Variety (February 1911)

VARIETY BINDING ARTISTS' ASS'N BY RULE S AND R EGULATIONS New Actors 9 Society to Guarantee Managers Against Breach of Contract. Penalty for Members Break- ing Agreement or Ungentlemanly Conduct The organization of the newly pro- posed American Vaudeville Artists is reported as progressing quite favor- ably. It is said the movement is not relished by some of the present actors' eccieties, a feeling having arisen that the new organization is forming with an Intent of disrupting older orders. "That is distinctly not so," said one of the promoters of the A. V. A. in discussing the project with a Variety representative the other day. "The announcement that we shall limit our membership of artists to 100 should be enough to settle that. We want Just a society for ourselves, social enough in Its aims to admit the lay- man, which means the manager and agent, and on the protective order lines that will insure us protection in reasonable ways, particularly the ways we most need It." With the past few days there was talk of ten actors, mostly monolog- lsts, coming together for a small pro- tective union, each subscribing $500 for the purpose of engaging a lawyer to prosecute any one using or publish- ing their material without permis- sion. The attorney was to copyright all the monologs or other material. The promoter of the A- V. A. evi- dently knew of this, for he mentioned it while speaking. Said he, "The A. V. A. will cover the idea of ten people getting together to engage an attorney. Each of the ten proposed will be in the new society. One of its obligations will be to this very end. "Our idea is not to invite the lay- man in immediately. We first want to shape ourselves, which we shall do by ourselves. We must be an art- ists' society, and the aim is to have the manager in with us on an equal social club footing when our club is perfected, not before." It is understood that the A. V. A. has a plan to hold members through an assessment or monthly fee, to be placed into a fund, as a reserve or otherwise, and In which each profes- plonal member will have an equal share. This fund may be secured through an act being obliged to for- ward a percentage of its earnings each week, or to avoid all questions, a cer- tain amount weekly or monthly may be agreed upon, to be remitted so many weeks during the year or each month. The monthly plan is said to be preferred. The object of the fund is to pro- tect members and the artists if neces- sary, and also to bond its members to obey all its rules and regulations. Also another object will be that the club will use the fund to Indemnify- any manager securing a Judgment against an A. V. A. for breach of con- tract. The A. V. A. will ask managers to issue an equitable contract to Its members- As the order will be con- cerned about no others, only A. V. A.'s will be Included in the request. To the usual reply of the manager that while he Is responsible, the actor is not and can not be collected from, the A. V. A. will agree to deposit a bond to the managers of the amount of the liquidated damage clause that may be Inserted In the contract, and agree that in the event of Judgment being obtained after a hearing in court, that the society will pay any amount recovered. The securing of a Judgment by a manager or agent against a member of the A. V. A. will automatically ex- pel that member from the society, and cost him his interest In the fund. Another reason for expulsion will be a complaint lodged against a mem- ber for unprofessional conduct, or conduct unbecoming an artist and a gentleman. Tn the latter cases, the hearings will be open for club mem- bers, and the accused permitted coun- sel from among members of the club. The chair will appoint the prosecut- ing attornev. On a recommendation of expulsion nnd the recommendation carried out. the expelled member will likewise lose all benefits he may have been entitled to in the sinking fund. The' fund Is also to bo used for loans or other cases of emererenov on a plan to be arranged, according: to the length a member has been subserlb'ng to It. There will be a maximum amount for the fund to reach, with the Interest of any member absolute- ly non-negotiable. It is expected that very shortly af- ter the club has opened its doors, there will be a waiting list of pro- fessionals, who must take their turn. With the A. V. A. organized, member- ship must be obtained through appli- cation, proposed by a member and seconded by another. There will be no secret ballot. A secret Investigating committee of three will be appointed upon each application. The names of the members of the committee will rot be divulged. Their report will he made In v.rltlng, and If all are fa- vorably, It v\\] Te so stated at open meeting An unfavorable report will be read, at open meeting, without the name of the commit\»?men making the report mentioned. Any member may submit his reason for believing an applicant Is disqualified for mem- bership, and that will also be read In confidence. The status of the appli- cant will remain unchanged for the n^xt two weeks to permit his propos- ers to offer testimony thnt may be brought to bear to refute any charge made. This process of electing members, It Is said, will have for its object the prevention of one