Author Topic: AEA ASM?  (Read 17972 times)

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Beatr79

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Re: AEA ASM?
« Reply #15 on: Apr 27, 2011, 01:05 am »
There are some theatres in this country - and I won't mention by name - but they have a staff member be the SM of record, often the Box Office Manager, and they have a non-AEA person really stage manage the show.  These type of theaters completely devalue the role of stage management.

This is not a hypothetical situation, I've seen it, on big musical productions, specifically in regard to the role of Equity ASM.  I won't name names, either, but I'm curious if this situation is the sort of thing that could/should be brought to union's attention, or in fact having someone - anyone - signed to both an SM and ASM Equity contract is enough to be a-OK with Equity.  In principal, it's infuriating, and feels like it MUST be illegal, but I somehow don't think it is.

What about giving this info to Equity after the fact?  If you've already been put in this bad spot, a PSM stuck with a ghost-ASM, the likelihood of Equity being able to "fix" the problem (aka - replace the ASM or make the ghost-ASM actually *gasp* do their job) is unlikely. 

So I recommend waiting to putting that call into Equity until after the show is over.  Then call your rep and give a post-mordem of sorts.  That way Equity has a record of complaint / concern without overtly jeopardizing your position with a company.  You don't know how many other problems or complaints Equity has fielded about your company.  Maybe this is one of many.  In my experience, the companies that cut corners usually cut more than just one.

I think it is our obligation as the members "in the trenches" to provide the Union with knowledge of the conditions under which we work.  To make the reps aware of the theatres that employ this practice is to empower our union to make things better in the future.  Maybe the language of the contract can be tweeked at the next negotiation to close this loophole?  Or maybe Equity won't be so quick to grant a concession to an "offending" company? 



MatthewShiner

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Re: AEA ASM?
« Reply #16 on: Apr 27, 2011, 09:46 am »
The reality of the situation is that even if you slip a note to Equity after the fact, many people still live in fear of the producer reverse engineering who blew the whistle.  And all the way to top in NYC, people are afraid to be labeled as “that guy” (or “that gal”) who complains or rocks the boat for fear of NOT being hired.  In a market where there are literary hundreds of stage managers in NYC, there is actually a stronger fear of being labeled as such (especially when there are such high paying jobs on the line) – this is part of what fuels the no-paying/low-paying job mentality in NYC.  And we can say what we want that the union will protect us, but I am not sure in a job market like ours, where hiring is SO subjective, that anyone could keep someone from being blackballed.

People don’t want to rock the boat.

The reality of the situation is the AEA is actually very open to making compromises ahead of the time – especially for small theatres – it’s just a matter or open and frank conversations, and going through the Letter of Agreement process.  It’s just about being open to the union, and I fear many producers will always see the union as “the evil” villain, and won’t have such a candid conversation.  But, I have to say, when I was in a staff position, every reasonable compromise that producer went to the union about was granted, with some conversation.  (The key being “reasonable”, there was some unreasonable requests.)
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Maribeth

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Re: AEA ASM?
« Reply #17 on: Apr 27, 2011, 02:00 pm »
But the problem with all of that language is the word "OR."  The Stage Manager OR the Assistant Stage Manager.

I've always interpreted that to mean that the SM or the ASM must always be present in rehearsal- meaning that there could not be a rehearsal with no stage manager of any kind present. So the SM could step out to speak with the production manager, or the ASM could go make photocopies for a few minutes- as long as the other was in the room. I've never interpreted this rule to mean that you had to have two people on contract, but only one had to attend rehearsals and performances.

Does that mean that although Equity requires an AEA ASM on musicals and with casts over 10, that the ASM really doesn't have to attend rehearsals or do any stage management work, as long as the Stage Manager does? 

I don't think that's true. In my opinion, the word "or" in this case means that it has to be one or the other in the room at any given point in time- not always both, but never neither. Having an AEA ASM in name only is, in my opinion, a violation of the contract.

