Union's In Other Countries

[skibumb5290]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 2:25pm

Is Equity in Europe or do they have their own union and what happens when an American Actor/ess, goes to Europe or a European one comes to the USA

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 3:21pm

I know that there's Equity in Britain and in Canada, but I'm not sure about Europe. There is an exchange program in place between American Equity and British Equity that allows actors to work on both sides of the pond, and I believe you can carry your membership over if you move, but you probably have to be a member in good standing for a certain period of time.

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 4:02pm

There are also rules about "established" stars being exempt from the various work exchange program. However, it can get very murky as "established" is not very well defined and is thus often taken on a case by case basis. Some of the biggest fights in recent Broadway history involved Sarah Brightman being brought over for Phantom, Jonathan Pryce for Miss Saigon, and the delay of the Oklahoma revival because Cameron Macintosh wanted to import the entire cast to save time and money on rehearsals.

[musicaltheatrefan3]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 4:36pm

In every Playbill, when there is an equity exchange, they have to mention it, and I think I saw something for "Boy from Oz" that "Hugh Jackman is performing in "Boy from Oz" through an Australian-American Equity Exchange", so I think Australia has equity or some type of union. Correct me if I'm wrong.

[ThankstoPhantom]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 6:08pm

Please remove the apostrophe.

There is also a Canadian Equity, which exchanges with America quite frequently.

Is there a Union in Europe between Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and the Netherlands? The actors there jump all over the map between these countries, so I was just curious (and the amount from people working professionally from all over the world is amazing).

[BrianS]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 6:50pm

It'll be interesting to see what actor gets stuck in Buenos Aires to fulfill the exchange program to bring in Josefina Scaglione.

Oh wait... Equity bent over on that one because there wasn't a single qualified girl in the United States who could play Maria.

(yes, I'll get over it soon)

[winston89]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 6:57pm

I think that the rule for bringing someone over is that there has to be proof that there isn't already an American actor. Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't there some trouble getting Colm Wilkinson over to do Valjean on Broadway?

I remember reading that as far as union trades between the US and England are concerned, it so more the US who wants it done not the British.

[tj-dancer]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 7:06pm

Colm Wilkinson if i'm correct in my history was actually the first British actor to 'officially' make the swap, and US equity weren't happy with Cameron Mackintosh wanting him in the cast. They actually said no, and only changed their minds when he refused to put Les Mis on Broadway without him. He was the beginning.

At the moment there is a placement that there has to be one sent to the other in replacement. I know that US equity is actually stronger than UK equity, and the UK are seen as sort of a push over, a lot of the time the US will demand the UK take 2 American's for 1 British actor, and it gets passed. It's definitely a lot harder for British actors to work on Broadway.

Plus, with the added bonus of equity minimum pay in the UK being like half (i don't know the exact figure) of the pay to the US.

[Weez]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 7:10pm

PLEASE get rid of the apostrophe. It's bringing me down.

[BrianS]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 7:38pm

The rule is different if the actor is deemed an "international star." A case was made for Wilkinson to fit that description though the whole thing was before my time.

The Maria situation is different in that there is no way this girl qualifies as an international star and her getting cast did take a job from an American actress. And to me, it's not just this job, but whoever would have been cast in that role would have had a huge launching point for her career since this is such a high profile show to revive. Again, my whole point is that I just don't buy the notion that there wasn't a single American actress who could've played it.

[winston89]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 7:44pm

But, one thing I don't get is this. I remember Cameron threatened to pull both Miss Saigon and Les Miserable had he not gotten his way with casting. Now, the question is why would Equity care? it's not like they are the producers who are making money on this production. I would think that canceling a show is cutting off your nose despite your face.

[Weez]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 7:49pm

This is just a guess, so I will cheerfully accept any corrections, but I assume that Cameron Mackintosh wasn't the only producer involved, there were also some American producers who would have been out some money - or at least a successful show, which leads to money - had the plug been pulled. I don't know about Equity, but I certainly wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of some fraught investors piling on the pressure!

Updated On: 10/30/08 at 07:49 PM

[winston89]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 7:58pm

But, what I am saying is is that it isn't like Equity is getting any money out of it. So why would they care. Unless it had to do something with equity actors having a job.

[MamasDoin'Fine]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 8:10pm

It was Cameron and Cameron alone that had the say.
Rightly so, the US wanted the show that had been the massive hit in the UK-so take the show that the producer wants to produce for them or forget it!!
Having know Cameron while working for him for 18 months he wouldn't have shed a drop of sweat about taking the show out if he hadn't won the case.
Did it pay off? Millions of dollars more than they ever imagined!


Updated On: 10/30/08 at 08:10 PM

[teka21]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 8:43pm

Me too, Weez- thanks.
A plural is just a plural, folks.
folk's?

[Byron Abens]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 10:43pm

Equity does receive quite a bit of money from the Production contract in working dues from the actors (not sure about back then, but currently 2.5% of the weekly salary), as well as the payments made to the health plan and pension fund by the producer. Plus, Equity likes to keep its members working, and rightly so.

[Tsao5]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 11:33pm

There is a union of sorts in Germany. But it is house by house and cover EVERYONE. The actors, management, the crew, the front of house staff, the people who work in the canteen, everyone in covered and protected by the in house union. Officers for the inhouse union are elected by those within each department; so you might have 2 from orchestra, 2 from cast, two from ushers....and so on. It is very powerful, and can bring a production to a halt if rules are not adheared to.

Many many poeple from the States(including Broadway people) and London (including many West End people) have and do work in Germany. It does not matter at all if you are union or not in your home country, it matters if you are right for the job.

It is typical for a cast in Germany such as Wicked, or Les Miserables to be comprised of actors from all over the world such as Australia, The US, Russia, Japan.......everywhere. That, for many of the actors, is one of the great pleasures of working in a show there......working with international casts (and yes, in German of course) :)

[musicaltheatrefan3]

Posted: 10/30/08 at 11:45pm

That's what I love about German theatre (also true for Austria, The Netherlands, and Switzerland). The current German production of "Wicked" has cast members from Sweden, The Netherlands, the UK, Austria, Germany, the United States, and Australia! Also, many Japanese productions have actors from China and Korea. Li Tao, the original Fiyero in Tokyo, is from the Gansu province in China (he attended dance school in Beijing since he was 12 and he also studied acting at the University of Beijing), and he has performed as Mungojerrie, Skimbleshanks, Simba, and now Fiyero. Acting in Japan is a great way for Asian actors from less developed countries to immigrate to Japan and get Japanese citizenship. Many ensemble members in Tokyo "Wicked" are Korean, and I don't think that Tao is the only Chinese performer in "Wicked."