#26
Posted: 12/8/05 at 8:43pm
The difference between Equity and non-Equity shows is the UNION. (I know that sounds so obvious.)
It's there to protect the actors and stage managers who have chosen this as their profession. It's not just salaries and perdium. It's health insurance, workman's comp, fair rehearsal practices, humane treatment, a pension, etc. From an audience point of view, it's knowing the people who are working their butts off to entertain you are being treated fairly.
When you support a non-union tour by attending, you should know that the actors MAY or MAY NOT be compensated fairly for their work. In many cases (not all) they are NOT. Actors want to perform so badly and to improve their craft that they are willing to sacrifice the pay rate, the insurance, the benefits, the pension, just to sing and dance for you. It's a difficult dilemma to be in (from the performer's point of view). It's a valuable chance for them to improve their craft and do what they love.
From the audience's perspective, most of them don't even care... unless the show is bad. They also aren't paying discounted prices because it's non-Equity. Basically the profit difference is going into the producers' pockets. But the producers will be the first to tell you without a non-union tour, you wouldn't even HAVE a tour of some of these shows.
I personally decided to "go Equity" as a performer at a pretty young age. I've been in the union for 20 years now (just this year). I'm proud to belong to Equity, and I support the union and what it stands for. It's important to have for so many reasons.
It's there to protect the actors and stage managers who have chosen this as their profession. It's not just salaries and perdium. It's health insurance, workman's comp, fair rehearsal practices, humane treatment, a pension, etc. From an audience point of view, it's knowing the people who are working their butts off to entertain you are being treated fairly.
When you support a non-union tour by attending, you should know that the actors MAY or MAY NOT be compensated fairly for their work. In many cases (not all) they are NOT. Actors want to perform so badly and to improve their craft that they are willing to sacrifice the pay rate, the insurance, the benefits, the pension, just to sing and dance for you. It's a difficult dilemma to be in (from the performer's point of view). It's a valuable chance for them to improve their craft and do what they love.
From the audience's perspective, most of them don't even care... unless the show is bad. They also aren't paying discounted prices because it's non-Equity. Basically the profit difference is going into the producers' pockets. But the producers will be the first to tell you without a non-union tour, you wouldn't even HAVE a tour of some of these shows.
I personally decided to "go Equity" as a performer at a pretty young age. I've been in the union for 20 years now (just this year). I'm proud to belong to Equity, and I support the union and what it stands for. It's important to have for so many reasons.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