Having the word "or" also allows for a split rehearsal- the SM in one room working on a scene with the director, and the ASM in another room with the choreographer/fight choreographer/etc.

juliz1106

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Re: AEA ASM?
« Reply #18 on: Sep 01, 2011, 03:48 pm »
I apologize in advance.  It seems I can't stop harping on the subject of ASM abuses.

But this past weekend I saw a show, at a large theatre that produces big musicals year-round.  It was a terrific show, with a large cast of almost 30 (half of which were Equity) complicated scene changes, and what looked like a challenging (fun) show to call.  As I was perusing the program, I noticed on the title page the listing of the Stage Manager, and EMC Assistant Stage Manager/Production Assistant.  No listing on that page or anywhere else for the Equity ASM, which I assumed would be required on this type of show.  Now, the Equity ASM may have been an Actor in the show, and just not billed in the program as such.  The EMC ASM/PA's bio indicated that this was her very first job, and that she was still in college.

I am simultaneously thrilled for the college student for her chance to work on such a challenging show, and  frustrated by the obvious abuse of the need for an Equity ASM.  After the fact, I double checked the rulebook, and it does allow for "an ASM who may act or understudy," but only "whenever the ASM’s performance duties do not reduce the ASM’s ability to effectively perform Stage Managerial functions." I am unsure how that would not be an issue in a show of this complexity and size.  From my perspective, the reason we got the provision(s) to require Equity ASM's on big musicals was to utilize the experience of qualified stage managers on complex productions, not to simply give actors a chance to make a bit more money each week by moving scenery.

This is the third large professional theatre I've encountered, each which produce nothing but musicals, operate under different contracts that all require an Equity ASM, and which work around that requirement some way or another.

Am I really alone in being appalled by producers' continued abuses of our needs for qualified Equity ASM's?  And our union's continued acceptance of these abuses?  Aren't we supposed to be doing this in the best interest of our membership?  How is it in the best interest of our membership to ask an Actor to do 2 jobs (act and ASM), instead of give one job to someone who is qualified (and also looking for work)?

I'm not under contract at any of these theatres, I'm just a union member watching this happen.  Do I have a right to say anything to Equity about this sort of thing, as I'm clearly not a member of a "company?"

<end of rant.>

BayAreaSM

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Re: AEA ASM?
« Reply #19 on: Sep 01, 2011, 05:57 pm »
Juliz1106: Just playing devil's advocate here....do you know what contract that company was under, since you said you reviewed the rulebook? Every contract has different rules regarding ASMs and the requirement thereof. Some contracts even state that the 1st ASM cannot act or understudy. For example:
(B) Assistant Stage Managers.
    (1) An Assistant Stage Manager is the individual who is assigned to assist the
    Stage Manager(s) on a specific production or productions. An Assistant Stage
    Manager may not be assigned the primary responsibility for a production. No
    Actor already under contract may be assigned as Assistant Stage Manager in the
    same production. The first Assistant Stage Manager may not act.
That excerpt is taken from the LORT - you said you reviewed the rules, and yours stated that the ASM may act/understudy. It all depends on the type of contract they are working under and what waivers/exemptions may have been worked out with their AEA business rep.

While I do agree with your feelings that what is best for large scale musicals (and it seems as though you're referring to a chorus musical) is to have an AEA ASM, some theaters have to work out agreements with AEA in order to employ as many AEA members as they can afford. The agreements made between a company and AEA, I think, are just the business of that company and AEA. If it was a major issue or concern, the SM on the show could contact AEA and ask about the waivers given on the production. I don't know if this would happen or not, but if you called, as a concerned member of AEA, you may not be given any information - because it's not your show/company. Or maybe you would, I can't say.

