Joining Equity

[Christine MacLellan]

Hello folks.  I have been stage managing on a "amateur" basis (non-equity community theater, only pay being a stipend that amounts to beer and gas money) for several years.  I have recently been offered my first Equity contract, to go into effect in about 3 weeks (when my current show closes).  I am very excited and very nervous.  Years ago, straight out of college, I was a non-Equity PA in a LORT B theater, but my memories of those days are fuzzy. I have an idea of what kind of prep I have to do with the script before hand, but want to know what I will face on Day 1 of rehearsal. I will be working for a small professional dinner theater, and our show for the season (June - October) will be Greater Tuna.

[Scott]

I have recently been offered my first Equity contract, to go into effect in about 3 weeks (when my current show closes). 

My first advice would be to read carefully and familarize yourself the contract you'll be working under.

[Christine MacLellan]

I'll do that.  I looked it over at the Equity web site, but my producer is going to give me a hard copy as well. Thanks.

[VSM]

I work LORT B quite a lot and a typical Day One for me is as follows:

11:00am
AEA Business

11:15
Producer/Designers Meet & Greet

11:45
First ReadThrough

2:00
Lunch Provided

3:00
Producers/Designers Released
TableWork Begins

7:00
Rehearsal Ends

GREATER TUNA is a terrific show!
Get the best dressers you can and have a ball!

[Libby]

Don't forget the leg work going into the required AEA meeting.
Find out what votes you need to take (this will depend on what contract you are running under). The "usual" votes are: reducing the meal break from 1.5 hours to 1 hr and having the possibility to run a "straight 6" hour day without a meal break vs. the standard 8/8.5 hour day with a lunch break. There might also be others, archival video sometimes matters.

I second the above. read the contract/rule book carefully to find out what can be voted on and then talk to the theatre/director to see what they want/are planning. There is no point voting to do a straight 6 if the director wants an hour lunch break every day.

Also, make sure to get a sm packet and a deputy packet (usually from company management). If not you can download them from the AEA website. During the meeting you all will elect who the deputy will be, and then every AEA member in the company needs to sign the deputy form (in the sm packet) and then you mail it back to equity.

The other form that might need to be filled out is the First Rehearsal Questionnaire. This only needs to be filled out by anyone where this is their first equity contract, or if they have changed any information and they need to report it. The SM packet gives you one copy of this, so you might need to make photocopies. (I've seen meetings where most of the company fills it out, and then meetings where no one needed to.)

Hope that helps, and have tons of fun!

[Jessie_K]

I recommend voting for the option of a straight six.  Even the director does not plan to use a straight six, you never know when might become desirable for a given day/ week of rehearsal.  When a cast votes to allow straight sixes, it doesn't mean that they vote to ONLY to do straight sixes.

[MatthewShiner]

It sometimes helps to have the option of straight six for a particular actor.

One actor can have a straight six and then everyone else can work an 8 out of 10.

It just gives you more options - and options are want you want when you are trying to schedule at 10:00p.

[Christine MacLellan]

Thanks all.  I've been so busy with the first week of rehearsal I just had time to check for replies.  I've done most of the things suggested, so I guess I'm not too far off track.   My memories of my early theater career as a PA are coming back, and I've slipped back into the "professional" groove.  How nice it is to have PAs to do things for me (as opposed by the community theater I used to work at where I didn't have much back up, or being the PA myself) 

I didn't see anything about a straight six in the contract.  Is it possible that "straight sixes" are not an option in our contract?

[VSM]

Yes, it is definitely a possibility that straight sixes are not an option on the contract you are working.
What is the contract?

[shudson]

Do you know any of the other SMs that have worked at the theatre?  Buy them a coffee and pick their brains for info.