EquityNews 165 West 46th St. New York, NY 10036 Address Services Requested Second Class Postage Paid in New York, NY Summer | Volume 101 | Issue 4 Actors’ Equity Association Equity NEWS Change the stage. Change the conversation. CONTENTS Summer | Volume 101 | Issue 4 1. Joel Perez as Roy/Mark/Pete/ Bobby Jeremy in the Public Theater’s Fun Home on Broadway Photo by Joan Marcus Special thank you to all of the 2. Aditi Kapil in Mixed Blood members and Theatre Company’s Distracted Equity theater In House Casting Call Photo by Ann Marsden companies that Read the many ways in which The union launches the gave Equity News #EQUITY 3. Mia Katigbak as Elizabeth permission to use EquityWorks for its members revamped audition resource Bishop in the Women’s Project’s their images. Dear Elizabeth WORKS Photo by Joan Marcus 4. Treshelle Edmond in Deaf 6 8 West’s Spring Awakening on Broadway | Photo by Joan Marcus 11. Will Young as the Grandson in Detroit 18. Ali Ewoldt as Cosette in the first Repertory Theatre’s Finding the Burnett Broadway revival of Les Misérables 5. Jose Llana as Bill Sykes in Paper Mill Heart | Photo by Bruce Millan Photo by Michael Le Poer Trench Playhouse’s Oliver! From Council Theatre Spotlight 12. Anita D. Hollander as the Cook, Ger- 19. Christine Toy Johnson as Dolly Levi in Photo by Billy Bustamante Meet Vermont’s Weston trude and Musician in Goodman the National Asian Artists Project’s Hello, Resolutions educating mem- Playhouse 6. Karole Foreman as the Beggar Woman Theatre’s The Matchmaker Dolly! | Photo by Eric Bondoc bers about the union’s fight to in Ensemble Theatre Company’s Sweeney Photo by Liz Lauren take back the road Todd | Photo by David Bazemore 20. Ali Stroker in Deaf West’s Spring 13. Manna Nichols as Eliza Doolittle in Awakening on Broadway 7. Francis Jue as Dr. Givings in the Actors Arena Stage’s My Fair Lady Photo by Joan Marcus Theatre of Phoenix’s In the Next Room Photo by Richard Anderson 9 11 (or the vibrator play) 21. Wade McCollum as Crumpet the Elf Photo by John Groseclose 14/15. Eleasha Gamble as Laurey and in Syracuse Stage’s The Santaland Diaries Nicholas Rodriguez as Curly in Arena Photo by Mike Davis 8. Bernardo Cubria as Philip in the Mint Stage at the Mead Center for American Theatre’s Philip Goes Forth Theater’s Oklahoma! Change the Stage Building Bridges Photo by Rahav Segev Photo by Carol Rosegg Eighteen members on their A look at the importance of own triumphs and tribulations Equity’s own Equal Employ- 9. Lisa Yuen as Mary Poppins in Wheelock 16. Alice Gatling as Corryn in InterAct of working in the industry ment Opportunity Committee Family Theatre’s Mary Poppins Theatre Company’s Gidion’s Knot Photo by Gary Ng Photo by Kate Raines/Plate 3 Photography 10. Angel Desai as Phyllis Nirlinger in The 17. Allen Gilmore as Horace Old Globe’s Double Indemnity Vandergelder in Goodman Theatre’s 12 26 Photo by Jim Cox The Matchmaker | Photo by Liz Lauren Cover design by Bruce Alan Johnson Lonergan Library Awards EquityNews Equity’s own literary resource Shuffle Along wins the 2016 for members turns 30 ACCA Award Editor Heather Lee Josh Austin Kevin McMahon Liz Pazik Advisory Committee Barbara Roberts 27 30 Christine Toy Johnson Melissa Robinette (Chair) Buzz Roddy Joann Yeoman Nancy Daly Diane Dorsey Got a question or Nicole Flender comment? Email EquityNews Bruce Alan Johnson [email protected] FRONT of HOUSE From the President From the Executive Director On Progress Change the Stage This column was supposed to be video, at http://www.broadwayrecords.com/. #Broadway- Welcome to the second issue of the new Equity News. This is how I finished the story about diversity. We’ve been plan- ForOrlando, indeed. In this issue we are taking a look at the important topic when I was speaking to the cast of ning this issue of Equity News, as As performers, we’re used to showing up to sing when of diversity from both a historic and current perspective. Shuffle Along: we do all issues of Equity News, for someone needs to raise money for a worthy cause. After Diversity has been in the news this year — from the #Os- some time. Diversity in the Amer- Orlando, though, at the end of yet another national tragedy carsSoWhite campaign to spotlight the lack of people of “The moment I received that ican theatre — indeed, diversity during which we know our prayers are necessary but sense color among the Oscar nominees, to a recent Sunday piece in text I realized that, in fact, my throughout the global entertain- that condolences alone are insufficient, we at Actors’ Equity