So, a bit of an odd question here, and I've done some scanning around the boards to see if there are any similar topics already broached, but as I have not seen one...
I work as a freelance non-AEA stage manager, and while I will potentially have the opportunity to join AGMA later this year (which, to my understanding, is a far easier union to work with, given that they are far less restrictive than AEA), I have no desire to join AEA for some time, as I enjoy the non-AEA work that I am doing, and on advice of several SMs I have consulted with, would like to continue to build my experience and resume before limiting myself to union work.
However, I've recently encountered an interesting proposition that I've been weighing, and would like to get additional input.
In my freelance work, I have had the chance to work on several productions in an IATSE house, and on the most recent, spent a good deal of time with one particular crew member who was my prop manager. Towards the end of our (extremely fast) production, he gave me his business card and informed me that, should I be interested, I should get in touch with him along with my resume, and he would help me join the Local.
For the most part, this seems like an excellent idea. My freelance work is, thus far, fairly inconsistent, and while I make a decent pay for the productions I am employed in, it would be nice to have a second job where I also have the opportunity for benefits, etc. I enjoy doing stage work outside of stage management, and for a variety of reasons, feel that it may benefit me to do some theatrical work outside of the rehearsal room and prompt book (so to speak) - a chance to continue broadening my skill set chief among them.I like the majority of the venues that the Local serves, having worked in several now through my freelancing, and the variety of work seems challenging in the best ways possible. So, all in all, it is something I am highly interested in.
My biggest concern, at this point, would be making certain that if I were to join the Local, it would not in some way prevent me from continuing to do my freelance work, as it is something I deeply enjoy. And while many of my commitments currently have been very short term (1-2 weeks), I am starting to make connections that have helped me get longer term contracts (thus far, only 1 month, but hey, that's 200-400% longer in some cases!) and I would not want to essentially limit myself from taking those jobs.
I've tried to do some research into the particular rules for my Local, but have not been able to find many answers online, and while I certainly will ask my contact, I thought it would be good to touch base with some people here and see what others might have to say. Is it useful, as a stage manager, to have an IATSE card? Has anyone done primarily IATSE work and balanced stage management alongside, or is that just me being a bit crazy? I would love to get some additional insight before getting in touch with him, ideally later this week, so that I know if I should be sending him a resume or asking pertinent questions first!