Actors' Equity To Expand Membership

I'm guessing they want the dues?

I’ve seen some pushback on Facebook and Insta already against professional non-union in any capacity: they want theatres to either fully unionize, or go to a complete volunteer unpaid structure. No more gig economy.

As an EMC actor, I was sure 2020 was going to be the year I joined AEA. Now all the Equity actors I know are cursing the union and saying I was lucky not to have joined.

I’m a member and got the email. Basically, AEA says that the purpose of this change is to make joining the union easier for BIPOC. I’m not sure this tracks.

A couple of years ago, AEA lowered the EMC weeks requirement to 25, which made it a lot easier to join. I mean frankly if you can’t get cast in three or four shows at AEA theaters as a non-Equity actor over the course of a few years of auditioning, then that’s probably a sign that you shouldn’t join Equity yet. And if BIPOC actors are at a disadvantage in this regard, that’s on the theatres, not the union.

What IS on the union however is the fact that it is a very New-York centric organization that doesn’t do enough for actors based in “the regions” - a term that is really becoming outdated since more and more professional stage actors are choosing to live outside of NYC and regional theatre has become the backbone of the American theatre. However, many professional regional theatres - due to both funding issues and unrealistic expectations by AEA - struggle to afford having even a handful of union actors in each show. Even in major markets like Chicago actors are afraid to join, and many that do end up dropping their card after finding themselves “unhireable” due to their union status.

I’m all for AEA no longer being an exclusive “club,” but if joining the union remains a career death sentence for the majority of regional actors, then I fail to see how this move is as progressive as they want it to seem.

The Distinctive Baritone said: "A couple of years ago, AEA lowered the EMC weeks requirement to 25, which made it a lot easier to join. I mean frankly if you can’t get cast in three or four shows at AEA theaters as a non-Equity actor over the course of a few years of auditioning, then that’s probably a sign that you shouldn’t join Equity yet."

The issue is that in the most recent (pre-pandemic) NYC audition landscape, it had become virtually impossible to get seen at AEA auditions as a non-union, non-EMC actor. You can’t get cast in anything or accrue EMC points if you can’t audition in the first place!

bwaylvsong1 said:

The issue is that in the most recent(pre-pandemic) NYC audition landscape, it had becomevirtually impossible to get seen at AEA auditions as a non-union, non-EMC actor. You can’t get cast in anything or accrue EMC points if you can’t audition in the first place!"

thats why most people get there points/weeks what have you in regional productions

this is a really gross cash grab, they can couch it in diversity accessability or what have you but if that was truly the case there wouldnt be like a 2 year time frame on open enrollment

Why would this cause Equity theaters to go non-union? That makes no sense. This change won’t affect union theaters; it would just broaden their hiring pool. There’s nothing attached to this that makes it more onerous to be an Equity house. There will certainly be a rush to join the union, but there will still remain a robust amount of non-union actors because Equity’s membership rules regarding only working on union contracts still remains. In areas with lots of non-union work, that means it would still remain logical for local actors to stay non-union. In fact, it incentivizes actors to take ANY work- union or not- because it all makes them eligible to join now.

Equity- or any union- cannot just conjure up work from thin air. Hiring union members costs money, which is not something many theaters have much of. This would most affect non-union tours, which have more money than most smaller regionals and are affordable to produce mostly because they can underpay their actors and SMs.

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100,000+ is not a “quite realistic” number.

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Updated On: 7/21/21 at 10:09 AM

SouthernCakes said: "I mean in a time where all the Equity auditions are virtual - and you are literally just sending a video into the void and hoping some casting assistant sees you - this is a little irksome. Especially considering they’re trying to make it some ethical decision when I’m sure they’re just trying to get more money and care less about their members."

Totally - I predict that video submissions will in many cases replace EPA’s and ECC’s even post-pandemic, and now there is even less of a chance of video submissions actually being viewed. Unless AEA makes it easier for it’s members to be hired, this is going to further crowd an extremely overcrowded field.

Kad said: "100,000+ is not a “quite realistic” number."

I hope you're right, but I think you may be severely underestimating how many non-union performers who have been desperately trying to join are going to suddenly sign up within the next year now that they can.

bwaylvsong1 said: "PlayItAgain said:
thats why most people get there points/weeks what have you in regional productions


My point is that those auditioning in NYC (logical for someone pursuing a theatrical career) can’t audition for said regional productions that give points."


True, but going to NYC fresh out of college/high school with little professional experience is often a bad idea anyway. Going to a major regional city for a few years and building up credits and experience before heading to NYC is usually the best way to begin one’s career. Outside of NYC if you are non-Equity, show up at an Equity open call and are willing and able to wait, you will usually get seen eventually. Many theaters also have separate audition days just for non-Eq’s and you can even make an appointment and be in and out of there in half an hour.

Add me to the list of people who can see that for sure a complicated issue, but to anyone out there that would listen to a poster on an anonymous chat board. Do not join a labor union because you think it's the right step for you career. Things are still going to be so unstable in the theater world least for another year, and just because they are opening this up now doesn't mean it's the right move for you personally. They have opened this door, and it is doubtful they are going to shut it again. Just be very thoughtful about any steps you take.