EQUITYACTORS’ EQUITY: STANDING UP FOR OURNEWS MEMBERS JULY/AUGUST 2015 / Volume 100 / Number 6 www.actorsequity.org Membership Meetings set Equity Declares Ask If It’s Equity Day for the 2015-2016 Season uly 8, 2015, was officially friends, family, The following dates have been set for Equity Membership declared Ask If It’s Equity fans and Meetings in 2015-2016: JDay by the union to audience Eastern Region celebrate its members on tour. members to ’ Friday, October 16, 2015 at 2 p. m. Meant to encourage audience Ask If It s Equity, members to inquire if the show the day-long Friday, January 8, 2016 at 2 p. m. they are seeing is a union campaign Central Region production, Ask If It’sEquityis garnered tweets Monday, October 19, 2015 at 6 p. m. part of the union’s ongoing that were seen Monday, January 11, 2016 at 6 p. m. efforts to take back control of over 83,000 times the road and strengthen and over 2,500 Western Region conditions for members on tour. AskIfIts Monday, October 19, 2015 at 11 a. m. Actors, stage managers and Equity.com page Monday, January 11, 2016 at 11 a. m. members-at-large, along with views (of which All Regions audiences, embraced the over 92% were Equity-driven day by taking to AFL-CIO’s Department for first-time site visitors). The Annual Membership Meeting is Friday, April 8, 2016, at 2 social media to show their Professional Employees, also Additionally, the accompanying p.m. EST, 1 p.m. CST and 11 a.m. PST.The regions will be union pride and support. Other joined in the social celebration Facebook post was viewed connected so that members in all regions may hear the unions, including the IATSE with retweets and favorites. more than 23,000 times, statements of candidates running for election. Young Workers and the With members reminding receiving close to 500 likes. Equity’s Audition Center Remembering Former Equity in Los Angeles Opens PresidentTheodore Bikel heodore Bikel was the Award. As a high profile quintessential multi- member of the union, he was Thyphenate: actor/ active during the Broadway singer/writer/teacher/ strike in 1960, making musician/lecturer/linguist/ numerous and effective public spokesperson/raconteur/ appearances on Equity’s political activist/union leader. behalf. He was elected to He passed away at the age of Council as a replacement in 91 on July 21, 2015, at UCLA 1961 and during what he Medical of natural causes. His arrived in the United States in termed as “my short but professional career spanned 1954 when he joined the union turbulent tenure on Council,” omplete with sound is another way that Equity is more than 70 years, beginning to appear on Broadway in served both on special and attenuation, mirrored building a strong foothold in the when his family left Austria for Tonight in Samarkand. standing committees, including walls, a sprung maple Western Region for union actors C Palestine in 1943 and he joined Bikel originated the role of the Alien Committee, floor and dressing rooms, the and stage managers. the famed Habimah Theatre as Captain von Trapp in The Committee on Election now-open state-of-the-art The 850 square-foot center an apprentice. His service to Sound of Music in 1959 and Procedures and a committee to audition center is just one of features fabric sound attenuation Equity began not long after he was nominated for a Tony (continued on page 8) many member-minded hallmarks panels, double stud wall systems, featured in the first Equity-owned independent climate control, property in Los Angeles. double barre, separate audition Designed to deliver an optimal entry and more. Additionally, # EquityWorks: Theater News & Notes audition experience for union Equity is making this space – members in a quality-controlled Burbank, CA The Colony workweeks. AthensWest Theatre available for union theaters at a environment, the audition center Theatre has moved from Chicago, IL - Theatre Wit Company and The Lexington fraction of the cost of other area LOA/HAT to the newly available has moved up from CAT Tier 3 Theatre Company proudly join audition centers, which is a great two-year SPT agreement for to CAT Tier 6 and increased the Equity family. benefit for members. 2015-16, offering a 7% annual the total number of members Los Angeles, CA - Equity “This new audition space will salary increase for members. on contract to four actors and member and producer Matthew allow actors to have an optimal Cincinnati, OH – AEA one stage manager. Herrmann, along with partner audition situation,” said member welcomes Diogenes Theatre Holland, MI– Hope Vickie Mendoza, were the first Michael Dotson. “Members will Company as a new SPT. Summer Repertory Theatre at to sign the new Actors’ Equity be able to go to an audition, pay Cincinnati, OH - Cincinnati Hope College proudly joins the Association 99-Seat their dues, attend a union Shakespeare Company will Equity family to mark its 44th Agreement for the Hollywood meeting