The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-09-09
STRIKE THREATENS
VAUDEVILLE STAGE
Counter Resolution Which Has
Menaced Equity vanishes
at .Actors's Meeting.
PEACE TREATY RATIFIED
Woman's Question Bares Plans
for New Drive Ready to
Foil Managers.

The counter revolution that threatened
Sunday to disrupt the Actors Equity As
ISOLATION after the association had come
through tho theatrical
strike appeared yesterday to have
breathed its last, for a crowd OF 2.ooo
players wound UP n meeting at the Lex
ington Theatre in the afternoon by loud
ly and unanimously ratifying the settle
ment OF the strike engineered by the
Equity. Almost as vehement were the
cheers evoked by the promise from Mario
pressler that q strike In vaudeville was
impending.
This gathering, which is likely to be
the last of It's kind held by the Equity,
at first showed scattering signs Of dis
sension, but every one was talked over
to the Equity's side ultimately by w. b.
Rubin. a labor attorney. Mr.. Rubin,
backed up by Richard Bennett, insisted
on barring the newspaper mon from the
assembly. although the press of the
city had blanket permission from Grant
Stewart, corresponding secretary of the
A e A, to enter.
On the stage with them during the
meeting and occasionally interfering q
remark were John Emerson, who pre-
sided Marie Dressler. John Cope. Ethel
Barrymore and Frank Bacon. Mr.. Ep-
erson opened the meeting by reading the
basic agreement which terminated the
strike. eF
After a few uaimportant questions on
the treaty of peace, most of them TO-
oussed on the possibility of discrimina-
ton by managers had been answered
by Mr. Rubin, who took off his coat in
true fighting style to meet any opposi-
tton, a woman in the audience, who
acknowledged that she was in vaude-
vile temporarily, inquired:
will this contract prevent Mr.. Al
bee of the u. b. o. from discriminating
against us?"
Marie Dressler asked permission from
Mr.. Emerson to step to the footlightl
and answer this query about the head
OF the Keith vaude Vile circuit and the
United Booking Offices, Being granted
the floor, she said dramatically:
81 don't think Mr.. Albee will discrimi-
nate against you Mr.. Albee's time is
coming"
Terms of Contract Read.
Tumultuous cheers broke out at this
but Mr.. Rubin appeared very nettled
that such information had been brought
to light He said very angrily to the
woman who made the inquiry:
You've asked dangerous question
In order to satisfy you we've taken a
card out Of our sleeve. Don't ask how
We are going to end this war"
Then John Cope read the terms of the
contract to be made hereafter individu-
ally by the managers with each Equity
member. AS previously announced, this
contains provisions for full pay afteI
four weeks of rehearsal with a dramatic
production and five weeks with a musical
comedy; purchase by the managers of al
wigs. shoes and costumes except street
clothes of current fashion which arc
worn by male performers; an eight per.
formance week, with extra pay Tor add.
tional performances at the rate of one
eighth; receipt of salary on Saturday
nights; payment by the manager fol
transportation, and for the week before
Christmas and for Holy Week, and arbi.
tration for all disputes to be adjudged by
an arbitrator appointed by the managers
and another by the Equity. who shall
call IN third umpire unconnected with
the stage in case Of disagreement
Following this Marie Dressler drew
herself up in battle array and made hei
final speech.
There Is no arbitration clause in the
chorus contract" she said significantly
1.-THE managers must live up to that con
tract. All the chorus girls are going t.
get sleepers
1--we been getting reports from al
sides about people who are trying TO dir
eliminate already. So when / got wore
from Florenz Zegfeld to send everybody
over and he would give them all Equity
contracts I thought 1t was time to 20 L
Lee Shubert and tell him what hat
heard. When called upon Mr.. Shuber
and told him he was so genuinely furiou.
that he called upon his office force anC
dictated q statement to them to be huni
UP in all his Offices. He promised me-
and he knew to whom he was promising
that every Equity contract would b,
lived up to and he would see to 1t per
sonally.
There are three things you mus
remember from this strike" was Marie
parting admoniton. These are scabs
the yellow league and the wonderful
American Federation of Labor"
An actor In the orchestra then movet
ratification OF the contract and peace
agreement, but when this was seconded
a storm of disapproval arose, largely oil
the score that many of those presen
wanted TO discuss the pacts at create
lcu6Gl. oOlilS VI lho Qut6lfOnS dbhS'
struck Miss Dressler as so hypercritica
that after calling upon the audience no
to bubble she walked off in the wings
waving her hands tragically.
Sacrifice for the Cause.
you will have to fulfil your old con
tracts" said Mr.. Emerson, ''if they wert
broken-or rather suspended-by tn,
strike. But at most, dear boys and girls
you will have to play only a lew matt
neeA You must make this sacrifice fol
the cause"
Before the meeting broke up "a cleri
cal appearing parsonage in the balcony
after stating that he had spent twenty
years in a college atmosphere and fou'
years in an Episcopalian chancel anC
had found the atmosphere of the actors
EnT1ND