Author Topic: Student Stage Managers Challenge #11: Equity in Detail  (Read 4063 times)

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PSMKay

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Student SM Challenges present puzzles for our members who are taking classes to become stage managers.  They are open-ended situations with no absolutely correct answers.

As a reminder to our pro SMs out there: The Student Challenges are primarily for students.  While they may be fun to think about, let's leave this to the students and novices for at least the first week! Thanks!

OK, this time around we're going to try something that works for everyone.  However, it will be considerably more challenging for our more experienced SMs by default.  Your mission: find something new that you've never known about an AEA agreement, and share it with us.  There are oodles of different agreements.  AEA has different rules and regs for many different types of performance environments, from individual tours of specific shows to Broadway to dinner theatre.

Pay a visit to the document library on the Actors Equity website and pick an agreement that is of most interest to you.  For the pros, pick an agreement that you've never worked on before.  Use whatever is up there - even if it is in draft form.  Don't rely on what you know from experience - actually read the rule as it currently stands.

You can find the library of agreements here: http://www.actorsequity.org/library/library.asp?cat=3

You don't have to read the whole thing.  Just thumb through until you find something interesting.  Tell us a) which rulebook you're reading, b) the rule you found, and then c) talk to us about it a little bit.  Discuss why you think the particular rule was implemented, or how it might have affect a show you have worked on in the past if the show had been performed under the agreement in question.

Debate away, but to jump into this debate, everyone needs to pick a different rule.  ;D
« Last Edit: Aug 22, 2010, 05:51 pm by PSMKay »

BLee

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Re: Student Stage Managers Challenge #11: Equity in Detail
« Reply #1 on: Aug 21, 2010, 03:17 am »
I for one did not know that there are regulations to the act of blacklisting an equity member.

8. BLACKLISTING.
The Producer and Equity pledge themselves to prevent blacklisting in the theatre. Opposition to blacklisting is not a controversial issue between the Producer and Equity.
(A)Blacklisting for the purposes of this Rule shall mean the submission by the Producer, directly or indirectly, to individual or group pressure, and/or the use of private lists,
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published or unpublished, of persons not to be employed in theatrical productions for reasons having no direct relation to their theatrical ability.
(B)To that end, Equity and the Producer shall jointly investigate and deal with all complaints of blacklisting in the theatre, and take any and all lawful means to correct, remedy, and actively resist each and every instance of blacklisting, as and when it arises.


Found in section 8 of the ANTC Agreement (Association of Non-Profit Theatre Companies).

I found this interesting primarily because of the history of blacklisting in theatre and the entertainment industry during the Red Scare and also due to how many times in academic theatre students are warned that you could get yourself blacklisted if you behave unprofessionally. Granted, they most likely don't mean "blacklisted" in the technical meaning of the term, but I would bet many newer equity members don't realize there is a protection against the practice.

When I was involved in unpaid community theatre a situation occurred where a performer was blacklisted and not informed. It was a misunderstanding that took almost two years to correct because at first no director/board member told them about the ban on casting them. I find this equity clause to be a great protection against situations like this (although it would be harder to identify blacklisting in the large equity market, I would imagine).
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