The Sun and the New York herald., 1920-05-09
PARIS ACTRESS
LEADS FIGHT ON
THEATRE UNION
Nue.. Suzanne Despres,
Barred by Syndicate, Urges
Artists Strike.
MAY COME TO AMERICA
Declares if Boycott Extends to
Provinces She Will Quit
France.
ny LAURENCE HILLS.

STAT Correspondent OF The suN AND New
YORK HERALD. Copyright. 1870, By TIE Sun
AND New YoRK HERALD.
In France is engaging in a battle with
woman which promises to be the
most interesting and perhaps the most
irreconcilable in the annals OF organized
labor. Her sense Of justice aroused
by what sEe considers the tyrannical
rule of the theatrical unions, Nine.
Suzanne Despres, one OF the greatest
French tragediennes, the idol of tens
Of thousands Of Partisan theatregoers
and a woman OF great charm and of
very Intense artistic temperament, is
out for fight to the finish.
Because Nine. Despres refused to
submit to restrictions imposed by the
theatrical union she has been banned
from the theatres OF Paris. She pro-
tested vigorously against this ban and
IS preparing to take the lead in a
nationwide theatrical strike in which
the long debated issue Of the employ
ment Of only syndicate" actors and
actresses in French theatres will be
fought to the bitter end.
The actors union now insists that
managers employ no more than 10 per
cent OF non-union talent in any one bill.
Mme Despres protested energetically
against such a rule. asserting that the
managers have and must retain the
right to employ any one whom they con-
sder capable Of supporting his or her
role properly.
The syndicate in answer to this protest
Instructed her managers that they must
remove her name from the bills by the
end Of the week. The tragedienne ad-
mlts that she had never opposed unions
before, but now she declares most EN-
phatically that she will never affiliate
herself with them. The result of this
attitude will be that no theatre can con-
sent to present her for fear that the
syndicate will retalate by calling out
the other employees.
Nine. Despres's latest role was that Of
the mother in the powerful drama La
Captive" by NJ. Eres, which was played
at the Theatre Antoine. During tragic
scene OF the drama in which the trage-
dienne made a fervid plea for mother
hood she evoked such deep emotions that
the audiences were held In spellbound
silence and all eyes overfiowed with
tears.
70 49, ...,;u..n oaoonk kha 40 kt;Nuda
taken by the Paris union, Nine. Despres
says that she will leave the French
stage and seek success in Belgium, Eng
land and the United States.
The power of the stage scene shifters
and other theatre workers, who repre-
sent the majority in the theatrical union.
to regulate the French stage is arousing
bitter comment for. 1t is pointed out.
such a state of affairs is likely to re-
suit In an exodus Of all the great French
artists.
The unions tendency to ignore the
traditional rights OF authors and actors
was manifested recently when the
unionized scenery workers refused to al
low the continuance of Noziere's play
La Vie Est Belle" on the grounds that
1t contained illusions which wounded
the susceptibilities Of the long suffer
ing laborer"
In this case, however. negotiations re-
moved many objections. and the play
was taken to another theatre, where the
unexpected publicity contributed In max
ing it an unqualified success. The
plays warmest commentators were
found among members of other unions
who maintained that high degree oil
artistry should not be sacrificed be-
cause OF an occasional sarcastic refer
ence TO .labor's ideals.