Author Topic: SCHEDULING: Child Labor Laws  (Read 7762 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

rvhead

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 13
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA
SCHEDULING: Child Labor Laws
« on: Nov 06, 2008, 07:47 am »
What exactly are the rules when it comes to kids and tech??? I've been SMing for a long time. I've done a lot of shows with kids in the cast (I'm talking regular grown-up shows where there happen to be some kid characters, not children's theatre). In the past I've not been asked to refer to child labor laws when scheduling the kids; I've done by best to schedule them after school, but I've rehearsed them for full 8-hour days on the weekends and they've been there for all of tech (10 out of 12's). The show I am currently rehearsing has two girls (age 10 and 11) and management is insisting I follow the Illinois child labor laws: 6 hours a day, no more than 24 hours a week. It will be near impossible to go chronologically thru tech if this is the case, plus I'm caught between a rock and a hard place because the director is saying "go ahead and call them for the full day". How can I even accomplish a run-through of the show at the end of the tech process? I know for a fact other theatres in town (high profile, well known theatres) use their child actors far more than 24 hours a week, without fear of breaking any laws. How do they get away with it? What is the real story? Please help me out, and quickly -- tech is fast approaching!
« Last Edit: Jun 09, 2009, 02:45 am by PSMKay »

VSM

  • Forum Moderators
  • *****
  • Posts: 714
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • http://www.vernonwillet.com
  • Affiliations: AEA, SMA
  • Current Gig: PSM - Laguna Playhouse
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Child Labor Laws
« Reply #1 on: Nov 06, 2008, 08:36 am »
Please check with your individual state for the pertaining laws. It is my understanding that if a "stipend" is given that is different than if a "salary" is paid. As I said, my opinion only...
Ordo ab chao

ReyYaySM

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 360
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA
  • Current Gig: Freelance
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Child Labor Laws
« Reply #2 on: Nov 06, 2008, 10:49 am »
It varies from state to state, but there are sometimes special allowances for the number of hours a child can work in special categories like entertainment.  Your best bet would be to contact your state's department of labor and regulations for a definitive answer.  Personally I think that management would trump the director in this case because it is the theatre that would be fined by the state and not the director if the children exceeded their maximum allowable hours for the week. 

Let us know how the situation is resolved. 

ddsherrer

  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 60
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: SMA
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Child Labor Laws
« Reply #3 on: Nov 06, 2008, 03:32 pm »
I agree that it varies from state to state.  I did some research on this this summer while I was in Maine and the following is copied from the Maine State website: "Child actors — Maine has no minimum age and no hourly restrictions for child actors, but they must have work permits if under the age of 16."  I thought it was strange because there are definitely restrictions on child technicians.
If all the world's a stage, where's my stage manager?

rvhead

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 13
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA
Re: Child Labor Laws
« Reply #4 on: Nov 06, 2008, 04:20 pm »
The law looks pretty clear that we can use them 24 hours per week, max of 6 hours per day. Any suggestions on how the heck to handle two 10 of 12's? The kids are in a lot of the show. They are important roles and they have a lot to learn and get used to with this show (turntable with a two-story house on it, entering and exiting in blackouts, working with a full orchestra when they are currently used to just hearing the piano at rehearsal...etc etc etc...) I am searching and searching for a "loophole" that allows them to stay more hours during tech, but haven't found one yet. I know for a fact that other theatres here in Chicago do it -- are they just going with don't ask/don't tell? I am afraid of a very frustrating and unproductive two days of tech where my PA has to walk the role of the little girls...  and then when in God's name am I going to be able to teach these kids what is going on?
Has anyone out there worked on Goodman's annual "Christmas Carol"? How many hours did you keep Tiny Tim and his siblings?

hbelden

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 412
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Child Labor Laws
« Reply #5 on: Nov 06, 2008, 11:49 pm »
These roles should be double-cast.  Cast A works half your tech day, Cast B works the other half.  Each cast does half the week's shows; and neither cast does a two-show day.  Make sure each cast gets a run-through before they perform.  Tell management that they've put you in an impossible situation and are preventing the show from completing the rehearsal process because they've under-cast it.  You just can't work a show when two roles have conflicts with half your work-week.
--
Heath Belden

"I'm not good, I'm not nice, I'm just right." - Sondheim
--

MatthewShiner

  • Forum Moderators
  • *****
  • Posts: 2478
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, SMA
  • Current Gig: Freelance Stage Manager; Faculty for UMKC
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Child Labor Laws
« Reply #6 on: Nov 07, 2008, 07:35 am »
i am sure the producers know what they are doing, but you should double check that the laws they are referencing are for entertainment - there is often a separate set of rules.

