[NEohioPAL]Re: Rent Review / Actors Equity

Thu Feb 9 08:31:13 PST 2006

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Well, I'm very proud of my union status, even if I can't get work right  now. 
I wouldn't give it up for anything. 

I joined Equity becuause I wanted to be part of a group that watches out  for 
actors rights. To make sure its members aren't mistreated, and get what they  
deserve. Now this doesn't mean that all Equity actors are good actors or have 
 professional attitudes. It's sad, but its true, I don't deny it. There are a 
lot  of theatres that will give anyone their equity card if they do the work. 

In my opinion New York (excluding Broadway) has equal opportunities for  
Equity and Non Equity actors. More than half of the national tours are  
non-equity. Out of the supposed 100,000 actors in nyc, I'd say 80,000 are just  bad bad 
actors, or at least unmotivated ones. The 20,000  good ones (or  ones with 
potential) can't get work because all the other actors flooding  the auditions. 
It's kind of like a big American Idol.

And non-equity can auditon for Broadway. My old roommate had 7 callbacks  for 
a leading role in the upcoming Tarzan, and 4 callbacks for Rent.

As for my community theatre statement, I just tried to use it to make a  
point, and didn't do such a great job, but to clarify: Aren't the equity actors  
who live in a community members of that same community? Or does their  status 
of "equity" make them "foreigners" in their community? Where do you  cut off 
excluding people from a community because of a group they're in?

Basically Equity gets us a little bit higher pay scale, and health  insurance 
if we can get 20 weeks of work a year. My main point, and I didn't get  it 
out clearly last night when I wrote my letter, is that Cleveland used to be a  
hotspot for theatre, while using both equity and non-equity actors; but now the 
 equity stuff is dying out. It's like a school cutting fuding for the arts, 
our  theatres are having to cut funding for equity to keep their theatres  
running.

If anyone wants to continue this discussion, lets move it to the  Yahoo 
group. And I'm not sure how to get to the yahoo group, if anyone can  let me know, 
I'd appreciate it. :-)

Adam Kern  

Adam  Kern
AEA
_www.adam-kern.com_ (http://www.adam-kern.com/) 

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<DIV>Well, I'm very proud of my union status, even if I can't get work right=
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now. I wouldn't give it up for anything. </DIV>
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<DIV>I joined Equity becuause I wanted to be part of a group that watches ou=
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for actors rights. To make sure its members aren't mistreated, and get what=20=
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deserve. Now this doesn't mean that all Equity actors are good actors or hav=
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professional attitudes. It's sad, but its true, I don't deny it. There are a=
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of theatres that will give anyone their equity card if they do the work. </D=
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<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>In my opinion New York (excluding Broadway) has equal opportunities for=
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Equity and Non Equity actors. More than half of the national tours are=20
non-equity. Out of the supposed 100,000 actors in nyc, I'd say 80,000 are ju=
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bad bad actors, or at least unmotivated ones. The 20,000  good ones (or=
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ones with potential) can't get work because all the other actors floodi=
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the auditions. It's kind of like a big American Idol.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>And non-equity can auditon for Broadway. My old roommate had 7 callback=
s=20
for a leading role in the upcoming Tarzan, and 4 callbacks for Rent.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>As for my community theatre statement, I just tried to use it to make a=
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point, and didn't do such a great job, but to clarify: Aren't the equity act=
ors=20
who live in a community members of that same community? Or does their=20
status of "equity" make them "foreigners" in their community? Where do=20=
you=20
cut off excluding people from a community because of a group they're in?</DI=
V>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Basically Equity gets us a little bit higher pay scale, and health=20
insurance if we can get 20 weeks of work a year. My main point, and I didn't=
 get=20
it out clearly last night when I wrote my letter, is that Cleveland used to=20=
be a=20
hotspot for theatre, while using both equity and non-equity actors; but now=20=
the=20
equity stuff is dying out. It's like a school cutting fuding for the arts, o=
ur=20
theatres are having to cut funding for equity to keep their theatres=20
running.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><U>If anyone wants to continue this discussion</U>, <U>lets move it to=20=
the=20
Yahoo group.</U> And I'm not sure how to get to the yahoo group, if anyone c=
an=20
let me know, I'd appreciate it. :-)</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Adam Kern=20
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT lang=3D0 face=3DArial size=3D2 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" PTSIZE=3D"10"=
><B>Adam=20
Kern<BR>AEA<BR><A=20
href=3D"http://www.adam-kern.com/">www.adam-kern.com</A></B></FONT></DIV></D=
IV></FONT></BODY></HTML>

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