the New York Times about Asian American actors’ fight for oldest child wasn’t inclined to ment industry — is a huge priority have determined that we will be taking a more aggressive more visibility on screen. dismiss live theatre because her here at Equity. In these pages, you will find a reflection of position on the issue of gun violence. I introduced a little of my personal story in my last mommy was away at night. She simply had no inter- what is happening in our halls these days. We’re actively It’s significant that the Pulse massacre was not even the column. Recently, I had the privilege to speak to the chorus est in live theatre because nothing on the stage in my engaging in conversations and initiatives aimed at rewriting only high-profile gun death in Orlando that weekend, nor of Shuffle Along, or The Making of the Musical Sensation performing arts center spoke to her, because NO ONE the script of what the theatre looks like. Who gets produced, the only one with reverberations for our industry. Barely of 1921 and All That Followed, who were awarded the 10th LOOKED LIKE HER. who gets cast, whose stories get told and whose voices and 24 hours earlier, 22-year-old singer Christina Grimmie annual ACCA award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus. I I have spent most of my career working to move the bodies tell them. To complement what you read in this was signing autographs at a merchandise table there when shared with them a story that was about them, about me and theatre industry toward a more diverse and inclusive month’s issue, I hope you’ll check out the guest column I a gunman entered the venue and shot and killed her. We my family and about our industry. The story was meaningful state, where the performers onstage actually reflect the wrote for Variety several weeks ago; you can find it here: spent that Saturday discussing how to respond to what was to them so I have decided to share it here because it speaks community. And although I always made sure we lived http://variety.com/2016/legit/opinion/hamilton-diversi- essentially the gunning down of a performer at the stage directly to this month’s topic of “Change the Stage.” in neighborhoods that had neighbors who looked like ty-casting-actors-equity-guest-column-1201745244/. door. To our members and theatre fans everywhere, this is I shared with you in the last edition of Equity News that her, I didn’t fully recognize how the lack of diversity At the eleventh hour, though, with my column woefully a time-honored tradition; that it could so easily turn tragic I was a manager of a performing arts center in the Midwest. onstage kept my oldest child, my daughter, from find- overdue and my thoughts consumed with another issue, I is a serious motivator for us to stand up and say something. The addition to my personal story is this: I have two children ing a home in the theatre. feel compelled to shine the spotlight elsewhere for a moment. We decided to convene on Monday and talk strategy. Hours who grew up in that theater. I have been married twice, my A week ago, I was in a midtown Manhattan recording stu- later, the larger-scale horrors emerged. And now we believe oldest child is of mixed race and my second child is Caucasian. If you ever wonder whether what you do makes a dif- dio with a who’s who of American musical theatre, as well as we must act. My youngest is a natural-born theatre fan. If it is a per- ference, know that there is a mother and daughter, or a handful of legends. Chita Rivera. Bernadette Peters. Audra I’ve heard so many of our members wanting to know formance live and on stage, he wants to see it. As soon as he some individual audience member that will be changed McDonald. Joel Grey. Carole King. Brian Stokes Mitchell, what they can do to organize and be heard. To them, and to was old enough to sit still and watch, he wanted in. forever because of the performance you give.” Jessie Mueller, Idina Menzel, Alice Ripley, Matthew Brod- all who are hoping for action, I say that this union will no My oldest never really cared much about the theatre. As erick, Sarah Jessica Parker, Whoopi Goldberg, Lin-Manuel longer tolerate the status quo. Late last year, I asked our Na- she grew older she would accompany me occasionally, but That is the end of that story, but it is not the end of my Miranda. What an honor to have been invited to be one of tional Public Policy Committee to consider recommending as a child she had no desire to go into the house and watch a commitment to “change the stage.” the singers.