CWA Plays

The unemployment problem for actors is more chronic than acute. Last week in Manhattan the CWA evolved a plan to aid actors without also lining the pockets of stage hands, producers, ushers and ticket speculators. Twelve plays including The First Year, She Stoops to Conquer, The Show-Off and The Late Christopher Bean were picked for production in high-school auditoriums. The action of each play had to take place in one set to avoid the expense of scene-shifting. Admission would be free. Actors would be paid from $25 to $35 per week out of $28,000 set aside by the CWA for actors' relief. To protect their pride their names would not appear on the programs.

Last week, the CWA announced its plan. Among the 1,000 actors who stormed the dingy offices of Actors' Equity, there were no onetime stars. Onetime Actress Margaret Smith weeded out of the 1,000 those who needed work most, weeded from the remainder the 150 best suited to the available parts. Twelve directors, among them famed Playwright George Kelly, started rehearsals in offices, theatres, school auditoriums, hotel rooms.

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