New-York tribune., 1921-02-17
Drama
League Dinner
Include Gilpin
Seven of Ten Most Distin-
guished Actors and Ac.
tresses Won't Attend if
Negro Star Is Barred
Mary Garden Protests
Indignation and Amazement
at the Action of the Di-
rectors Are Expressed

oeNeH OF the Ten persons selected
by the Drama League membership as
the most distinguished contributors to
dramatic art in the last year last night
said if it were true that that organiza
tion would not invite Charles Gilpin,
the negro star of "The Emperor Jones, +"
to its dinner at the Hotel McAlpin on
March 6 they would not attend,
vote of the leagues membership in
cluded Gilpin as one of the ten to be
honored at the dinner, but the directors
of the league apparently felt that un-
pleasantness might result if a negro
were present as one of the distinguished
failing to invite him. They announced,
however, that they would send Gilpin q
letter assuring him of the high esteem
in which he was held by the league.
Mary Garden Protests
The seven who announced thew
would not attend were Mary Garden,
director of the Manhattan Opera Com
pany; Gilda Varesi, star of "Enter
Madame; Jacob Ben-Ami, who is fea-
tured in Samson and Delilah"; Robert
Edmund Jones, the famous stage artist;
Eugene G. O'Neill, who wrote "The
Emperor Jones'; Dudley Digges, one of
the stars appearing in "Heartbreak
House" and Lee Simonson, who helped
put the latter play on for the TheateI
Guild.
What action the others honored by
the Drama Leagues membership will
take could not be ascertained because
II was impossible to get in touch with
any of them. 1t is understood, how
ever, that both David Belasco and
Arthur Hopkins will not attend.
The whole Theater Guild company
announced last night after their per-
formance of "Heartbreak House" they
would not attend the dinner.
All the principals approached ex-
pressed amazement that any one
should convey the impression that they
were unwilling to sit side by side with
Gilpin because he happened to be q
negro.
said she would be willing to sit with
New York would not sit with him 2"
Gilda Varesi wired the Drama
League: "If you will invite Gilpin I'll
be proud to sit next to- him. God forbid
that artists should do the American
stage such a wrong as has been imputed
to you with respect to Gilpin."
Mr.. O'Neill, author of the play which
gave Gilpin his chance, said: "Of
course l won't 60. 1t is terrible that
the Drama League, which has so much
to say about art, should make race dis
tinctions between artists"
Mr.. Ben-Ami, Mr.. Jones and Dudley
amazefnent, and said definitely they
would refuse to attend the banquet if
the report was authoritative.
Express Indignation
The statement signed by other people
action reads: 1.-THE undersigned, men
and women of the theatre, appreciating
creative and interpretative ability
wherever it appears and from wherever
it springs, feel it our duty to publicly
express our indignation at the alleged
discrimination by the Drama League
against the distinguished negro actor
Charles Gilpin, now appearing in the
title role of The Emperor Jones
at is apparent from newspaper ac-
counts that Mr.. Giipin, for no other
Iudu tIdt ne Is u SoiohSo haiis
has been eliminated as one of the
guests of the Drama League dinner to
actors and actresses of distinction on
March 6, and this in spite of the fact
that Mr.. Gilpin's work in The En-
peror Cones has won MIN place In
the Drama League balloting to estab-
lish the years ten biggest contributors
to dramatic art,
announcement of this discrimina-
tion appeared in the newspapers of
New York City this morning. Con-
frmation or denial of the alleged act
of prejudice has been refused by the
responsible officers of the Drama
League. In the circumstances, re-
specting as we do the masterful abil-
ity of Mr.. Gilpin, we wish to announce
our decision to abstain from the Drama
League dinner unless the Drama
League sees fit to deny intent to dis
criminate against Mr.. Gilpin."
Among those who have already
signed the foregoing statement are Lu-
ellie Watson. Norman Trevor, Ralph
Roeder, Joseph Shildkraut, Elizabeth
Risdon, Albert Perry, Effie Shannon,
James Light, Helen Westley, Philip
Moelier, Henry Tracy, Susan Glaspell
and George Cram Cook.
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