The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1922-05-15
JOBLESS ACTORS
TURN TO STORES
Dizziness in Theater World Trans
forms Players Into Floor
walkers and Statesmen.
HARD SUMMER IS EXPECTED
More Than Halt Of Countrys Actors
Are or viii Be Out Of Employment
This Summer-MovIe Work
Offers No Hope.


New York--New York's departmer
store floorwalkers always have bee
noteworthy for their politeness an
urbanity. Improving on their manner
would seem like painting the lily Ye
many woman shopper has comment
ed of late on the fact that some Q
these human Baedekers display
debonair air that is unusual, even 10
floorwalkers. And many Of them hav
seemed in some way familiar.
Similarly, at the counters, patron
have found new faces and personalitie
of q different stamp. Some OF tn
statesmen, like the floorwalkers, have
carriage different from their fellows
Men shoppers as well as women hav'
| been intrigued by some of the sales
! people plainly not true to type
"Where have seen him before?" thu
women ask, and Her face Is famil
lar" the men say.
They have seen those same faces
heard those same voices from theil
seats in Broadway theater. Times
are hard along the Rialto these days
with the road practically closed and
the summer season coming on. Many
an actor and actress Is only too glad
TO become department store clerk
or fioorwalker.
There are $4,000 men and women
PLAYING in the United States. Half
of these are or will be without en-
ployment in their chosen calling this
summer. Already that part Of Broad
way which enjoys the term Rialto Is
taking on a midsummer appearance.
Gathered on street corners, strollins
along or chatting by twos and threes
in front of buildings devoted to book
Ing agencies and managers offices are
men and women who bear the unmis-
taxable stamp of stage folk out of a
job.
Wolf Around the Corner.
Spring may be here, but It's pres
ence is not heralded in the garb OF
these players. Fur coats are still IN
evidence, and to the initiated the
gowns and hats Of the women and the
suits Of the men are manifestly Of
winter vintage. The winter itself has
been a hard one with more than 5000
players who usually have road en-
gagements forced to remain idle or
find other employment. Summer Will
see the wolf hungrier and more pow
erful and the door fastenings in some
cases unable to withstand his attacks.
But the day has gone by when the
player need go hungry or without
shelter. The Actors Fund and the
Equity association see to 1T that no
member of the profession in good
standing has to walk the streets. And
it is significant of the strength of the
reserve funds of the profession, as
whole, that up to date only eleven play
ers have applied to the Equity for fooc
money. But the association expects
and is ready TO meet a large Increase
In the number Of those applying for
such assistance in the coming months
The actor or actress is person
with a temperament. Once he or she
plays on Broadway at salary of
$3.50 or $500 a week. that figure in
his own mind fixes his future rating.
A Living on the Road.
But there is a good living for the
actor and large profits for the mana
gers in the summer shows, and, thanks
to them, the smaller towns and cities
which have gone without the Broad
way successes because of the increas-
ing cost of transportation and the
high prices charged for plays given
by inferior companies, will see during
the coming months many of the hits of
the year.
The tent shows are not of the type
associated here in the East with street
carnivals and country fairs. They put
on Broadway successes with compe-
tent companies and good settings. |
Last summer the proprietor of a tent
show, who toured only Nebraska.
cleaned up $4,000 with plays of the'E
character of Turn to the Right" The4
proprietor of a repertoire company
who last year played in Texas and the
Southwest was credited with taking
In profit approximating $4,000. The
ItRCItOl1C Was l1AOt nSlC VII
Cabin Ten Nights in Barroom, Z
EAST Lynne and THE Two Or
phans," either. 1t consisted of com
edies and dramas which had been
Broadway successes Of the preceding
year but never had been presented in
that territory.
1t is to these companies that the
players out OF job are turning who
prefer three meals d day even though
their pride be jOlted. To the un-,|
initiated it would not seem that the
depression in the moving picture the
alter business would affect players of
the legitimate stage. Nevertheless.
this Is the case. When the moving
picture studios were at the height OIL
us they were up to year,
ago, with studios operating in the
district, the legitimate
actor temporarily out Of place
could count on enough work as an lex
ira" in a moving picture production to
pay his room rent and keep the inner