I'm so disillusioned with Actors' Equity, and I'm not sure what to do. I've been in New York for five years. I worked consistently from gig to gig as a nonunion actor (major national tours, Off-Broadway, readings, etc.), and I had opportunities to get my Equity card on several occasions. But I waited until what I believed was the right time: about two years ago, when I booked a great Off-Broadway show. I have not had an Equity contract since—two years! I've gotten super close (many callbacks), and the one major shot I had—a lead in a popular national tour—got shot down when the tour was forced to go nonunion, as so many major national tours are now.
I am seriously considering dropping the union just so I can work again, with the idea that eventually I will rejoin, being that my goal is to be a Broadway performer. I've talked with Equity about my concerns, and the answer I always get is that they can't force a producer to work with the union. I understand this, but in these economic times, I don't blame producers for hiring cheaper (nonunion) talent. There must be a way that Equity can make it easier for producers to hire union actors, while maintaining the integrity of the union. The numbers are against me, and no matter how good I am, I'm in a sea of hundreds trying out for that sometimes one Equity contract.
What good are pension and health care if you can't get a job? I've already been forced to get health care elsewhere—health care that's cheaper than if I were to get it through Equity. I think if you added all of Equity's benefits together and compared it with steady work as a nonunion actor, you'd still come out ahead in the nonunion column—with a great résumé to boot!
Some of my close colleagues tell me to keep working at it and eventually my talent will pull me through. Others curse the union under their breath and tell me to drop my card and work again. And some even suggest working under a different name, which I know is the biggest no-no of all.
Meanwhile, I'm auditioning, trying to make my own opportunities, and trying not to become bitter. I want so badly to believe that Equity is good and right for me and others. I went in with that notion, and I want to believe it's my ignorance that has made me so disillusioned. But I've worked for a number of non-Equity companies, all of which treated me wonderfully and paid me better than my union gigs!
It seems to me that Equity only benefits major Broadway performers, and I'm sick of it. Any suggestions?
—Disillusioned Actor
New York City
DEAR DISILLUSIONED:
I understand your disillusionment. Now that you're on the other side of the Equity fence, you can see why we union members have found it so disappointing to watch Broadway tours go non-Equity.
Not that long ago, such a thing was completely unheard of, and no producer would ever dream of presenting a Broadway tour (Broadway being the acknowledged source of unparalleled, state-of-the-art, top-notch theater) with a nonunion cast. Equity membership was an accepted signifier of professional achievement, and while the system of who got in and who didn't has never been perfect (what is in show business?), overall it wasn't a bad benchmark. Back then, aspiring actors worked their way up the ladder, just as people do in other professions. Once earned, a union card gave access to pro-level auditions. Producers knew they were hiring professionals, and audiences knew—in theory at least—that they were seeing the best of everything.
All that has changed. Unfortunately, you're in the thick of it. And in the regions, as you've discovered, Equity contracts aren't as plentiful as non-Equity contracts. So it's tough—as showbiz always is.
Some choose to blame the union. That's their prerogative. I believe that those who think conditions are terrible under Equity don't know their history well enough to realize how terrible conditions were before Equity. Besides access to auditions and potential access to health care, membership offers protections with regard to hours and working conditions, free workshops (I taught one recently), professional status, information, and support. And Equity is already succeeding in efforts to bring more tours under the union umbrella. I disagree with your opinion that Equity serves only those with Broadway credits. I have none, and Equity's been great for me. Clearly, your experience has been different.
But this is an advice column, so let's talk in practical rather than theoretical terms. Here's an interesting scientific fact: Bitching about Equity doesn't produce any actual benefit or result, other than providing a topic of conversation. So what can you do? Change the way the union operates? Make producers hire all-union casts? Unlikely. You could spend your life in those endeavors, at the expense of your career, as some actors do: They're those crazy people at auditions with the homemade pamphlets and conspiracy theories. Not much practical benefit in that.
Here is what's in your immediate control: remaining versus resigning. And that's a big decision. Think of how long it took to earn your card. Regardless of your current frustrations, having that card is an achievement. It's also an adjustment. Just as it took time to earn membership, it may take time to establish yourself at this new level. You've moved to the lower rungs of a more prestigious ladder. Still, you've already been offered a lead role in a national tour. That the tour went nonunion is certainly no reflection on you. In vying for a big Equity contract role, you succeeded. Sounds to me like you're already on your way. I believe you'll be better off in the long run if you keep your card.
But all that said, after friends, colleagues, and advice columnists have weighed in, it's ultimately you who must take charge of your career and your life. A discussion of how Equity ought to be run won't change your circumstances. You're telling me that being nonunion was better for you in every way, and you're not making much of a case for the other side. You have a dilemma, and a plan to fix it: You'll relinquish your membership now and hope to reinstate it later. So what stops you? Membership isn't for everyone. If you really believe that returning to your nonunion status is the best move, then make it, rather than bemoaning the state of things and feeling like a victim.