Do you agree or disagree with this "letter"?

[BwayLeadman]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 4:14am

If this has been posted before, I'm sorry.

I was researching something and came across this "letter" below:

Article | An Open Letter to Theatregoers Everywhere...
By:Michael Kostroff

MODA MAG.COM --Dear fellow theatre lovers,

Professional theatre has a problem. And unfortunately, it affects you, the theatergoing public.

For decades, every actor on a Broadway stage (or in a touring company of a Broadway show) had to be a member of the stage actors union, the Actors Equity Association. And that made sense. Because Broadway shows are state-of-the-art, top-of-the-line productions. That's what you pay for when you see one of these shows - the very best of what theatre has to offer.

Often, actors would struggle for years, paying their dues, to get their Equity cards and join the ranks of the top-notch professionals. The idea was that not just anyone could be in a big Broadway show. You had to have achieved union status. That was the mark of the professional actor.

But in recent years, Broadway producers have figured out a way to save money by doing something rather alarming: They've started sending out tours of Broadway shows with entirely non-union casts!

Many of the performers you're currently seeing in so-called "Broadway" tours are young, inexperienced amateurs. For some of them, it's their first professional job

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 4:22am

*gasp*

"Many of the performers you're currently seeing in so-called "Broadway" tours are young, inexperienced amateurs. For some of them, it's their first professional job "

so...that says nothing about their quality. I have seen some GREAT talent on non-equity tours. Just because these performers don't want to spend years of wasted time and money getting into some exclusive union...doesn't mean they aren't talented and that they don't deserve a role.

Akiva
Updated On: 4/9/06 at 04:22 AM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 4:30am

If this has been posted before, I'm sorry.

In fact, the guy who wrote it has posted it here before. But I guess it was due for another reposting.

Like Old Faithful, I tells ya.

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 4:31am

But it totally has a point!

Why go to the trouble of joining equity if this will come up? And imagine the equity actors who are suddenly "too expensive" to be hired...
I think that hiring a few non-equity performers is alright, but not the whole cast. I think drastic measures will be taken about this, sooner rather than later.

[Bruce Memblagh!]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 4:41am

"And that made sense. Because Broadway shows are state-of-the-art, top-of-the-line productions. That's what you pay for when you see one of these shows - the very best of what theatre has to offer. "

Hmm. In theory, yes. I'm afraid I lost the will to read on with any degree of seriousness after that rose-tinted view.

[Kringas]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 5:11am

Isn't Melanie Griffith a member of Equity?

[best12bars]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 5:26am

She's also a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

I think the public at large is comparing the union/non-union issue to other professions. Would you pay the same money to go to a non-licensed MD? Would you even go to a non-licensed MD?

I think this is their perception of a non-union show.

I've been Equity for 20 years now, but I've seen plenty of non-union talent out there. And the argument that you might be seeing someone in a non-union show who's performing for the first time? That might also be true in an Equity show.

[ashley0139]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 8:24am

For some of them, it's their first professional job

Umm... everyone had to have one at one time. While I would rather see Equity casts, there is often just as much talent in a non-Equity cast as an Equity cast.

[ShuQ]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 8:53am

I agree with the letter in the sense that actors deserve to be protected under a union and thus, I don't tend to support non-equity shows. (In theory...I admit to have seen quite a few...most of which I probably didn't know were non-eq until after the show.) But I don't agree about the performers. Every performer deserves their shot, no matter where it is.

[EverythingIsRENT]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 9:36am

That letter is an insult who anyone who wants to become an actor. Just disgusting.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 9:55am

That is pathetic. So a card is the only thing that determines how good an actor is?

[Colle]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 10:02am

I respectfully disagree with this letter; I think that there are probably plently of non-union actors that are talented and I am sure they work hard too. One shouldn't have to be a member of the union in order to be successful on Broadway, and it seems like some people are trying to make it even more restrictive for non-union actors than it is right now.

[SueleenGay]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 10:11am

Ah, the good old Equiy vs. Non-Equity fight. Someone wake Jerby up, quick!

[misto625]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 12:24pm

I agree that everyone has to have a first professional job, but this is what dinner theater, theme parks, and regional theater is for, not Broadway and tour, so on principle I am opposed to Katie Clarke in Light in the Piazza as well. Wait she was in Anything Goes at Theater Under the Stars. Nevertheless, I believe people should have more experience before handed roles like that.

[Liza May]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 12:44pm

From a producing standpoint I completely understand why producers do this. Aside from the financial issues involving equity (bonds, dues, ect) they can also be a nightmare to deal with. Unorganized and some of their rules can be quite silly. Going non-equity saves money...and after all this is a business.

However, I don't agree calling a non-equity tour a "Broadway Tour". Non-equity talent is out there, but *most* actors working on broadway pay their dues, get the training in the field that they need to be the highest caliber of performer they can be. I've seen these so-called "Broadway Tours" before and the talent is decent...but certainly not my "Broadway" standards.

[billygoatgirl300]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 12:52pm

Aren't the people on non-equity tours working to get their equity cards? Just wondering.

[Doogie]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 12:55pm

Mr. Kostroff doesn't present the argument very well at all.

A more tactful (and, in my opinion, true) way to approach this issue is the fact that a lot of the actors on non eq tours ARE talented, and they are getting shortshrifted in terms of salary by the producers who are charging full price. Therefore, what should happen is that producers should either use non equity actors, and reduce the price of tickets, or pay for an equity tour, whether that be with equity performers, or a mix of non eq and equity, and pay for the non eq's to join the union.

The other piece of this is not about taking work away from equity actors. It is also about the fact that it makes the union less powerful if non equity tours do go out.

Mr. Kostroff is displaying a semi elitist attitude about the whole thing, and its not about the possible fact that SOME may be categorized as "amateur", but its more about the fact that producers are taking ADVANTAGE of both equity and non equity actors by sending out these low paying, high charging tours.

[Kringas]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 1:21pm

Is that the full letter? It just sort of stops (and is really poorly written).

[brdlwyr]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 10:57pm

Well said JRB!

[mrkringas]

Posted: 4/9/06 at 11:02pm

Well at least Equity has some good minimums for their members as compared to Equity UK!

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 4/10/06 at 12:00am

By the way my problem isn't so much with the concept of Equity...but more with the way that letter is worded. I think this debate is an important one to have, and sometimes I play devil's advocate.

Akiva

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 4/10/06 at 12:07am

AEA has so many ridiculous rules and regulations, sometimes, it makes me wonder, it really does.

[zzannahk]

Posted: 4/10/06 at 12:08am

i don't know enough about equity to challenge the process, but unfortunately for SAG, it's more about who you know, not any thing else. there may be certain protocol for getting one, but if you know the right people, the rules are very easy to get around, if this is true for equity also, the the system doesn't work and should be fixed, i hope broadway isn't as corrupt as hollywood

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 4/10/06 at 12:12am

I know this guy...

He's a total primmadonna and he DOES NOT speak on behalf of anyone but himself.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 4/10/06 at 12:20am

Don't forget, he also wrote a book.

http://www.allworth.com/Pages/PR_PA388.htm