Evening star., 1928-12-18
BY the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
NEW YORK, December 18-Thou-
sands Of actors and actresses-the exact
number is in dispute-are tramping
the streets of New York drearily hunt
ing for jobs.
In what is generally described as the
worst year the theater business in New
York has ever experienced, 81 produc-
tions of the 104 that opened were
forced to the wall between August
and December Is.
Nine shows. the majority of which
had been running hardly long enough
for the odor of fresh paint to have
evaporated from their scenery, closed
in New York Saturday night, and today
more than 100 players who had had
parts in them joined the hopeless
march from one theatrical agency to
another.
In addition, five producers this week
are taking advantage of the clause in
the Actors Equity contracts that per-
mits them to close their shows because
of bad business the week before Christ
mas without paying their actors. This
is the first time situation like this
has arisen on Broadway, oldtimers say.
Not Over 5000 Working.
John Golden. who produced Light
MIN" said he did not believe that more
than 1900 of the more than 10000
members of Actors Equity were work.
ing:
which to base that statement" he said,
but this do know--that If word got
out that or any other producer had
a play to cast with 20 parts there
would be 1000 players on hand fight
ing for those 20 parts. The situation is
awful"
A member of Actors Equity Council.
the governing body of the, Actors
Union, estimated that two-thirds OF
the membership was out of work. Ac-
tors Equity has about l0,700 members.
Losses Run Into Millions.
Actors Equity has no figures on the
unemployed. Neither had the Actors
Fund, which provides relief for players
who are stranded But officials of both
organizations say the situation Is very
bad.
And Mr.. Golden points out that the
actors are not the only sufferers. Think
of the man who owns a theater" he
said. "Close up nine theaters right off
Times Square-the losses run into mil
lions"
Reasons advanced for the situation
run all the way from the preponderance
Of sex plays to the popularity of the
radio that keeps people at home. You
hear it said that the cost of tickets is
running the business-particular the
cost of musical comedy tickets.
Musical comedy is feeling the slump
far less than the straight dramatic pro-
ductions OF the 104 shows that opened
between August l and December Is, 20
were musical comedies. and only Z of
those closed. OF the 81 straight dra-
matte productions, 81 closed-or 81 per
cent of them.
Only Four "Real Successes"
Wiltred j. Riley, dramatic editor Of
the Billboard, a theatrical newspaper,
who compiled those figures, points out
that, oddly enough, the percentage of
failures this season has been slightly
below that of 1927, although the theater
business apparently did not feel the
pinch nearly so much then. You heard
no particular discussion OF hard times
in the theater year ago.
Perhaps the reason is that while the
percentage of failures was slightly
higher last year, the percentage of real
successes is much, much lower this
year." MIR. Riley said. "A year ago
there were more than half dozen out
and-out successes running in New York.
At this time then "Coquette' had opened
with Helen Hayes and Command to
Love 'Burlesque' 'Porgy The Trial OF
Mary Dugan,' The Shannons OF Broad