Personally, when I have not understood something regarding a show I was hired for, and the only response I could get from management was "AEA said it was OK" - I pick up my phone and call the Rep. Since I am on contract for the show and I must be prepared for any questions my Deputy or cast may have about a whacky schedule, the Rep is more than happy to provide me with the terms that were agreed upon. While there may be other shows by the same company going on at the same time as mine and I think their schedule is screwy - it's up to the SM on that show to find out what was agreed to. And, who knows, he may have already contacted AEA, or he may have been given a better response and more info from management. I'm not trying to say "keep your nose out of other people's business" but I am saying "each production has it's own set of rules, riders and agreements" - which you may not be privy to.

If you feel this passionate about it, I recommend contacting your area Liaison with your concerns so that it can be brought up to your region's Stage Manager Committee, and potentially brought up in contract negotiations when the time arises. The best way to make change is to be proactive.
« Last Edit: Sep 01, 2011, 05:59 pm by BayAreaSM »

loebtmc

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Re: AEA ASM?
« Reply #20 on: Sep 01, 2011, 07:37 pm »
backing this up - because ASMs are the first thing requested to be concessioned by producers most of the time.

1) all AEA SMs on this site, please GET INVOLVED in the union. You can now be on the phone regardless of where you are, even if you are not in an office or liaison city (per the summer AEA newsletter). Be a part of the discussion! We need to weigh in when we think additional union ASMs need to be required based on the complexity or size of a given show.

2) Document these and let your SM committee chair know abt it - we all want to see more ASMs working (for all our sakes). This means both more work for all of us and a better understanding of what the heck we do and why our work has value.

Anyone with specific concerns, feel free to PM me with any thoughts, and with specifics you may not want to post (eg show, theater, producer) you want to make sure get heard - I am on a national subcommittee working on some of these issues and would love to have the support from y'all to continue to prove the need to deny concessions and/or request additional help where it is important to a shows safety. Plus, having help means we don't double our day doing pre and post show stuff!


juliz1106

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Re: AEA ASM?
« Reply #21 on: Sep 01, 2011, 08:17 pm »
BayAreaSM: You're right, I am passionate about this.  And sadly, I don't seem to be eloquent enough on this issue to make my point very clear.  I am on the AEA Stage Management Committee in my area, and I intend to bring this subject up the next chance I get.  We have given too many concessions over the years which allow for theatres to get away with this, and it has to stop.
 
Part of the problem I'm seeing is that these theatres are not LORT, nor SPT, nor Production, nor any other big conglomeration of producers that work together with Equity to create meaningful negotiations.  Two of the companies that I've mentioned have their very own agreement with AEA - both of which I have read extensively and quoted - have plenty of money (they're both commercial), and yet they've each managed to individually negotiate away a rule that I personally think is very important, and instead give a huge responsibility to actors, only during performances, which I have seen (and not only from the audience), actively impair a production.

Let me give some background as to why this irks me so.  I began my career working almost exclusively in smaller non-profit theatres, who did nothing but dramas/comedies/non-musicals.  I rarely worked shows with a large enough cast to necessitate an ASM of any kind, never mind an Equity one.  So I ran lights and sound and set up all the props and mended costumes and whatnot, over and over again, for many years.  I loved that work, and still do, but I rarely had the chance to do a musical (or large-scale production) that would allow me to work with an ASM and use that clause in so many contracts.  And as a result, I haven't worked with an Equity ASM.  Ever.  And I haven't worked with even a qualified PA or non-Equity ASM since I first moved to this city, 8 or 9 years ago.  I've run the shows entirely on my own.

In the last few years I've begun working in the musical theatres in my area, as an SM or as run crew.  I've finally found myself in the land of large-scaled productions that warrant and could afford that Equity ASM - or even a nonEq PA who is eager to learn (I was that girl once, too!).  And yet, though I had worked in the contracts that have this provision for qualified SM assistance all these years, I again find myself without any assistance whatsoever.  Especially in rehearsals.  No PA.  No Equity ASM. No ASM of any kind (except, you know, in name only, or the Actor who is asked to move scenery during performance weeks and is given an extra weekly stipend, but doesn't otherwise assist me in any way).

