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Messages - VSM

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286
The Hardline / New Executive Director of AEA
« on: Oct 14, 2010, 01:29 pm »
Actors' Equity Association has announced the selection of Mary McColl as Executive Director, effective January, 2011. Ms. McColl succeeds Acting Executive Director Carol Waaser, who retires in 2011 after 26 years with the Union.

In her new role, Ms. McColl will oversee the collective bargaining process for more than 30 national and regional contracts and supervise Equity's nationally based professional staff. She will work closely with Equity's Council, the Union's governing body, to develop and implement national policy, establish goals and work with the staff to carry out Equity's strategic plan. She will be the Union's representative and lead spokesperson with the media, labor, bargaining partners and government officials.

"As Equity approaches its centennial, we are pleased to have Mary join the Equity team as Executive Director," said Nick Wyman, President of Actors' Equity Association. "She is a woman of strength and compassion, whose visionary style, balanced with longtime practical experience with various arts organizations, makes her the ideal person to guide Equity into its next 100 years. A proven leader, she is a respected member of both the New York and Minneapolis-St. Paul theatrical communities."

Ms. McColl joins Equity from her position as the Executive Director of the Cowles Center for Dance and the Performing Arts in Minneapolis. In that role she oversaw the renaming of the organization and the creation of a new branding and identity campaign as well as initiated improvements to the new theater's production spaces and finalized design details for the theater and the lobby. Prior to that position, Ms. McColl was the Director of Labor Relations for The Broadway League. She has been the Vice President of Operations for the Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra and began her career at the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, where she held several positions including a five year stint as the Vice President and General Manager.

"I am delighted and humbled to be offered the opportunity to be the Executive Director of Actors' Equity," said Ms. McColl. "This is an exciting time for Equity, and its very talented creative membership, as the Union embarks on its next 100 years. It's also an important moment in the industry as the business and economics of theater continue to change and I look forward to working on behalf of Equity with its many bargaining partners nationwide to ensure the stability and growth of our industry."

Actors' Equity Association represents more than 49,000 Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions, providing a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans. Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions. Actors' Equity Association will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2013.


287
The Hardline / Re: Several LORT contract questions
« on: Oct 01, 2010, 05:10 pm »
1. Where did the "A" category come from and go to?  Why can't a theatre move into or out of that category?  (My guess has been that the "A" theatres at some point needed to be limited in number, since they are Tony-eligible)

From a "Somewhat Informed Source at Equity"...
The limitation on A Theatres has nothing to do with limiting the number or Tony eligibility (in fact several A Theatres are not in NY and therefore not Tony eligible). The restriction came about purely through negotiations between Equity and LORT. The A Category has the highest salary and requires all participants to be on an Equity contract among other things. Although I have not been involved long enough to give all of the history between the parties, the B+ category was created as a compromise of sorts and I believe that with the evolution of that category the A category was frozen. Sorry I do not have a more definitive answer.

2. In rule #11 "Broadway District", I'm assuming that the thing that will be governed by Production Contract is the show that is originated in or moved to a house in the Broadway district, not that the entire LORT theatre producing that show must switch over to the production contract (thereby leaving the LORT contract).  Right?
Assuming the LORT theatre is outside the Broadway District and bringing a production into that area but still maintains it primary LORT Theatre outside of the area then that is correct. Only the production in the Broadway District would be under production terms; the rest of their operation would remain LORT. If the LORT Theatre was attempting to establish a permanent space in the Broadway District then the parties would need negotiate an agreement in good faith.

3. A question that I once called the business rep about but didn't really wait for a very thorough answer:  If I'm being paid over scale, I've been told that I can't bill overtime until my OT for the week exceeds the difference between contract minimum and my over scale rate (i.e. if I'm being paid $1200 a week and minimum is $1000 a week, I'd have to go into more than $200 (or more than 7 hours) worth of OT before I'm actually paid extra for it).  The business rep told me that that is true.  In the AGMA contract I've been working recently this is basically spelled out (though restricts what extra payments fit into this rule) but I haven't read it in the LORT contract anywhere.  Is this some sort of standardized thing in AEA or all entertainment or all employment in the US?  At the time that I asked the biz rep about this, I was working on the RMTA contract.
Working under a contract you negotiated at over scale does not automatically fold in any over time. The questioner was under an RMTA contract and I assume it was at a theatre in the west. That RMTA theatre had a very specific rider to the Stage Managers contract that indicated that the individual would receive x dollars over minimum each week as payment toward up to y hours of overtime. The amount was paid whether overtime occurred or not. Unless such a rider, which is not that common, was within an individual rider to a contract overtime payment is due whether someone is at a contractual salary above minimum or not.

4. Finally, not a rule question, but when did SMs become part of AEA?  Have they been since the beginning?  It sure is hard to find information on the history of the job of stage manager!
It appears that the historical records are not easily arranged to answer this question with 100% certainty. Best I can tell at the moment is the Stage Managers first committee meeting was in 1942, but there is reason to believe that Stage Managers were probably involved or under contract prior to that.

Hope this helps!

288
Yep, keep going.
Jump to the appropriate cue as written when the board is ready.

289
Tools of the Trade / Re: Stinky Booth
« on: Sep 04, 2010, 03:41 pm »
Amen to that.
"Nature's Miracle" is indeed just that!
Saturation is the key...

290
Interesting...
IF asked, I tell the truth.
Kindly. Constructively. But the truth...

If not asked, I agree with Matthew and always find something positive to say.

291
Tools of the Trade / Re: iPhone Woes
« on: Aug 29, 2010, 02:09 am »
s@cks = sUcks !!!
Not happy about it at all...

292
I'm looking for an e-script version of SMOKEY JOE'S CAFE.
Anybody?
Please reply to vernonwillet@yahoo.com

Thanks in advance...

293
Tools of the Trade / iPhone Woes
« on: Aug 28, 2010, 06:08 pm »
I've got an iPhone 3G.
I accepted the most recent upgrade to 4.2 and it s@cks!
Any news from anyone out there as to whether or not we are stuck with this "advancement?"

294
Employment / Re: When is it OK to work for free?
« on: Aug 15, 2010, 03:18 am »
I for one cannot wait to hear your tune after a year or so...

295
The Hardline / Re: SETA and Tier contracts meeting
« on: Aug 07, 2010, 03:48 am »
EXCELLENT meeting today.
A lot of great information was passed along.
I've been doing this for awhile and I learned a lot.
Here's to many more of the same...

296
The Green Room / Re: "Seasoned" - yikes
« on: Aug 05, 2010, 03:28 am »
I SO agree with "spicy and flavorful" ...

297
The Hardline / AnyTHING from AnyBODY ?
« on: Jul 12, 2010, 01:51 am »
Been awfully quiet here of late...

Post Merge: Jul 13, 2010, 03:00 am
I guess it's a little redundant to answer my own post...?

298
The Green Room / Re: Tony Awards
« on: Jun 21, 2010, 02:28 am »
"King and Queen..."
Do we need to alert our Prospective Others?
It is definately my pleasure to be associated in this fashion...

299
The Green Room / Re: Tony Awards
« on: Jun 16, 2010, 02:18 am »
And that is what makes RuthNY the "Queen of Talent !!!"

300
The Hardline / Re: LORT: Seasonal Contract
« on: Jun 16, 2010, 02:15 am »
Looking forward to at least a few of those stories, Matthew...

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