Re: RAT union panel discussion

[Cat Hebert <virtualdrama@juno.com>]

I assume that the premise under which Equity is working is that in cities
where there are a number of equity-contract theaters operating, it makes
sense to set up a sub-99 seat showcase contract, since those theaters
then act as extended auditions for equity members. The assumption is that
those cities will have lots of agents and artistic and casting directors
[including those from other cities] who might be persuaded to see those
showcase productions.

In cities with few Tier 3+ houses it doesn't make a lot of sense for
Equity to set up showcase contracts because there are relatively few
audition opportunities. Equity isn't in the business of getting its
members non-paying work. 

For small companies who want Equity talent, the small professional
theater contract isn't particularly onerous
http://www.actorsequity.org/library/rulebooks/spt.pdf , and remember, the
showcase contracts allow the actor to leave the production with virtually
no notice!!

I see a major part of this particular debate consisting of small
companies that want to use equity actors without paying for them.  Why do
they want to use equity actors when there are so many other actors
around?  It's because there are so many unemployed equity actors out
there that it makes sense to try to use "the best". 

Equity actors in non-showcase-contract cities may want to work even if
they aren't paid, but why belong to a union at all if you take this point
of view -- especially if there are ways around the situation such as
co-producing? I think that some people just don't understand the purpose
of / reasons for unions, or want to just use union rules when it suits
their purposes. This sort of attitude is a perfect setup for exploitation
by management.

If the market won't bear paying living wages to people involved in
theater, then either there are simply too many professional theaters
and/or those theaters are doing a lousy job of marketing themselves.

Cheers,
Cat Hebert

-------------------------------

On Wed, 13 Jun 2001 01:24:40 -0400 nick <nick@ratconference.com> writes:
> At 12:29 PM 6/12/01 -0400, Cat Hebert wrote:
> >However, there are other union / small theater issues:
> >The argument that you hear in cities other than NYC and LA is that 
> union 
> >rules prohibit actors from working at non-union theaters, and no 
> middle 
> >ground has been established -- as it has in LA and NYC. That lack 
> of 
> >compromise seems to me to be a major issue affecting RAT-type 
> theaters.
> 
> Chicago keeps its rich theatre community full of original work in 
> large 
> part because its actors demanded the same consideration from the 
> union that 
> their East Coast and West Coast peers received.   Actors Equity 
> members in 
> New York, LA, Chicago all have negotiated individual contracts for 
> their 
> cities which allows actors to co-produce the theatre in which they 
> believe 
> (i.e.; work for essentially no money under showcase contracts).  
> Theater 
> that otherwise would not have been produced.
> 
> Potentially great theatre towns are reduced to a second class status 
> 
> because of this "inequitable" treatment of actors from the "other" 
> cities 
> by Actors Equity.  I am confused as to why this blatant injustice 
> cannot 
> seem to be addressed much less be corrected.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ---------------------------------------
> To [un]subscribe to the rat-list, send an email to 
> "majordomo@ratconference.com"
> with [un]subscribe rat-list" in the body of the message.
> For information on other functions send a message containing the 
> word
> "help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.
> ---------------------------------------
> You may also [un]subscribe on the web at 
> http://www.ratconference.com/cgi-bin/web_domo.pl?list=rat-list
> 
________________________________________________________________
GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO!
Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less!
Join Juno today!  For your FREE software, visit:
http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.



---------------------------------------
To [un]subscribe to the rat-list, send an email to "majordomo@ratconference.com"
with [un]subscribe rat-list" in the body of the message.
For information on other functions send a message containing the word
"help" to the same address. Do not use quotes in your message.
---------------------------------------
You may also [un]subscribe on the web at http://www.ratconference.com/cgi-bin/web_domo.pl?list=rat-list