Evening star., 1919-08-31

IN ~ its own and the spectacle is
~" now on view. free of
Il charge. The cost comprises
the most famous actors and
actresses of the American stage.
some who are not of that stage and
even the chorus girls of musical COM
edy- No greater company was ever
presented in melodrama before.
True, the scenic environment is not
the familiar stage pictures. with
lighting effects; but real life and the
actual habitations of men, more espe-
cially the theater. The plot is de-
scribed as woven around "a conten-
ton for fair pay and better condi-
tions in the theater." The Actors
Equity Association. with that happy
comedian of musical comedy fame,
Francis Wilson. its president.
stands for the hero: the producing
managers for the villain and the
Actors Fidelity League. with the pep
perry George NJ. Cohan, of Yankee
Doodle fame, as the peacemaker.
strongly suspected by the hero and
his following cohorts. The great
American public, as usual. is getting
the benefit of some of the numerous
happenings that are necessarily in
cident to the great play. The precise
claims of the hero have not yet been
stated for the benefit of the audi
ence. They are known only by in
ference The peacemaker. who. incl
dentally. the past week. accepted the
presidency OF the Actors Fidelity
League, and with the dramatic offer
"f 100000. with a half million more.
II it were needed. announced that he
had received from the Producing Man
ayers Association. from which he re-
signed, that he might appear with
clean hands" form of contract
which surpassed the widest dreams
of the Actors Equity Association, in
Guiding costumes, wigs. and even
shoes and stockings for the chorus
gIrls in musical comedies. and then
thrilled his, enthusiastic hearers by
saying. II don't want to pin any bou-
quets on myself. but don't let any one
tell you the Equity is responsible for
this. I did it," with the accent on
the II
Nearly all the theaters in New York
are dark" as it goes in theatrical
parlance. That means that they are
not presenting plays. Thursday night
Az stage hands went on strike and
home from the big New York Hip
podrome without seeing Happy
Days" the brilliant spectacle employ
ing 1,1S2 players, which began what
promised to be a most successful run
a week ago Saturday evening. Mean
while. here in our own Washington.
somewhat less than 412 stage hands
walked out of the Shubert-Belasco
Theater and left up From Nowhere"
Booth Harrington and Harry Leon
Wilson's splendid comedy, high and
dry" to the disappointment of large
audience. but probably less than 5000
in number, although the players were
operating under an Equity contract.
The New National, with Look Who's
Here. a Max Spiegel attraction. re-
mained undiSturbed. because. the
management states, Mr.. Spiegel does
not belong to the Producing Manag-
ers' Association and the members of
the company are operating under the
form of contract demanded by the
Actors Equity Association.
Just how the great melodrama is
going to end and just what will be
the startling climax. it is difficult to
foretell at this time, in that respect
is great melodrama. No one, at
the present moment. at least none
of the treatrical profession in Wash
ington, seems able to tell what incidents
are likely to happen before the final cur
tain Attractions for the current week
are announced at the New National.
The Belasco has withdrawn all
announcements of coming attractions.
Thus far the vaudeville houses
have not been hit by the flying
debris and burlesque seems un-
perturbed. The summer parks will
doubtless be beyond the range of the
big guns and the nearby excursion
independence of hero, villain and
reacemaker. But the battle of the
drama is being waged with a wonder
full supply of ammunition in sight and
the timid can only watch and wait for
the. final result.