The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-08-31
MANAGERS SIGN
AN AGREEMENT
WITH ACTORS
Cohan Sees End of Strike
and Opening of Theatres
Soon.
EQUITY is NOT NAMED
Players Assert They Win
Virtually Every Conces-
sion Asked.
HIPPODROME WILL OPEN
Pact Arranged Whereby Show
Restarts Tomorrow With
Dillingham; Out.
HIPPoDROME WILL OPEN

An agreement which the Actors FL
delity League counts upon to end the
theatre strike was announced at a
meeting of the league at the Biltmore
last night by George NJ. Cohan, the
leagues president. He declared that
the managers had accepted 1t and
bonded themselves to carry out it's
terms.
The feature in which the Fidelity
Leaguers see the end of the strike is
a clause which will permit the Actors
Equity Association, responsible for the
strike. to maintain its organiza ton in
explicitly recognized by the managers.
Whether the striking Equity members
will accept these terms and go back to
work, taking with them the stage
hands and musicians. could not be
learned last night.
While George NJ. Cohan predicted at
the Fidelity meeting that the theatres
would be reopened and in full swing
within ten days, the Equity League
went ahead with elaborate prepara-
tons for the continuation of the strike
by spreading out and increasing its
own cooperative productions in New
York and elsewhere. The members
regard the reopening of the Hippo
drome tomorrow with all members
Of the chorus and cast working under
straight Equity contracts as the most
formidable victory they have yet
scored.
The clause in the Fidelity contract an
nounced last night upon which 1t is
hoped the strike may end. provides that
when an actor appeals to the permanent
board of arbitration set UP jointly by
the actors and managers he may be
represented by any person or association.
Thus IL is predicted that the Actors
Equity Association could represent its
members as II has heretofore done.
Points Won by the Actors.
Otherwise the new contract under
the auspices OF the Producing Managers
.sssociation and the Actors Fidelity
League grants all of the material de-
slands which the striking actors sought
when they first went out six weeks ago.
The managers bond themselves to carry
out its terms and the Fidelity League
pledges itself to see that the actors live
~ tc their individual agreements em-
bodied in the standard form of contract.
Enthusiasm at the meeting was evenly
divided between the announcement OF
the achievement of the agreement and
the news that George NJ. Cohan had
given to the Actors Fund the check for
100000 which he had offered to finance
the Fidelity League and which the
league refused. Daniel Frohman. head
OF the Actors Fund, which for thirty
eight years has maintained a home on
Staten Island for INDECENT and aged
tlespians, was present at the meeting
and accepted Mr.. Cohans cheek from
William Collier with the remark that in
his forty years connection with the the
atre only the foundation of the Actors
1und forty years ago had been of equal
Importance with Mr.. Cohan's gift.
Earlier in the evening the Equity AS
ISOLATION issued a statement indicating
that II the managers remain obstinate
H. refusing recognition the organization
will go on with the policy OF its own
productions. which has proved 80 sue
cessful at the Lexington Theatre. A
new Equity Revue" on an elaborate
scale will open at the Thoma shefsky
Theatre in Second avenue on Tuesday
night Lionel Barrymore will add the
last act of THE Copperhead" to the
Lexington programme. The Academy
Theatre has been leased by the Equity
and a production. probably a musical
revue, will be put on there on Septem-
ber ..
original gala performance at the Lex
ington, will be given at the Brooklyn
Academy OF Music tomorrow night.
Fortune Gallo has been permitted by the
Equity and the stage hands and musi-
clans union TO proceed with the four
weeks of English comic opera which he
has booked at the Shubert Theatre be-
aiming Tomorrow night upon his show
Ing that he was the bona fide lessee OF
the house for the four weeks term.
Happy Days" to he Resumed.
Agreement between Mark Luescher of
The Hppodrome,. Frank Gilmore of the
Equity and Marie Dressler OF the Chorus
Equity was reached at conference at
noon yesterday. Happy Days will re-
sumo at the Hipnodrome tomorrow
afternoon. The news spread fast through
the White Light district The usual
crowd was about the headquarters OF
the Equity lin West Forty-fifth street
and when the word was shouted from
the windows a snake dance was organ
iZed that outshone all other strike dem
onstrations Broadway has seen.
The striking actors regard the capitu-
lation OF the HiIpodrome as a great vic
tory. The managers and members of
the Actors Fidelity League discount Il.
TT has no more bearing on the con-
troversy over the legitimate theatre than
a circus had capitulated." said one
member OF tue Fidelity League. 1.-THE
hght will have to go on. We can no
more compromise with these responsi-
bles than France could have compro-
missed with Germany in 1916"
While the strike lasted a the HIpp
" was hectic one. for the IIpp en-
poys actors that must be cared for even
When they do strike. For instance
mere were four elephants, a couple OF
- Continued on Third Pore