STRIKE OF PLAYERS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 46, 18 November 1919, Page 11

STRIKE OF PLAYERS

THEATRES CLOSED IN NEW YGRK BETTER CONDITIONS SECURED Tho.struggle for better conditions hns reached- the stage,-'and in August last, after extended negotiations, the actors and-aotxessos attached to the Equity Aβsoeintioh struck; and as most of the' leading players- were,, concerned the theatres' haa to be closed. ;It seems that conditions in New York have been very bad for years post. Actors could bo called • upon to rehearse for six weeks, and then if the-piece only ran a week, they wero entitled to one week's salary for seven weeks' -work. Fnrther, it wiw quite, ft. common tiling -for a ina-nagor to rehearse a picco for a month and then get "cold feet," whon the players would be dismiaied without anything at all. The'. Jjquity Association asked for half salary-for rehearsals and a guarantee of two weeks on full salary, and as this w<w , not conceded the theatres were closed by the "'strike. Tho conditions are, of; course, different in Australasia, where a-now-"piece is rehearsed hy a company during thu fun of- its predecessor, and furthormoro there is no "off season" jn this j>art of the. world as there is in : mid-eumnier in America. Otlier points were:'made by Miss Ethel Darryraore in ,; an interview in the. "New York Times." : "People'understand, I think," sho'exr |-.pla,in«l, i"that all my 6xperienco, under ono management, has been a happy ono. Mr. never made a contract and p.lways .kept his word. The timo when I bp.?an' work arid the ;timo before that [ when- tlio older m'omber? of my family iWerc-.inctinj wae th'e.dny of tho irirti-"Vidual'•.-manager. Aβ-a business thetheatre ''jvasn't so well developed. Thero wero?; plenty of practical, disadvantages. But- iit'lonst there .was courtesy and n sonso. of■:.hiuli tradition. Actors of Hint day were 'the Indies and gentlemen of tho company.' They were addressed accordingly';. 'Nos it is 'ilere, you!' "The;' onarige- began : with the threat combiriatfona' of.managers. t |l roro ilint. timo on making more money, at any sacrifice qf standards, has\l)e<>nithe one c-ml. Of course there are exceptions. Tt is tho general tendency that I'm tolkin? about. A good many managers appear, to Uiink they are simply merchants .And : the actors are thair stock in trndo. : They must make all the decisions and everyiwly.. else must accept them. When they think more money can be mndo.lhut wiv they put on a lot of plays that the 1 hWi\ of.'the .profession are ashamed of. Thoy. think nothinjr of the honour of tho, thentro as «nn institution. Of all tho childish things that have been eaid apinst us,' tjie funniest is that, the actors are forgetting tho dignity of their nrt! What, hns any of these managers doiie to l«f.ep tlie stnpd on a high level? ' "Diornity! .'-Think'.of. it! Rome of out own people havp left us with that word for- an excuse.' I can't understand 'hem li* nil. It is p.linriictpr that gives ijeople dijn'ty—not striking a grand attitude. And I don't know .any better'proof of character than standing firm for a pnnciple. That, i= what the ninnafters can't 'understand- They thought it wasn't in us to stand firnrno'd stiind together. They judged others by themselver.." They. are sill ficrhtintr each other. It's a struuglo for them to work together cyen to keep h? from gf.ttin? our rights. "And it is so 'ittic- wo ask. We never realised how hard the managers ware till they refused us rhnt little. Why, they are beh.iying exactly like the Kaisw nnd the whole Prussian military, crowd. Their nrgume.nt is that of force. How many times has an act/ir gone dny after day "to-a ■'manager's office, only to get such nnswera, as 'maybe.' 'I'll see, <ir ''Next week'? And then, if thp.mnn.igpr a ir.tcrestewns served by turning him off, there was rmver n thought of the oetor.i lost timo. When protest was made by edmobody achin-T.y -iu'a cast, the etot-'k answer whs. 'If you don't like it. set out.' Tho only answer to brulwity like t'lint is qr.Rfinisation. "Actors don't nocit managers.; manegers ca*i' ; '-d6 ! ' ; nothing without" actors. : Apih• ' and again .playjrs have mannged thom-eelve-s. In England it is more common than here. But if the business end of the theatre is forced on us, we nre ble of developing thj'il side. I don't sny we aro perfect. There is a good deal i» learn. But this experience is good lor us. It is teaching .us to.depend on ourselves, end, even better, to' dependon each other. The nctor is growing up. He. is becoming social. AVkwn nro wrrking for is democracy in the theatre, justice, equality, truth." The Striko Settled, ' 'A Fottlement of the New York strike nt aetow, actrcssra, and chorus sirls wns aniiounced on September S. A l-eport of tho following day raid:' "F-fteen hundred members of the Actors' Equity Association, in session tit tho Lexington Theatre ycistordiiy nftonioon,' ratified the contracts which officers of the association nepoti--itPd with the Producing Managers' Association. Although some dissension wns tkprcs?Bd, the vote was unanimous , . Aside from the vote, thf- most important development; was a hint thnt'a'striko is brew, ing in the vaudeville, world. In accordance with the ngrecment, all suits wero dropped yesterday, except tlie- action of I'\ ZiogMd,--jun.. against 1-jUHe dnlnr, the clref cometliari of 'the Follies,'-' who walked out. At strike hwlfinartwi ?0 actors said they had been refused plnces they formerly hold. Their c.7«cs vew «• feired to the Committea of Complaints. •Jibe , indiviclunt contracts'' give the actotseveral important Tho ;■ chief lire that the ai'tnr shall receive full pay for rehearsals aftor .the fourth dramatic productions, and five weeks in wusiert , . shows j arbitration, in which the actor will te represented by l-be Equity, and pro rata pay for more than .eight performance a -week. The contract nlso provides that the n<'tor shnll b(> raid for the weeks before ?fl and Holy Week, but tlvs provision wll not go into f-lfect until'(be Mason of 1920-21. _ The« basic ivjrpwnpnt provides that existing contracts ,b?twwn\actors, and .managers filial! bo observed." '