This is a big question, and the key to answering it is to do your homework on Equity and figure out if it’s a good match with your personal goals. Here are some specifies to consider:
-Earning points is only one way to join Equity. The other is just to find a theater that wants to hire you on an Equity contract, sign that contract, pay a deposit toward your initiation fee, and you are “in”. So this isn’t necessarily a long term project.
-A big benefit of Equity is that it sets minimum salaries, limits weekly & daily work hours, and requires breaks and days off at regular, set, intervals. But not all Equity jobs are created equal. Requirements can vary wildly by the specific type of Agreement your theater is operating under. You can find out how much or how little an agreement pays on the Equity website, actorsequity.org. Follow the links to Document Library, then click on Agreements, and you’ll see a long list of them. On most of these agreements, look for the Salary listing in the Table of Contents and you can see a chart detailing pay and hours.
-If you’re joining Equity for the Benefits, be sure to read the fine print. How much health care, if any, you can qualify for is dependent on how many weeks you work, and then you’ll still have to pay quarterly premiums. Many contracts don’t have 401Ks. You might qualify for a pension from Equity, but it’s again based on how much you earn.
-Having an Equity card is no guarantee that you’ll get Equity work. Look around your area at how many theaters are Equity, and what Agreement they use. The pay difference may not be as great as you think. If there aren’t many Equity theaters, it could be tough to find a job.
If being a Stage Manager on an Equity show is a priority, maybe take that leap of faith, which a career in theater has always been, a little farther and join the union. If not, make sure the numbers really do add up.