I have had very few opportunities to be an ASM in my area, especially once I turned Equity.  I thought all these years that the field was too competitive - that there were too many qualified SM's and too few contracts to fill.  I mean, there are only so many places that do musical theatre in my area - and they all seem to have their AEA ASM's pretty well booked, because I never see those jobs posted.  Little did I know that they didn't post those jobs because there was actually no one doing them.

I have no qualms with smaller theatres negotiating for concessions because of hardships.  But this required AEA ASM provision always seemed a hallmark of our union's ability to negotiate in the interest of SM's.  And to see it ignored/abused so rampantly in the community that required this provision in the first place (musicals with large casts or a chorus) is beyond a shock to me.  To see Equity going along with it and negotiating away the aspects of the provision that support the stage manager, but only with individual producers, not with the larger grouping of producers like LORT, is frankly insulting.

And I disagree that an agreement with Equity and an individual producer is none of my business.  I am Equity, too.  Our union is its membership.  And as stage managers we should speak loudly so that our needs are heard, because, as so many have mentioned, we are not the majority of the union.  I'd bet that these contracts had this ASM provision gradually eroded away because there was no SM speaking out that an ASM was needed.  I know I can't be the only one who is seeing this systematic shift to allow producers concessions to eliminate AEA ASM's whenever possible.  Shows benefit from good stage management, and SM's need the work, too.

loebtmc

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Re: AEA ASM?
« Reply #22 on: Sep 01, 2011, 09:51 pm »
juliz, may I print this out and bring to our next meeting?

And - HEAR HEAR!!! On the one hand, great for young SMs to have on-the-job training and opportunity. On the other hand, working SMs want, need and deserve jobs too, and because all of us have done the "everything" thing, a good ASM is deeply appreciated and very much needed. I for one would like to see ASMs everywhere, but at the very least on all shows that are over a specific number, complex, new, have large groups of kids, or for any other reason an SM would need help in rehearsal and performance (like a company I work w who often rehearse off-site so props etc need to be packed/unpacked daily). Over time, I have learned that we work harder and do more people's jobs at smaller theaters, and having an ASM in those venues would do a great deal to improve morale as well as solve/assist with specifics of the show.

I have a few other pet areas needing change. For example, among the things I am passionate abt: all SMs deserve a tech week bump regardless of contract. Also, if we say a show is more complex than originally stated and we need help (ie another ASM), our union shd take that to the producer and makes sure we get that help.

Let's use this opportunity to really unite and make our needs known in a pleasanly constructive but firmly determined way!



MatthewShiner

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Re: AEA ASM?
« Reply #23 on: Sep 02, 2011, 12:05 am »
and just because an AEA ASM is not listed does not mean there is not one on contract . . . there are many reasons why an ASM could be left off on a program.
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juliz1106

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Re: AEA ASM?
« Reply #24 on: Sep 02, 2011, 09:59 am »
In this case I'm certain there wasn't a dedicated AEA ASM on this show - I went to the show to see actor friends of mine, and they made that very clear to me.  Also, there is a billing clause in AEA rulebooks that applies to all Equity members, not just actors appearing onstage.  Producers have the responsibility to list all members of the union in the program, and if I am not billed correctly, I will call the producers out on it.  While in this case I wouldn't surprised if an Actor/ASM was only billed as their acting role (because, that is their primary responsibility, let's not kid ourselves), I would be even more appalled if there were a stand-alone AEA ASM that was not billed in the program nor given a bio, while the EMC ASM was billed on the title page and given a bio.

MatthewShiner

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Re: AEA ASM?
« Reply #25 on: Sep 02, 2011, 02:18 pm »
You can opt out of being listed in the program as ASM; I have done so on two occasions.

One I was an ASM of record on a rep, but doing do work on the second show, and thought it silly, and had my name removed.

The second, I was brought in at the last minute as a second ASM, and didn't want attention drawn to me as an ASM.

Did so with AEA's and the theater's blessing - it's was my call.
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