The Struggle Over the Everett Theatre
A labor dispute at the city's premier stage leaves local theatre-goers in the dark, but managers say a fair wage isn't the problem.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
The suave little gentleman who ran the Everett Theatre until the stage workers closed him down over the sum of five or six dollars a show, has made considerable fuss over the demands of the stage workers. The main point of his contention has been that he has made no money out of the Everett theatre and consequently could not afford to pay the increased demands. The Chamber of Commerce regrets that Everett people are compelled to travel to Seattle to see a first-class theatrical attraction and wants to see the matter adjusted. There is only one way in which the controversy can be settled—the stage workers want their wage scale recognized. We spoke to Jack Lucas, manager of the Acme Theatre, and Jos. St. Peter, manager of the Rose, both of whom have made good in Everett. When the wage scale demand was presented to their respective houses, it was paid without question. Both men confirmed that if they could lease the Everett Theatre from the Everett Improvement Co. without strings attached, they would run it and pay the stage workers the money they are asking for. It is certain that the small amount the boys are asking for could neither make nor break a theatre manager.
“It is certain that the small amount the boys are asking for could neither make nor break a theatre manager.”
Everett has a long history of labor conflict defining its civic spaces. The 'Everett Theatre' mentioned here remains a historic landmark downtown, serving as a reminder of the constant tension between business management and the labor force that keeps a city's cultural heart beating.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.