Alex Ellis : I was over worked and under paid- Page 2
Alex Ellis : I was over worked and under paid
felixleiter
Understudy Joined: 11/10/12
#25Alex Ellis : I was over worked and under F*CKing paid
Posted: 4/20/21 at 4:25pm
fashionguru_23 said: "Random quick question: how can a Non-Equity show, play an equity theatre?"
Ok. So a quick answer is to explain it this way: sometimes a theater is just a building and it can be rented by anyone or any company. An example of this is a venue like the Broward Center in Ft. Lauderdale, or The Fox Theatre in Atlanta. But, sometimes a theatre is owned by an organization that produces shows and has an existing agreement (or contract etc) with AEA (and other unions but getting into THAT aspect of it can get confusing) and therefore EVERYTHING that goes on that stage will involve Equity Actors and stage managers. An example of this would be a place like Papermill, or Goodspeed.
Yes, landlords at Broward and the Fox have agreements with other unions (IATSE being the main one) which can mean that you can attend a show and have a situation where everyone except the actors and stage managers are protected under a union contract.
Fosse76
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/21/05
#26Alex Ellis : I was over worked and under F*CKing paid
Posted: 4/20/21 at 4:32pmIt should be noted that there is a difference between "non-union" and "non-equity."
#27Alex Ellis : I was over worked and under F*CKing paid
Posted: 4/20/21 at 4:32pm
Kalimba said: "Her attitude is a bit much. When one signs up for a non-equity production, you're at the mercy of the producers unfortunately. Her experience on the Legally Blonde tour sounds like someone in power was playing games. I'm sure this wasn't the first time that an actor/actress has experienced this. She comes off unlikeable."
This comes off as victim blaming and it is not a cute look. She's unlikeable, therefore, she deserved being mistreated?
#28Alex Ellis : I was over worked and under F*CKing paid
Posted: 4/20/21 at 6:53pm
Maybe someday she'll learn to READ HER CONTRACT. And know what the show schedule is. And look at a damn map.
I did a lot of non-union tours in the pre-internet days, and I'm not so stupid to have signed a contract without knowing where I was going and what was required of me.
seaweedjstubbs
Broadway Star Joined: 3/21/07
#29Alex Ellis : I was over worked and under F*CKing paid
Posted: 4/20/21 at 7:40pm
IronMan said: "Maybe someday she'll learn to READ HER CONTRACT. And know what the show schedule is. And look at a damn map.
I did a lot of non-union tours in the pre-internet days, and I'm not so stupid to have signed a contract without knowing where I was going and what was required of me. "
Knowing what’s required of a job and actually doing it are two different things. You can hear all about what climbing Mount Everest is like, do all the research, be as prepared as possible, but until you’re actually climbing the mountain, you don’t know what it’s like. Ellis was fresh out of college and was offered the lead role on a national tour. OF COURSE she was gonna take it. Why wouldn’t she? And if she had an agent, they most certainly probably encouraged her to take the job. None of that means that her complaints aren’t valid. And while she does bring up the excruciating schedule (seriously, 12 shows a week should never be allowed. And most likely, the cast didn’t even receive a pay bump), the stuff that jumps out to me is about the culture of fear on non-AEA tours about calling out. I had a similar experience on a non-eq tour with Troika. They absolutely make you terrified to call out. I was pretty much forced to go on at times when I most definitely shouldn’t have. It’s brutal. And because you’re non-Union, you don’t really have anyone to complain to about it. But, like Ellis, I was fresh out of college, and it was a show that I loved. No one was going to keep me from doing it. When you’re that young, you feel invincible.
To be honest, I have more happy memories than bad ones from the show I did with Troika. But the bad ones were REALLY bad. I later did an Equity tour with them, thinking it would be better. Nope. That company is a mess. As for non-eq tours, I think we have reached a point where we can start re-examining them and making changes instead of just saying “That’s the way it’s always been.”
SouthernCakes
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/29/19
#30Alex Ellis : I was over worked and under F*CKing paid
Posted: 4/20/21 at 8:18pmBut the industry won’t because everyone wants money and actors will keep taking the jobs. Right now there’s Tootsie and Hairspray casting and Sound of Music going out internationally. All non-union.
morosco
Broadway Legend Joined: 7/10/04
#31Alex Ellis : I was over worked and under F*CKing paid
Posted: 4/20/21 at 10:09pm
Most in the industry would regard doing a non-union tour as a part of "paying your dues". What I mean is that when working low paying jobs with grueling performance schedules you begin to work your way up. It's a part of a learning experience and a great opportunity to build stamina. Once you've proven yourself as someone who can get along with others and get the job done without causing drama you'll slowly (sometimes quickly) begin to get jobs with better pay and more reasonable performance schedules.
