The Equality of Being Equity
The pandemic really threw a curveball at the actor’s and stage manager’s union, Actors Equity Association, or “Equity” for short. The union relies partly on working dues to pay its staff, so when no or little theatrical production was happening, they really took it on the chin, and had to lay off employees, etc.
This week I tried to keep this in mind as I finalized 4th Wall’s annual agreement with the union. I’m a member of the union, in good standing, and I always put “proud member of Actors Equity” at the bottom of my biographies, but when I do my job as artistic director and producer, that relationship becomes adversarial. The union wants me to provide more union contracts, and truly, I want to, too, but there is always a monetary limit. And we argue about it every year. And this year, it has taken a long time to get through this because, as I mentioned above, they’re short-handed. It’s been really frustrating.
Why bring this up? Because dealing with the union as an Equity theater, which 4th Wall has been since 2019, is a lot of work. They need to see our budgets, our financial statements, information about the plays we’re planning to produce, safety information (including our Covid policy), our harassment policy, and on and on. And once all that’s done, this negotiation that I mentioned earlier starts. And then, and only then, once it’s all final, can we start negotiating with the actors that we want to do plays with us.
We’re proud to offer these actors and stage managers contracts that pay above the mandated minimum, and to provide contributions to their pension plans and health insurance plans. For 4th Wall, none of those items are negotiable, except the salary, and we’ve always paid above minimum. And we do this because it’s in line with our mission and because we believe it’s the path to a better theater community in Houston.
We don’t get much recognition for this. The press certainly seems to make no distinction when they review plays at the Alley (another Equity theater) or some of our community theaters (who obviously aren’t.) I doubt the press even knows which theaters in town are Equity theaters (there are six) and which aren’t. I’m not sure whether our patrons know it or not – well, now you DO! All three of you who read this new blog o’ mine: you are IN THE KNOW!
In Chicago they have an awards ceremony – the Joseph Jefferson Awards – that is divided by size of budget. This at least acknowledges that a production at a theater like A.D. Players, whose annual budget is, last I checked, around $4 million, should be held to different standards than 4th Wall, whose annual budget this season is projected at about $700,000. Should a similar distinction be made between the theaters who do the work to be Equity theaters and those that don’t? I think it should, but that’s in that perfect world that I dream about, and not, for now, in Houston. It’s on my mind, that’s all.
On a bittersweet note, I’d like to say publicly that Tim Richey, 4th Wall’s first ever managing director, is a friend and great guy, and did a fantastic job of leading 4th Wall through the pandemic. He left 4th Wall last month and has returned to being strictly a fundraiser, now for the Houston Symphony. So after you donate and buy tickets to 4th Wall, give Tim a call over there at Jones Hall. We wish him well, and remember his presence, as well as his work, with great fondness.
Until next time,
Philip
