Logistic to International tours?

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 10:14pm

Please let me know if these are dumb questions; I'm sure the answers are, more or less, a case by case scenario. I was wondering how do they normally work, in regards to the performers and their contracts. Currently, the Hamilton international tour has performers from all over the world. The Hamilton int'l tour rehearsed in New York, so I presume its cast are employed with AEA contracts. I'm sure its a different scenario for shows that don't employ American actors, like the international tours of Wicked, Mamma Mia, and etc. which hire UK based performers. 

[Kad]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 10:25pm

International tours aren’t typically covered by Equity contracts, I believe. The union’s jurisdiction stops at US borders, with some exception in Canada. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 10:25pm

International Tours are not covered by Equity, a union that represents performers working within the United States. There can often be a mix of Equity and non-Equity talent in international tours. Money, working conditions, and length of engagement may be reason enough for certain Equity actors to say "no thanks" to international tours, but it's all a personal preference.

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 10:35pm

ErmengardeStopSniveling said: "International Tours are not covered by Equity, a union that represents performers workingwithinthe United States. There can often be a mix of Equity and non-Equity talent in internationaltours. Money, working conditions, and length of engagement may be reason enough for certain Equity actors to say "no thanks" to international tours, but it's all a personal preference."

There are exceptions, as Kad mentioned, such as agreements with Canadian Equity, which has allowed for many reciprocal contracts through the years.

[Kad]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 10:45pm

Weirdly, there were many years when AEA represented Canadian actors as their union. They eventually split off to form Canadian Equity in the 70s, but the unions are still very close and, as blaxx said, have reciprocal agreements that allow work across the border as well as some membership allowances. 

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 10:54pm

tbh I was not thinking of Canada as "international" (even though, technically, it is) –– my example was more about tours that play Europe/Asia/Australia.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 4/17/24 at 11:07pm

Interesting stuff! When an equity tour leaves the US to play mexico or when the pippin tour (I think it was the pippin tour) went to Japan the performers just didn’t have their union protection? Or would those be exceptions? 

[rosscoe(au)]

Posted: 4/18/24 at 3:05am

Very few international tours play Australia, we usually send them out of here to Asia ( the upcoming Les Miserable Arena tour will be a mix of both local and international cast ) 

[blaxx]

Posted: 4/18/24 at 4:08am

Call_me_jorge said: "Interesting stuff! When an equity tour leaves the US to play mexico or when the pippin tour (I think it was the pippin tour) went to Japan the performers just didn’t have their union protection? Or would those be exceptions?"

They definitely have protection. The Beetlejuice and Mean Girls US tours are playing in Mexico City this summer.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 4/19/24 at 6:04pm

blaxx said: "hey definitely have protection. The Beetlejuice and Mean Girls US tours are playing in Mexico City this summer."

Mean Girls is non-Equity, so Equity won't be offering them any sort of protection while they are in Mexico City.

In the case of Beetlejuice, yes, typically a one-off tour international stop like that everyone will still be under their original contract for the tour, possibly with an additional rider to cover any logistics involved with working in another country.