Can they be Deputy?

[prizm]

Ok I am about to start rehersal on a show on the CORST contract and I have an intersting situation. The company has meet its AEA minimum but besides myself the AEA compant consists of one outside actor, the production manager, the company manager, the artistic director the bisnuess manager, the assistant TD, the costume designer... well you see where I am going with this. cna someone on the producing side of the show be Deputy? They are actors during rehearsal but still represent management. Or does the one outside actor have to be Deputy? This is about the oddest thing to walk into on ones first day of prep. well let me know if you have any words of wisdom

[smejs]

Easiest answer we can give is "Call Equity and ask".

Erin

[nmno]

I would GUESS that of the people you listed, the actor who is the costume designer would be the only person besides the outside actor who could possibly be considered.  The other folks all have a conflict of interest and represent the "producer" (most obvious by the "director" or "manager" in their title).  But yes, check with Equity - and do follow up and let us know how they direct you. 

[MatthewShiner]

Well,it should be an actor.

If there is only one equity actor, then the choice is easy.

I have served as deputy once as an ASM and once as a SM - both timeswith the blessing of Equity.

[Scott]

Ok I am about to start rehersal on a show on the CORST contract and AEA compant consists of one outside actor, the production manager, the company manager, the artistic director the bisnuess manager, the assistant TD, the costume designer...

Just to clarify -- all those people are signed as Equity actors and are wearing "another hat" on the production as well?

[VSM]

PLEASE call Equity and ask their advice. It is a very interesting "cast of characters" that you are walking into and I think if Equity doesn't know of this unique situation, they most definitely should.
They will also be able to advise you correctly, given the circumstances.

[prizm]

well just to finalize things there ended up being two actors that were not on the prodution team and one walked into the meeting saying " I want to go to bed so Ill be deputy" So decision made. The company was also able to shift between AEA and Management easily and cause me no issues there. So it all worked out for the best. There were other issues that arose and let me tell you having them there made things a lot easier when it came to talking to the few people who wernt involved in the production. They usually got to it before me as i still had rehearsal and they took care of it during a break. So the field was "softer" when I got there.

[SM_Art]

It's sort of a moot point in this case, isn't it???  The Deputy is supposed to be someone the company can go to to report problems or abuses from within the company, who can deal with the AEA offices anonymously without fear of repercussion from management.  With most of your acting company BEING management, it's not an issue - management will know who the deputy is, and they'll know firsthand what (and who) the problems are... so electing someone as deputy in this case is a formality.

This is, obviously, not the typical situation, and can lead to some very interesting, and perhaps sticky, moments... but I would think the only ones who could NOT serve as deputy would be any who are signatories on the contracts... but what difference will it make in the long run?

Art