And nobody in the industry wants to work with a Debbie Downer.
Tag
Broadway Legend Joined: 11/19/05
#32Alex Ellis : I was over worked and under F*CKing paid
Posted: 4/21/21 at 12:11am
morosco said: "Most in the industry would regard doing a non-union tour as a part of "paying your dues". What I mean is that when working low paying jobs with grueling performance schedules you begin towork your way up. It's a part of a learning experience and a great opportunity to buildstamina. Once you've proven yourself as someone who can get along with others and get the job done without causing drama you'll slowly (sometimes quickly) beginto get jobs with better pay and more reasonable performance schedules."
The "paying your dues" / "you have to suffer through it, because I had to suffer through it" mentality is on the way out.
#33Alex Ellis : I was over worked and under F*CKing paid
Posted: 4/21/21 at 8:31am
Tag said: "morosco said: "Most in the industry would regard doing a non-union tour as a part of "paying your dues". What I mean is that when working low paying jobs with grueling performance schedules you begin towork your way up. It's a part of a learning experience and a great opportunity to buildstamina. Once you've proven yourself as someone who can get along with others and get the job done without causing drama you'll slowly (sometimes quickly) beginto get jobs with better pay and more reasonable performance schedules."
The "paying your dues" / "you have to suffer through it, because I had to suffer through it" mentality is on the way out."
Also not all Non-Equity tours are filled with “gee-shucks” fresh faced kids just out of school.I’ve seen plenty with older folks and one in particular with a most likely 60+ year old actress helping with loadout Thats insane. Yeah, the “paying your dues” mentality needs to end.
#34Alex Ellis : I was over worked and under F*CKing paid
Posted: 4/21/21 at 8:35am
Remember when everybody was being told that unions were the real enemy? Yeah, that was a few years back in the 80's, and quite a few people fell for it. The fact is, when the workers give up their collective power, the ones in charge will take as much as possible, giving back as little as possible. We see this now across the board in many industries. It's sad that show business hopefuls have to lower their standards and work as scab labor just to get experience. Is it even worth it for that moment in the spotlight?
#35Alex Ellis : I was over worked and under F*CKing paid
Posted: 4/21/21 at 9:38am
She comes off unlikeable.
This comes off as victim blaming and it is not a cute look. She's unlikeable, therefore, she deserved being mistreated?"
Um, yes. Duh.
Broadway61004
Broadway Legend Joined: 4/14/11
#36Alex Ellis : I was over worked and under F*CKing paid
Posted: 4/21/21 at 10:15am
Tag said: "morosco said: "Most in the industry would regard doing a non-union tour as a part of "paying your dues". What I mean is that when working low paying jobs with grueling performance schedules you begin towork your way up. It's a part of a learning experience and a great opportunity to buildstamina. Once you've proven yourself as someone who can get along with others and get the job done without causing drama you'll slowly (sometimes quickly) beginto get jobs with better pay and more reasonable performance schedules."
The "paying your dues" / "you have to suffer through it, because I had to suffer through it" mentality is on the way out."
I'm certainly not arguing that there doesn't need to be some changes with some of these non-union tours and the way we treat young performers, but there's also a very fine line between "paying your dues" and "expecting to be treated like a Broadway legend on your first contract out of college" (which, to clarify, I'm not saying Ellis was stating in their post, but there does seem to be a general sense among recent graduates of no one wanting to work their way up anymore and instead expecting to get the same treatment and the same responsibilities (or lack thereof) of seasoned veterans in the business).
Interns at a law office aren't going to be treated like lawyers on their first day on the job. They're going to be getting the coffee, running errands, etc. So should a brand-new actor have to work 18-hour days, rehearsing all day and then working in the scene shop all night while performing 15 shows a week? No, certainly not and some of those practices absolutely need re-thought. But should more be expected of them than a Broadway veteran? Absolutely.
#37Alex Ellis : I was over worked and under F*CKing paid
Posted: 4/21/21 at 11:10am
I would also assume that the "12 shows in a week" is actually 12 shows in a row. Broadway often does 16 shows in a row without a day off, as the official "week" is Monday to Sunday. So if you did performances daily from Tuesday until the next Saturday, that's 16 in a row, but only 8 each "week."
RippedMan
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/14/05
#38Alex Ellis : I was over worked and under F*CKing paid
Posted: 4/21/21 at 11:22am
Sadly, there will be no change as the people in charge don't care, and there's always going to be thirsty actors.
I remember one time having a casting director send me an audition invite for a summer stock theater in PA that paid $80/wk. $80. I passed on the audition, only to walk by the audition a few weeks later and see 200 people in the holding room waiting to audition. For an $80 a week job. Insane.
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