Salary question: missed performance = dock in pay?

[ace33]

Posted: 1/25/11 at 9:46am

I've heard that when actors miss performance, and their understudy fills in, they get their pay docked? (and the u/s gets a bonus?)

Is there a set percent decrease/increase? Is this a contract-by-contract basis?


(equity actors on bway)

[jeffmiele]

Posted: 1/25/11 at 10:11am

actors have sick days just like any other employee at any other job.. the understudy does get a small pay increase for the specific performance(s) but the actor whose role it is does not get docked any money

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 1/25/11 at 12:24pm

The union sets a minimum, but agents can negotiate for more, so the specific terms depends on the contract. Although, I'd be willing to bet 99% percent of the chorus or ensemble contracts on Broadway are the minimum terms.

If an actor is out of sick days or vacation days, their pay will be docked, just like any other job. Normally they are docked 1/8th (based on an 8-performance week).

Understudies and swings get bonuses when they perform, but I don't remember how much.

That said, Equity is one of the few, maybe the ONLY union, that posts its contracts online for anyone to see. You could just as easily find all this information out for yourself if you are really curious, and then you don't have to worry about incorrect responses here. Also, the contracts are updated about every four years (I think), so people here may be speaking about older terms that have since been changed.