Being a touring actor urgent questions!

[pants2]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 11:42pm

Do you (the actor) pay for:
hotel
transportation

What do you do about clothes (switching winter to summer, having enough of them,etc.)

How does one USUALLY get from city to city?

[Kringas]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 11:48pm

What makes this urgent? Do you have a contract to sign?

[Kringas]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 11:48pm

What makes this urgent? Do you have a contract to sign?

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 11:50pm

If he/she did, the touring company would've notified him/her before he/she signed.

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 11:51pm

Can you act and sing? If not, then you are perfect for the next Rent tour!

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 11:51pm

It depends on the show's financial pool.

From what I gathered, many tours are like this:

They give you a certain amount of money each day to pay for food and accomodations.

I am sure they give you something for travel, but they seem to allow you to make your own reservations for that (actors usually either drive or fly).

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 11:53pm

I know that the current Hairspray Non-Eq tour uses buses for the cast.


EDIT: spelling mistake.

Updated On: 8/23/07 at 11:53 PM

[evadiva]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 11:54pm

"Can you act and sing? If not, then you are perfect for the next Rent tour!"



DOH!

[Amneris]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 11:55pm

read "letters from backstage" this was written by a touring castmember of the producers / les miz. It's so interesting and explains it all.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 11:57pm

And he's posted here, too.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 8/23/07 at 11:58pm

I know that the current Hairspray Non-Eq tour uses buses for the cast.

This usually happens with Non-Eq tours, especially because they are often going to several cities in one week, as opposed to Equity tours, which are usually in one city for at least one week.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 8/24/07 at 12:03am

Michael Kostroff! I saw him in the show in 2003....

erm....

Marius company fan here, but not as big as Lizzie! :)

[pants2]

Posted: 8/24/07 at 12:06am

teehee about the next rent tour thing....

No this isn't for me my friend has just been offered an equity natioanl tour and she doesn't know what to do, thanks though I'll tell her to read the book/ what other info you gave me, and feel free to keep it coming.

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 8/24/07 at 12:08am

Or she could just request information from the show.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 8/24/07 at 12:09am

If it's Equity, she should be fine because the union will look out for her.

Does she have an agent? If so, she should negotiate things through them.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/24/07 at 12:10am

Marius company fan here, but not as big as Lizzie! :)

LOL.

The one time I saw the show when Kostroff was in it, he was on vacation. Oh well!

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 8/24/07 at 12:11am

Congrats to her! I hope that the Union protects her and she gets a good contract!

[Kringas]

Posted: 8/24/07 at 12:32am

Are you her personal assistant?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 8/24/07 at 12:41am

I'm confused as to why people run to BWW and get all type happy when they need to know random things like this instead of asking the touring company, agent or someone who would actually now. I mean, I'm sure lots of people here know, but I'm guessing it's also a little different for each tour so I don't see why asking here would really be a whole lot of help.

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 8/24/07 at 12:43am

Exactly. They need to get the information straight from the company they've been offered a job for.

[harris007]

Posted: 8/24/07 at 12:55am

omg she was asking a question, but i guess nasty queens just gota be nasty queens

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 8/24/07 at 12:59am

I'm a queen? I thought I was just nasty.

[KQuill]

Posted: 8/24/07 at 1:42am

Is there really a question here that she is going to take the job? I know Equity production contracts are a dime a dozen, but i'm having a tough time seeing this lass hold out for something better.

[jrb_actor]

Posted: 8/24/07 at 1:49am

It will all be laid out in the contract, but, of course, an Equity Tour will pay for travel and housing. Even non-Equity tours do that--and if they don't, don't take THAT gig.

Here is the page on AEA that lists the different agreements (contracts) out there. Find the one she'll be on and check it out.

http://www.actorsequity.org/library/library.asp?cat=3

[WOSQ]

Posted: 8/24/07 at 10:16am

The magic term is 'per diem'. The per diem is given to the actor without taxes being taken out. However, and this is a huge however, the actor needs to save every single receipt so if/when the IRS challenges their return with all their professional deductions their return will stand scrutiny.

AEA contracts specify how much the per diem is for each contract. The per diem is meant to cover housing, food and living expenses. (You can blow all your money at the priciest hotel in town or stay at the Y. You can share or stay alone. If you want to eat at Wendy's the whole time, fine.) The per diem does not cover transportation from city to city. The company pays for that.

Other deductibles for actors are union dues, agent fees, theatre tickets to other shows and classes. If you see a show on the road on your day off or you take a class on the road, that is still deductible.

Unless the role is a principal role (not chorus) and the tour itself is a first national, expect that the offered salary will be scale. Sometimes you just take the money, get the credit and go on the road. You don't need an agent for a scale or chorus contract.

Nota bene: in every tour with a sizable company, there will be one break-up with a partner not on the tour, and there will be a hook-up within the company that will last a while. Sometimes it is even the same person involved. Tours are great for this.

And the main concern is always, repeat always, "Where do we eat after the show? What is still open?" Denny's raison d'etre is touring actors.