jrb - I'm glad you were able to become Equity in Houston from just 3 theatres, but that may not be so easy for everyone. Now Houston has 4 Equity theatres. WOO HOO!! The possibilities are simply ENDLESS! Not exactly Equity overload is it? Especially considering that once you become Equity in Houston, you will more than likely not be cast in a lead at 2 of the theatres that choose to cast those roles from NY and LA. Oh sure, there are people from Houston who do get those roles, but only AFTER they leave Houston for a few years and work in NY and then come back when the theatre deems them respectable enough. Isn't the statistic of becoming a working actor something like 1%? Add becoming an Equity actor and it is more like 0.25%.
Our friend in the non-Equity tour had the chance to become Equity when he did the show in Equity houses with Equity casts in Houston and Chicago before going on tour. He told me himself that he did not wish to go Equity because he wanted to work. He understudies the lead, but rarely performs the role.
"That's not how it works. The decision and the issue comes down to making Producers only use Equity contracts. Equity is giving current non-Eq touring actors a reason to join--more money, benefits, and protections. These actors can not join unless the producers allow it."
So you're saying that Equity has invited the actors to join regardless of working on an Equity contracted show or using the point system required of all other Equity actors? That they have been offered free admission but only the producers are stopping them from joining? I hadn't heard anything about that.
"alterego--they charge the SAME ticket price"
Not the non-Equity tours I attended. Beauty and the Beast and Miss Saigon charged $10-25 LESS than the Equity tours and offered more discounts. The first time I watched Miss Saigon, I got a two-for-one deal and wound up with 2 center orchestra seats for $55. Right now, non-Equity top ticket prices (Miss Saigon, 42nd Street, Oklahoma) range around $63-76. Equity tour top ticket prices (Lion King, Phantom of the Opera, Hairspray) range around $72-81 with some performances of Lion King up to $125 and rarely, if ever, offer discounts. Keep in mind that ticket prices also change from city to city depending on the size of venue and length of run. The prices I chose were for the next available Saturday evening performance of all the shows mentioned. Though sometimes non-Equity tours charge almost as much (or in some cases more, depending on the show and venue) as Equity tours, I have NEVER seen any Equity tour charge $80-100 for tickets. The high price of Oklahoma is the one exception I found.
I am not exactly non-Equity, but I don't think Equity has the right to DEMAND tours to conform to their rules. They are not demanding the same of small professional non-Equity theatres nationwide are they? Nope. They are showing little to no concern for them at all. I'm curious how Equity compares to other national unions. Do factory workers have to work for possibly four years (as jrb did) at a site only deemed respectable enough by the union that can be found in less than 10% of the factories in the US before they can become a member?
"The point is--let people get experience in safer environments--not the stress of a tour. And, if he is experienced enough--he should be paid properly for it and given the proper benefits and protections for it."
I totally agree, but shutting down tours and putting actors out of work against their will is not the answer. It is just dictatorial behavior saying "our way or no way".
"And, if so, why should there be fantastic sets and costumes, but the actors get paid crap?"
For the same reason my office gets a multi-million-dollar upgrade, yet the staff receives a lower bonus. Bosses can be unfair. But as I've said countless times, the actors do not have to choose to be in the non-Equity tour. Perhaps they want to continue performing after the tour, but don't live in an Equity friendly city (99% of the country).
I most certainly do have respect for actors and I will see Equity and non-Equity shows and tours BECAUSE I have respect for them. But the fact remains that Equity remains one of the elitist unions (if not the most) in the country and though I do believe in its purpose, I frown at its practice. Acting is not like other union jobs. Musicians and stagehands are in higher demand than actors. The unsteadiness of work definitely calls for higher wages and protection, but it also demands a union that is more inclusive and acessible than Equity. A union that is less hypocritical than to put actors out of work on the pretext that it is for their own protection rather than just being pissed that they have more competition.
The biggest problem Equity is facing is that they are actually competing with non-Equity tours that are in some cases offering better productions. Non-Equity tours have been around for a long time, performing in the same venues as Equity tours (I remember them in 1991, but I don't know their history before then), charging similar ticket prices (I worked in the box office), and Equity was not concerned about the "protection of the actors" until recently. And if Equity was so high and mighty about actors earning points and paying their dues (both figuratively and literally), then why do they let anyone join as long as the producer pays them off? In other words, show us the money and anyone can be Equity. There's no consistency on admission, there's no consistency in the amount of venues in which to qualify, and there is an outrageous imbalance in the amount of work available comparing NY with the entire rest of the country. Equity represents Broadway and New York, but does little else for the actors elsewhere.
I wish all actors could get good living wages and benefits the same as any other professional job. I also wish for world peace, to win the lottery, bad people to get what they deserve, the US to support stage actors, and for Equity to put their money where their mouth is and protect all actors, but the world simply does not work that way.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
Updated On: 6/3/04 at 12:53 PM