and visit the credit union add 28 workweeks in 2015-16, season. Fringe show, Tom and Barry – all in one location.” plus an overall increase in the Hollywood, CA The Los Two Nights Only! Under the Aside from the audition rooms, minimum number of contracts Angeles Philharmonic terms of the new Equity the center hosts a waiting area for the 2016-17 season. Hollywood Bowl Agreement agreement, the cast of nine for members, a physical warm-up Chicago, IL - Remy (WCLO) was re-negotiated for were paid minimum wage for Bumppo Theatre, operating on Monty Python’s SPAMALOT rehearsals and four scheduled space and both male and female the CAT agreement,added with 6.67% salary increase for festival performances (June 5, changing rooms. three additional contracts to the 21 actors plus three stage 11,13and27). “Los Angeles finally has an upcoming season resulting managers. Miami, FL - City Theatre audition space that will set the in 30 additional member Lexington, KY - (continued on page 2) Periodicals Postage Paid at New York, NY and Additional Mailing Offices bar for all other audition spaces around town,” Dotson said. With ease for members, the Production Contract Negotiations Update Index Equity office is conveniently t press time, the improve the terms and NEWS located near bus and metro negotiations for the conditions under which our Live World Conference.........2 transit and easily accessible to AProduction Contract members work and address From the President .............3 the 101, 134 and 170 freeways. continue. Meetings with The more remunerative Summer Theater ................4 UITY For more information regarding Broadway League are compensation and quality of life National News...................6 165 West 46th Street New York, NY 10036 Address Service Requested Paid in New York, NY Q the audition center, visit scheduled throughout August. issues. The current contract Broadway Bares.................8 E actorsequity.org. The goal of the negotiation is to expires September 27, 2015. 2 / EQUITY news JULY/AUGUST 2015 Area Liaison #Equity Works with Baruch Performing Arts live stream in accordance with a employment began on a Center to produce and mount media agreement issued to a Sunday rather than the formal Hotline system (continued from page 1) Movements of the Soul Guest Artist producer. Monday-Sunday workweek. marks the 20th anniversary of (September 8-20, NYC), which Central Region staff Western Region staff “ ” Call 877-AEA-1913 its beloved Summer Shorts will feature nine members and corrected unpaid vacation negotiated media agreements festival of new play works Equity has a national toll-free two Equity stage managers. time for two members working requiring payment for non- (presented on LOA-LORT hotline system for members who This historical show will under a LORT contract. broadcast recordings (totaling agreement). live in area liaison and office showcase a company and After a lengthy investigation, $610 per person) for members Milwaukee, WI – Milwaukee cities. The number is 877-AEA- creative team of deaf and and with the tremendous performing in two separate Chamber Theatre marked its 1913 (honoring the year of hearing actors, designers, assistance from members productions under the former 40th anniversary on June 15 — Equity’s founding). Each Area technical staff and producers. employed on a LORT contract, 99-Seat plan. the day of its first public Liaison city has its own The production will be Equity staff achieved retroactive Recently, an employer made performance of George Bernard completely accessible, utilizing extension, where members can payments totaling $18,143.22 unauthorized use of video clips Shaw’s Don Juan in Hell. the newest techniques in access news and information for missing vacation and sick featuring various performers San Francisco, CA – 3Girls captioning, and embedding in their region. accrual. that was made accessible to the Theatre Company joins the them mise-en-scène. public. Eastern Region staff (1) Dial 877-AEA-1913 Upon seeing a local cabaret Equity family operating on an Movements of the Soul will also production and reviewing the made a claim for payment for (2) Dial your city extension: MBAT agreement and resulting give student interpreters from associated contracts, Eastern this unauthorized use and 811 Atlanta in 32 new workweeks in the Bay LaGuardia Community Region staff filed a claim and reached a settlement on behalf Area. College’s ASL-English 812 Austin/San Antonio was able to collect a total of of the performers: Each Seattle, WA – Equity Interpreter Program valuable 813 Boston $4,678 for 10 members for member received a gross welcomed a new SPT, The community service hours while 814 Buffalo/Rochester unpaid overtime, additional payment of $1,173 per video Williams Project (in being overseen by certified 815 Chicago duties and pre-production hours clip, for a total payment by the association with Intiman interpreters.