Non-Smoking Contract for Actors

[TobiasRagg]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 5:52pm

So, Sophia Anne Caruso (Lydia in Beetlejuice) posted a photo of herself petting a dog on Instagram and people noticed that she’s holding a cigarette and the comments are just people losing their s**t about it.

I, personally, think she can make her own choices and am not going to criticize her for it but I saw someone comment about how some actors in musical theatre have Non-Smoking Agreements in their contracts (obviously to preserve their voices) and that she can possibly get in trouble.

I never even thought about that being a thing before.
How common is that being in a contract nowadays?

Updated On: 7/22/19 at 05:52 PM

[LuPita2]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 5:54pm

Why would people care what an 18 year old is doing on her day off? Jesus.  

[TobiasRagg]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 5:57pm

LuPita2 said: "Why would people care what an 18 year old is doing on her day off? Jesus."

I know! She can do whatever she wants and is probably more successful than 99% of the people commenting, smoking or not. Haha. 
I think people are paranoid about her ruining her voice or whatever. 

[Jayar2]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 5:58pm

Well, first off, she is breaking the law. She is 18. You have to be 21 to buy tobacco in NYC. As of November 2019, you will have to be 21 to buy tobacco in all of New York state.

[TobiasRagg]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 5:59pm

Jayar2 said: "Well, first off, she is breaking the law. She is 18. You have to be 21 to buy tobacco in NYC. As of November 2019, you will have to be 21 to buy tobacco in all of New York state."

The photo says she was in Madrid. But, yeah. It’s probably not just there in that case. lol 

[LuPita2]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 5:59pm

[JSquared2]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 5:59pm

TobiasRagg said: "So, Sophia Anne Caruso (Lydia in Beetlejuice) posted a photo of herself petting a dog on Instagram and people noticed that she’s holding a cigarette and the comments are just people losing their s**t about it.

I, personally, think she can make her own choices and am not going to criticize her for it but I saw someone comment about how some actors in musical theatre have Non-Smoking Agreements in their contracts (obviously to preserve their voices) and that she can possibly get in trouble.

I never even thought about that being a thing before.
How common is that being in a contract nowadays?"

There's no such thing as a "Non-Smoking Agreement" in an Equity contract -- it would be unenforceable.

[LuPita2]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 6:00pm

Jayar2 said: "Well, first off, she is breaking the law. She is 18. You have to be 21 to buy tobacco in NYC. As of November 2019, you will have to be 21 to buy tobacco in all of New York state."

Adorable. Does it show her buying a pack? No? Then shhhhh..........

[TobiasRagg]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 6:02pm

JSquared2 said: "TobiasRagg said: "So, Sophia Anne Caruso (Lydia in Beetlejuice) posted a photo of herself petting a dog on Instagram and people noticed that she’s holding a cigarette and the comments are just people losing their s**t about it.

I, personally, think she can make her own choices and am not going to criticize her for it but I saw someone comment about how some actors in musical theatre have Non-Smoking Agreements in their contracts (obviously to preserve their voices) and that she can possibly get in trouble.

I never even thought about that being a thing before.
How common is that being in a contract nowadays?"

There's no such thing as a "Non-Smoking Agreement" in an Equity contract -- it would be unenforceable."

Thank you for actually answering my original question. Haha.   People tend to not do that here. 

[Kad]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 6:03pm

Yes, as mentioned, such a provision would be entirely unenforceable. You can't dictate what other people do in their personal lives off the job in your own contract. 

Many, many performers on Broadway, both well-known and not, are smokers. 

[Jayar2]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 6:04pm

LuPita2 said: "Jayar2 said: "Well, first off, she is breaking the law. She is 18. You have to be 21 to buy tobacco in NYC. As of November 2019, you will have to be 21 to buy tobacco in all of New York state."

Adorable. Does it show her buying a pack? No? Then shhhhh.........."

I'll be more specific then-- it is illegal to SMOKE under the age of 21 in NYC and will be in the entire state in November.

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/07/16/new-york-smoking-age-18-to-21/

[Kitsune]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 6:18pm

Doing 8 shows a week seems difficult enough *without* smoking, or being excessively hard on your body.

I realize some athletes also smoke, but it seems like it would make an uphill battle even harder.

 

[Rainah]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 6:54pm

I cannot imagine what would possess a broadway actor to smoke, but there's not much that can be done about it. People are allowed to make bad decisions

[Elegance101]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 7:15pm

While I think it’s a dumb choice, especially because her voice is changing and growing, she can make her own choices. I was doing worse when I was her age, to be honest.

I’ve seen multiple musical theatre actors, currently starring in major roles on Broadway, smoking around Midtown. This is just the first time the teens have found out that their favorite stars smoke, so naturally, they’ll freak out.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 7:18pm

Rainah said: "I cannot imagine what would possess a broadway actor to smoke, but there's not much that can be done about it. People are allowed to make bad decisions"

The biggest culprits are dancers and singers.  Heck, Streisand and Minnelli were the biggest smokers at the peak of their careers.  

 

[Elegance101]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 7:19pm

Jayar2 said: "I'll be more specific then-- it is illegal to SMOKE under the age of 21 in NYC and will be in the entire state in November.

https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/07/16/new-york-smoking-age-18-to-21/"

I guess we should wake her when she’s twenty-OOOOOOOOOOOONNNNEE.

I’m so sorry.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 7:26pm

People making degrading comments about a young girl’s personal choices, which have absolutely nothing to do with them, need to take a seat. Mind your business.

[Broadway Buddy]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 8:20pm

When she came out to the stagedoor when I saw it for the first time about a month or so ago and she had a vape in her hand. What a disappointment. For an amazing and powerful voice like that, she shouldn’t be ruining her lungs.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 8:34pm

I will say not ever voice is the same. My voice teacher's wife loved to drink diet coke before she sings opera because it coats her voice. I can drink and still sing. Obviously it doesn't effect her.

Remember seeing Richard H Blake smoking after Wedding Singer and clearly he is fine.

[SchuylWERKsister]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 8:55pm

Didn’t Idina smoke her way through half of Wicked m?

[Alex Kulak2]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 8:55pm

I'm an actor, and I can tell you that if you include marijuana, it's harder to find an actor who doesn't smoke.

[RippedMan]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 9:19pm

100

[teatime2]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 9:20pm

Alex Kulak2 said: "I'm an actor, and I can tell you that if you include marijuana, it's harder to find an actor whodoesn'tsmoke."

Exactly

 

[Elegance101]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 9:40pm

Alex Kulak2 said: "I'm an actor, and I can tell you that if you include marijuana, it's harder to find an actor whodoesn'tsmoke."

This is very true.

Also, I thought vaping wasn't bad for your voice. Don't know much about it, but isn't there no tar or smoke? It's just water vapor.

Updated On: 7/22/19 at 09:40 PM

[Iclick]

Posted: 7/22/19 at 10:07pm

I remember in the Patti LuPone biography she mentions smoking during Evita and Les Miz.