artist, with perhaps a petty, private or Immaterial griev- ance against another from venting his spite at the cost of a membership. FILLING IN "OPEN WEEK." Springfield, Mass., Feb. 1. An announcement has been made by P. F. Shea that commencing Feb. 13 the Eastern Burlesque Wheel at- tractions will play Bridgeport (Park) and Springfield (Gilmore) for a "split week," thereby filling up the open week on that circuit caused by the withdrawal of the Metropolis, New York, from the Wheel. For the first four weeks the Eastern shows will fill the "split" with Bridge- port, Ct, and Springfield, playing Bridgeport for the first three days. After the month, Worcester will re- place the Connecticut town. The "split" will take up the week between the Murray Hill, New York, and Providence, R. I. Springfield and Worcester were abandoned by the Eastern Wheel a couple of seasons ago. The towns were linked In a "split" with the Gil- more, Springfield, and the Empire, Worcester. The reconsideration to again play the towns Is for this sea- son only, and may be due to the vac- ancy in the route list as mentioned In the Springfield wire, and also to ease up the objections that would have fol- lowed had the new show proposed when the Columbia, Chicago, opens, been permitted to travel over the Wheel, with an open week in the east for managers who have completed the western time. The Metropolis In the Broi x (New York), which discontinued Eastern Wheel burlesque last week, will revert to Its owner, Henry Rosenberg, Feb. 27, surrendered on that date by Hur- tig & Seamon. While there is talk that the Metropolis will then be turned over to Charles E. Blaney for a stock company, there has been no definite announcement as to the future policy of the theatre. "DELIGHTFUL DOLLY" OPENS. Toledo, O., Feb. 1. Delia Fox Is to make her debut In "Delightful Dolly" here to-morrow night. Wallace & Perkins are the sponsors for the attraction, under the direction of John Osborne while en tour. In addition to the star, the cast in- cludes Fannie Midgeley, Bertha Julian, Carlotta Williams, Helene Hamilton, William Pinkham, Bobby Newcomb, Boyd Marshall, Joseph B. Dunn and Edward Newell. "SWEET 16" A COIN GETTER. Reports that have come into New York from the Canadian wilds would seem to indicate that the Victor Her- bert operetta "Sweet Sixteen" is quite "some" of a money getter. In Lon- don, Ontario, last Saturday the show managed to draw $1,400 to the box office for two performances. There have been several changes made in the cast, the most important of which is the replacing of Nena Blake by Eva Fallon. There has also been a general restaglng of the piece which has been accomplished under the direction of Jack Mason. "SHERRY" ENDING RUN. The run of "Mme. Sherry" at the New Amsterdam, New York, will end March 4, according to the cards and the show move on to Philadelphia. Replacing It on the Amsterdam stage March 6, will be the new Klaw & Er- langer production, "The Pink Tea." s The Lederer, Frazee & Woods show has become country-wide known. It is said that the four companies now playing "Sherry" are returning a net weekly profit to the three owners of $15,000. COMBINATION FOR VAUDEVILLE. Boston, Feb. 1. Two of the best known stars in bur- lesque have formed a team for a vaudeville splurge after the ending of the burlesque season. Mollie Williams and Andy Lewis are the couple. Each is with a dif- ferent company this season. Both are very popular along the line of the Wheel houses. SECURES THE COUNTESS. The Countess Olga Rossi, who has Just closed on the Orpheum time has signed to become a member of one of the Max Spiegel organization on the Eastern Burlesque Wheel next season. «*GAYETY GIRLS," NEW SHOW. Chicago, Feb. 1. It Is quite likely that the new show on the Eastern Burlesque Wheel to commence the travel with the opening of the new Columbia here, will be called "The Gayety Girls." SHOW PUT HIM TO SLEEP. Anamosa, la., Feb. 1. "The Girls of 1910" which billed itself as a "New York production," but which many citizens of Anamosa could not believe, were the cause of Jonathan Akers nearly sleeping him- self to death when the troupe ap- peared at the local "opery." Akers watched the show as long as he could, then fell Into a dose, which passed him Into a state of coma. Af- ter the performance at night employ- ees commenced to clean up the the- atre, finding Mr. Akers just in time. The opera house at Kellogg, la., burned down last week. Com In* Soon* SIX KIBK8MITH 8ISTEBS. COMPLAINS TO THE RATS. A hearing was down for Tuesday evening before the Board of Directors of the White Rats, on a complaint lodged with that body against Albinl, the magician, on behalf of Anna Eva Fay. Last week at the American Albini announced he would expose "mind readers," "telepathlsts" and "spirit- ualists," including in his list Mrs. Fay. Friday night Mr. Albini gave his expose, holding the stage until 11.45. Chicago, Feb. 1. The Phays, a mlnd-readlng and ex- pose act, appearing at the Kedzle the first half of this week, are finding it difficult to secure further time around here from Western Vaudeville Associa- tion managers. The managers say that having play- ed other "mind reading" acts, to allow the expose to appear In their houses might lead the patrons to believe they were a party to trickery.