Otherwise, I agree - the kids should be double cast - all kids in all shows should be double cast imho.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

ChaCha

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 245
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
    • http://www.performinglineswa.org.au
  • Affiliations: Media, Entertainment & Arts Alliance
  • Experience: Former SM
Re: Child Labor Laws
« Reply #7 on: Nov 07, 2008, 11:23 am »
can you check directly with some of these other theatres which do longer hours as to their understanding of the rules?
ChaCha

ddsherrer

  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 60
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: SMA
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Child Labor Laws
« Reply #8 on: Nov 07, 2008, 11:57 am »
Simply because I like learning this stuff...Are you sure your producers are asking you to abide by the correct laws?  Child labor laws are different from Child Actor Labor Laws in a BIG way.  Most states basically say that as long as your superintendent says you can work that long, then you can.  Every thing that I've research on actor labor laws says that in most states you can work a child actor as much as you like.  Which is scary when you think that they could be taken advantage of so you have to look to their parent's and school for more guidance.  The US Dept of Labor website states:

"In addition, the child labor rules do not apply to:

    * Youth employed as actors or performers in motion pictures, theatrical, radio, or television productions;
    * Youth engaged in the delivery of newspapers to consumers; and
    * Youth working at home in the making of wreaths composed of natural holly, pine, cedar, or other evergreens (including the harvesting of the evergreens)."

http://www.dol.gov/elaws/esa/flsa/cl/exemptions.asp

I work with child actors all the time but I have never really thought about it.  Even when I've done double or triple casts kids sometimes work 10 of 12s.  I hope this helps.  You can always contact someone in your state for guidance.

I hope this helps!
If all the world's a stage, where's my stage manager?

BalletPSM

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 226
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA
  • Current Gig: Stage Management Faculty at Baylor University
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Child Labor Laws
« Reply #9 on: Nov 08, 2008, 02:40 am »
Are they being paid?  This might have an effect as well.  If they are not being paid, aren't they just there as volunteers and no labor laws would apply?
Stage managing is getting to do everything your mom told you not to do - read in the dark, sit too close to the TV, and play with the light switches!

rvhead

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 13
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA
Re: Child Labor Laws
« Reply #10 on: Nov 08, 2008, 06:34 pm »
Yeah, they're being paid. (Pretty well for that age, I might add!)
So I solved it as best I could by staggering the kids' calls and calling the one understudy kid (she doesn't know the part yet, but she's super smart). So each kid is going to do a 6-hour day, and we'll be stuck with only one kid for the first couple and last couple hours of each day, which I think we can live with. We won't get a real clear picture of what the show is going to be, but we'll have bodies where we need bodies and none of the girls will go into final dress and previews being clueless about what's going on. The nice thing about these girls is they are becoming fast friends, and will help fill each other in on what happened while the other one was away. Thanks everyone for your input on this.

LCSM

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 249
  • Gender: Female
  • @LuciaCorak
    • View Profile
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Child Labor Laws
« Reply #11 on: Nov 18, 2008, 11:26 am »

    * Youth working at home in the making of wreaths composed of natural holly, pine, cedar, or other evergreens (including the harvesting of the evergreens)."


I wonder where this one came from!

MarcieA

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 371
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, AGMA, SMA
  • Current Gig: PSM, Lake George Dinner Theatre/Tri Cities Opera
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Child Labor Laws
« Reply #12 on: Nov 18, 2008, 11:46 am »

    * Youth working at home in the making of wreaths composed of natural holly, pine, cedar, or other evergreens (including the harvesting of the evergreens)."


I wonder where this one came from!

Clearly from the overly child-populated Christmas harvesting business...
Companions whom I loved and still love, tell them my song.

 

riotous