Saturday, January 9, 2016

Keeping the Theatre in the Past


Below is my current letter to the Powers that Be at Actors Equity asking them to let artists be artists. We should not have to beg and grovel for basic rights, but we have...  Several other groups have worked on this same project longer than we have, and though they've gotten no progress, they hold out on the hopes that it's still "Under review." The union that was to protects us now represses its poorest and largest number of people.

NO Public Theatre, NO Manhattan Theatre Club, NO Roundabout, NO Playwrights Horizon, etc, etc, etc, can ever grow in this current environment- and I'm scared that may be intentional.  This isn't about ReGroup, we'll go on somehow. It's about the theatre as a whole - the organism that supports us all. Who is tending IT? If we don't keep it as strong as can be, everyone will be jobless. 
This ALL is much larger than ALL of us.

THE SHOWCASE CODE IS 34 YEARS OUT OF DATE!!
(It's older than most of our members!)


To The Equity Powers That Be:

The Showcase price, set in 1982, if ONLY adjusted for typical inflation (not even 'crazy, overpriced NY/ loss of tons of theatres' inflation) should now be $37. Fact.  

It’s $18.  - Less even than a NYC movie ticket. Fact.


Of the 1,049 NY producing companies listed on AEA’s site, the Showcase is the most listed code. Fact.

So why doesn’t it receive any attention? If it is to be of real purpose, it must keep up with the times. I’ve said this for too many years, and I’ve offered so many olive branches to help – it’s time to demand change. You're likely sick of hearing from me, so if no one is willing to make a change, I need to know to turn in my Equity card now and only cast non-union. (A dozen eggs cost 87 cents in 1982.) I DO NOT WANT TO DO THAT!

(Now instead of doing a Showcase, you pay $40 for a 2 minute 'audition' with a casting director at an acting 'school.' While all AEA and SAG-AFTRA bemoan this change and say they wish they could change it, the neutering of the Showcase has surely lead to this type of 'legal' pay to audition situation.

Our company (The ReGroup) members, the ½ whom are AEA, WILLINGLY volunteer their time to our cause as they gain a lot of benefits from it and we believe we are doing something priceless. History, in such a short time, has been on our side. Our artists may not get paid much, but our members get written about in numerous books, and with our March show, they have the chance to be listed as the first NY Cast of a lost Inge play – a truly PRICELESS accolade - but unless Equity can make some concessions to bring the code from the 1980’s, there’s no way we can work with these dedicated, volunteer company members. We will be forced to go non-union.


I met with former President Wyman who was shocked by the above statement about the code frozen in 1982 (postage stamps were 20 cents)  – and said he’d look into changing it. During the election cycle last summer, I was fortunate enough to interview all 3 great Presidential candidates and speak to them extensively about the matter. They all showed concern for such a neglected code (one that doesn't even take in the invention of the internet - because it wasn't invented in 1982!) President Shindle was very receptive to my pleas to at least make it current, if not reinventing entirely.

ReGroup has had a traumatically, successful 5 years. With the current limitations, there’s no way a company can rise up as the Public Theatre, MTC, Roundabout, or Playwrights when we  are forced to start at a budget of zero or less every time.  Just because we are a non-profit – like a school, nursing home, or library, we can’t keep asking to burn people’s money. We are here to serve our community, and the current code does not allow us to do that.  (Bread was 60 cents a loaf when the code was set.) As a non-profit, we deserve the right to grow stronger and better – and Equity is preventing us from this.  No one is ever going to get rich by producing a Showcase- I’d doubt anyone has ever broken even. As AEA has these financial details, if I am incorrect, please share the statistics that prove me wrong.


I am proud to be a member of Equity – and if I didn’t care so damned much – we would have just gone non-union from the start. Our mentors, the Group Theatre, had a similarly contentious relationship with Equity, but were always able to work out agreements to keep the work at the forefront.  The plays we do are so pro-union, it would be embarrassing for everyone if we had to do them non-union – but right now, we have no choice.  The code is just slightly younger than me, and we can’t wait any longer for it to change to the times. We can't stick 75 cents in the turnstile and expect to ride the subway - as actors did in 1982.


ALL WE WANT IS A BETTER THEATRE. WE TAKE GOLDEN CARE OF OUR MEMBERS AND WE ARE ALL COMMITTED TO THE ART OF CARRYING THEATRE HISTORY FORWARD – NOT AS A DUSTY RELIC BUT AS A PULSING PIECE OF LIFE.


WE ARE WILLING TO BE GUINEA PIGS, OR WHATEVER IT TAKES.  NO ONE IS LOOKING TO MAKE MONEY HERE, WE JUST WANT TO MAKE GROUNDBREAKING THEATRE AND HAVE THE CHANCE TO CONTINUE.

Allie Mulholland
Accidental Rebel With A Cause
Founder: TheReGroup

Actors are too scared to petition fearing union retribution. (Some trust in their supporters!) What can you do? Email as a patron demanding this 1/3 of a century code be updated!
President Kate Shindle - president@actorsequity.org
Head of Showcase Dept, Toni Stanton - tstanton@actorsequity.org

Councilman, Larry Cahn -larrycahn@gmail.com