New-York tribune., 1919-08-08
Only III Houses in City
Attempt Performances
When Equity Associa-
ton Calls for Strike
Chorus Girls TRY
To Give Shows
Many Managers Plan to
Reopen Tonight; Har.
ris Laughs Over Quarrel

The Actors Equity Association called
strike last night, closing every thea
ire at which dramatic productions
were being presented by members of
the Producing Managers Association.
as we'll as several where musical come
dies were playing.
or the twenty-threc playhouses
scheduled to run only eleven opened
and most of these limped through per-
formances with understud:cs and
choruses. A list of the theatres that
closed and those that remained open
follow:
[CLOSED]
Astor, East Is West; Broadhurst,
"The Crimson Allb"; Cohan e. Harris
"The Royal Vagabond"; Forty fourth
Street, "Gaieties of 1872; Gaiety,
"Ligntnin' Lyric, "The Five Million;
Knickerbocker, Listen Lester; Play
house, "At s:45"; Republic, "a Voice
in the Dark; Selwyn, "The Challenger;
Princess, "Nighte Night; Shubert,
ooh, What Grill"
tOPET;]
Casino, "a Lonely Romeo; Booth
"The Better OLE; Fulton, "John Fer
guson" Globe, "Shes Good Fellow;
Liberty, scandals of 1912; Maxine
Elliott, "39 East; New Amsterdam
'Ziegfeld Follies"; Greenwich Village,
"Greenwich Village Folles"; Henry
Miller, LA, La, Lucille"; Thirty-nnth
Street, "The Red Dawn; Winter Gar
den, Monte Cristo, jr."
Of the three dramatic production
that remained open "John Ferguson
played because the actors Of the cast
have Equity contracts; "39 East" be-
cause Rachel Crothers, the producer
is not a member of the Producing
Managers Association; and "The Red
Dixon. also IS not connected with the
association.
The actors, after several days of ne
gotiation and squabbling with the man
ayers, took direct action yester-
day afternoon and sent walking dele
gates to all theatres to call a strike for
7 p. m.
In consequence, Broadway was sc
jammcd with disappointed theatregoers
from 1880 to 8 that it was almost i'm
possible for traffic to force It's way
through the crowds. Thousands f1ocked
to the ticket windows to get their
evening before them and nothing t.
do, paraded up and down the thorough
fare, overflowing from the sidewalks
into the cutters and making an i'm
promptu celebration Of the strike.
Broadway, which generally takes a
nap between 8 and p. M, wakened
with a start just as she was doing Off
Traffic policemen who were luxuriatiiis
in a little rest after the rush of the
theatre crowd, suddenly became aware
of automobiles pouring east, west
north and south.
TaXicab stands, which were only half
filled, most of the drivers having
slipped off for supper, wero soon bare
transportation.
Restaurants Suddenly Thronged
Restaurants and cabarets began to
do rushing trade two hours ahead Of
the usual aftertheatre time. Movie
and vaudeville houses were filled to
capacity and long lines of thwarted d
theatregoers waited outside
Tyson's and other ticxet agencies
were swamped by men and women de-
manding their money back. Several
of these had hard time to get suffi-
cient cash to refund their sales
Sam Harris, president of the Pro
ducing Managers Association, laugh I'd
when asked to comment OH the strike
Were not worrylng,' he said
Were going to open again but we'll
take our own time about it,
When asked what steps he would
take in the event of the Actors EQUITY
Association enforcing their strike BY
calling out stagehands, musicians and
electricians, he replied:
81 don't care to discuss that at this
time"
Edgar Selwyn said that the Selwyn
Theatre would reopen tonight with
Eugene Walter in the principe role of
his own play, "The Challenge" He
also said that Holbrook Blinn, who was
on strike last night would appear.
II had not heard that" was Mr..
Blinn's only comment.
Shubert Hurries Here
J. j. Shubert, it was said last night
at his Offices was hurrying back from
Stamford, Conn. He said over the telo-
phone that there would be a perform
ance of "The Gaieties of 1919" to-
night.
Frank Gilmore, secretary of the
Actors Equity Association. said last