Strike-worst case scenerio

Posted: 6/28/04 at 5:35pm

I've planned my annual New York theater trip for this coming weekend. I'm thinking about cancelling flight and hotel. If the equity strike occurs...how will that effect Off-Broadway productions? What won't be dark?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/28/04 at 5:46pm

Off-Broadway is totally unaffected by this strike -- none of the theatres are signatories to the Production Contract at issue.

[iruvyou]

Posted: 6/28/04 at 7:28pm

The frogs, and Assassins and 2 other plays/musicals i don't remember are not affected since they are under diffirent contracts or something

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/28/04 at 7:33pm

The Frogs, Assassins, Sight Unseen and After The Fall are produced by the not-for-profits Lincoln Center or Roundabout and operate under LORT contracts, so they're exempt from the strike.

[testing123]

Posted: 6/28/04 at 7:36pm

Mark Salem's "Mind Games" is also exempt.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/28/04 at 7:39pm

Oh yeah, I forgot about that one.

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 6/28/04 at 7:40pm

That's sad. I really hope they reach a negotiation so the shows don't have to go dark.

[broadwaystar2b]

Posted: 6/28/04 at 7:44pm

I'm sure the producers are being very VERY careful here. I mean a show can run (badly) with pre-recorded music, but you can't have a show without actors.
All we can do is keep our fingers crossed...

[MusicPos2]

Posted: 6/28/04 at 9:33pm

It better not be. I need to see Idina and Kristin together on Sat.

[Rational Reasoning]

Posted: 6/29/04 at 6:16pm

I'm so sorry to contradict you folks, but when a union goes on strike, all members of that union stop working. So if the worst happens, all Equity shows will be dark.

Let's hope that doesn't happen, and you can enjoy a great trip to New York and take in Broadway's best.

Michael

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/29/04 at 6:31pm

Well, not exactly. For now, the strike would only affect Equity members in shows falling under the Production Contract in question -- the non-LORT Broadway shows and the 11 current Equity tours. Equity has negotiated separate agreements with the LORT theatres and the commercial off-Broadway and regional houses so, there are no plans to pull their members from those productions at this time.
http://www.playbill.com/news/article/87077.html

[KJisgroovy]

Posted: 6/29/04 at 6:39pm

That doesn't make sense. That would mean all the equity actors through out the country would strike...there's no reason for the not-for-profit Goodman Theatre here in Chicago to suffer financially because of non-equity tour issues. That's just not true. And it doesn't hold true in other unions either...A whole union almost never strikes together unless they have the same contract...there are different union chapters and stuff...when teachers go on strike in one district they don't all go on strike throughout the country or even the state...At least I don't think so...

KC

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/29/04 at 6:48pm

General strikes (where an entire union membership nation-wide goes out) can and do happen, but not always, and, at least at this point, not in this case. Equity can more than make its point by pulling its members only from the most lucrative contract it is a signatory to. It doesn't add any pressure the to wealthy Broadway and Tour producers if actors from a constellation of small not-for profits around the US were to walk out as well. I suppose a general strike COULD happen if this thing were to drag on for a while, but as of now, there hasn't been any indication from the AEA that that's what they're planning.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 6/29/04 at 9:19pm

Margo is right--it's no different at this point than last year when only the shows relating directly to the matter went on strike.

[Broadwaygirl4life]

Posted: 6/29/04 at 9:24pm

Anybody see anything on the news yet. I read the article at playbill? Anybody know anything else?