthen this cause. particularly
in case of a strike. the Equity. by Joining
the Associated Actors and Artistes OF
America, affiliated itself in the middle OF
July with the American Federation OF
Labor.
To determine whether the actors would
call such a strike, in response to Sc
ries of refusals OF their demands, Fran
els Wilson. the president, called an ex-
ecutive meeting Of the members of the
Equity for yesterday afternoon behind
closed doors in the ball room Of the
Hotel Astor. BY the time the meeting
| started, with President Wilson presid-
| ing. at 3 80 the room was damned with
excited player folk. to the number OF
1900. They almost spilled out OF
the balconies. while standing room
on the floor gave small space for even a
dancers feet.
They were all In fighting mood. and
the opening speech of Mr.. Wilson was
greeted with cheers Other speeches
calling for action were made by Frank
Gilmore executive secretary of the A.
liz. A.; Hugh Frayne. State organizer for
the Federation of Labor. who pledged
the support OF that body: w. B. Rubin,
attorney for the A. f. of L. in Wiscon-
sin, who has recently been advising the
actors on legal matters; Joseph NJ
Weber, president OF the American Fed
Grafton of Musicians. who declared the
musicians union was heartily in SYM
a.. vi mrs
as e. H. Sothern, Berton Churchill, John
Cope, Harry C. Browne. and Richie
Ling, one of the strikers in the recent
abortive attempt to cause a walkout In
"Chu Chin Chow"
sothern Gets Ovation.
Mr. Sotnern received an ovation when
he appeared on the platform, due to his
recent letter indorsing the stand OF the
Equity. His reception was not quite so
lively, however, when 1t developed that
he was the only speaker OF the afternoon
who favored a delay with the hope of
getting an armistice and settling the
differences with the managers without
resort to a strike.
| He said that he had hurried here from
his home at Litchfeld Conn. and in a
ma! desperate effort to bring about q
reconciliation had gone to present to
Sam Harris and Lee Shubert. Just prior
to the meeting. the Equity stipulations
He said that Mr.. Shubert was willing tc
address a mass meeting OF actors, AND
Mr.. Sothern himself rather inclined "a
this proposal. But 1t was voted down
with an uproar. because such a mas:
meeting would not be called under tn,
auspices of the A. E. A.
Thereupon pledges were circulated
calling on the signers to support a strike
These resolutions received about 1.00l
signatures, and ran as follows:
Whereas In all contracts previousl,
entered into between managers and
actors. the Actors Equity Association
was recognized by the managers as tn,
representative of the actors to be deal
} with on behalf OF the actor In all mat
ters arising under such contracts; an,
, Whereas the managers who ar
} members Of the Producing Manager
, Association now definitely declare tina
they no longer recognize the Actors
: Equity Association and will not dea
with 1t. and will not arbitrate with
the differences which have arisen be
, tween manager and actor; and
I whereas by so doing said member
OF said Producing Managers Association
, have both broken and repudiated exist
! ing contracts between the managers an,
actors and
i, Whereas many other equitable an,
moral reasons exist for this agreement
) be It
Resolved. That we severally agree
es CHI with the other, that until the Ac
tors Equity Association is recognized a