Do they still get paid?

[Gothampc]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:38am

Rent still has a picture of the original cast posted at the theater. Do the actors still get a residual for that?

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:39am

No.

[touchmeinthemorning]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:47am

(1) When a Principal Actor leaves a cast, Actor's name and/or likeness
(in photographs portraying three Actors or fewer) must be removed from
all front-of-the-house boards and frames where the show is playing as
well as from all frames at other theatres.
(2) No photograph containing the names or likenesses of three or more
Principal Actors who are no longer in the company shall be permitted to
be displayed. The removal of such photograph shall be made prior to
the first performance of the successor of the third Principal Actor so
depicted. Should the Producer fail to comply with this Rule within three
days after the written notice is given by any of the affected Principal
Actors, successors and/or Equity, the Producer shall pay to the Principal
Actor(s) currently performing and to the Principal Actor(s) whose name
and/or likeness has not been removed, an additional one-eighth of their respective weekly salaries for each day that the Producer has not
complied with the Rule. In connection with all other advertising and
display media under the Producer's control, Producer shall exercise
reasonable diligence in removing the name and/or the likeness of the
Principal Actor no longer in the cast.
(3) The Producer shall provide proper identification of each Actor in
front-of-the-house photographs which contain the likenesses of three or
fewer Actors.

[iamemma]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:50am

how do you know that?

[my2cents]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 11:58am

it's in the equity contract.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 12:11pm

Reminds me of the ubiquitous marketing of "the line" from A Chorus Line where all those actors were featured on t-shirts, bags, posters, mugs, on the sides of buses etc..... They each signed away the rights for the use of their image for $1. While some didn't want to sign, it was suggested that if they didn't, they might be replaced and their role re-cast (it was during rehearsals at The Public). Many were bitter about that for years.

When the cast was asked to help promote an "A Chorus Line boutique" at Bloomingdales which featured tons of merchandise from the show, they all got together and refused to do it unless they got Bloomingdale charge cards (as poor starving dancers, none were eligible for one). The ploy worked and they got their cards.

As a result of all of that, subsequently Equity created rules for the use actors' images in marketing and merchandising.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 12:16pm

"The ploy worked and they got their cards."

I remember hearing Priscilla Lopez tell that story.

"as poor starving dancers, none were eligible for one"

They must have been doing something wrong because Patti LuPone had an American Express card in 1976.

[robbiej]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 12:20pm

She was a poor starving actor/singer...apparently there are different rules for dancers.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 12:43pm

I don't know anything about LuPone's history with American Express. I just remember Pamela Blair telling the story and saying, "They had the nerve to ask us to promote their damn boutique and none of us could get a Bloomingdale's charge card -- and we all tried."

[Gothampc]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 1:22pm

They were mad at Betsy Bloomingdale for not giving them charge cards but wanting them to promote ACL. I don't blame them, I wouldn't have appeared either.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 1:24pm

What does one have to do with the other? They were getting paid to promote the store, no? Why would they automatically get charge cards if they didn't have the credit rating to back them up?

If they were asked to promote it for free, nothing, then that's a different story.

Updated On: 11/23/05 at 01:24 PM

[Gothampc]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 1:31pm

Why should they promote a store that won't give them credit?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 1:32pm

No, Rath, they were expected to promote FOR FREE. That's why they balked and said, "Look, you could at least give us charge cards so we get something out this deal."

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 11/23/05 at 1:32pm

Because they're getting paid?

If you do a commercial for a store chain, you get paid. You don't get a credit card or a rack of free clothes unless that's the deal you make in lieu of payment.