[NEohioPAL] reprint of "Code of Ethics for Theatre"

[FSternfeld at aol.com]

Hi folks,
 
Some subscribers got this as an attachment that they couldn't  open.  It is 
reprinted below in the body of the  message.
 
It was originally sent to me by AEA actor Leslie Feagan and I  thought it was 
worth forwarding to the whole list. 
 
Thanks Leslie!
 
Fred
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Good Old Days? 
A 1945 Code of Ethics for Theatre Workers  Surfaces 
Equity member Kathleen Freeman died of lung cancer in August, 2001 while  she 
was appearing on Broadway in her Tony-nominated role of Jeanette in The Full  
Monty.   Equity Councillor Jane A. Johnston, a  longtime friend, was 
executrix for Ms. Freeman’s estate.  Among Ms. Freeman’s papers she discovered  a 
yellowed document containing A Code of Ethics for Theatre Workers. Ms. Freeman 
was a daughter of a small time  vaudevillian team and it was her childhood 
experience of touring with her  parents from which this Code of Ethics sprung, Ms. 
Johnston writes.  She also notes:   “What is particularly interesting about  
this list of dos and don’ts for the theatre is that it was written in 1945 when 
 Kathleen was establishing one of the first small theatres in Los Angeles and 
she  was 24 years old.  I wish I had been  told some of ‘the rules’ when I 
was a young actress instead of having to pick  them up as I went along.”     
The theatre was the Circle Players, and among its backers was Charlie  
Chaplin.   That group  subsequently evolved into the Players’ Ring.  Although there 
is no record that either  company used an Equity contract (they certainly 
pre-dated the 99-Seat Code in  Los Angeles), nevertheless,  Ms.  Johnston confirms 
that all the participants were professionals.    
Foreword to  the Code 
“A part of the great tradition of the theatre is the code of ethics which  
belong to every worker in the theatre.  This code is not a superstition, nor a 
dogma, nor a ritual which is  enforced by tribunals; it is an attitude toward 
your vocation, your fellow  workers, your audiences and yourself.  It is a kind 
of self-discipline which does not rob you of your invaluable  individualism. 
“Those of you who have been in show business know the full connotation of  
these precepts.  Those of you who  are new to show business will soon learn.  
The Circle Players, since its founding in 1945, has always striven to  stand for 
the finest in theatre, and it will continue to do so.  Therefore, it is with 
the sincere  purpose of continued dedication to the great traditions of the 
theatre that  these items are here presented.” The “rules” follow: 
1.  I shall never miss a  performance. 
2.  I shall play every  performance with energy, enthusiasm and to the best 
of my ability regardless of  size of audience, personal illness, bad weather, 
accident, or even death in my  family. 
3.  I shall forego all social  activities which interfere with rehearsals or 
any other scheduled work at the  theatre, and I shall always be on time. 
4.  I shall never make a  curtain late by my failure to be ready on time. 
5.  I shall never miss an  entrance. 
6.  I shall never leave the  theatre building or the stage area until I have 
completed my performance, unless  I am specifically excused by the stage 
manager; curtain calls are a part of the  show. 
7.  I shall not let the  comments of friends, relatives or critics change any 
phase of my work without  proper consultation; I shall not change lines, 
business, lights, properties,  settings or costumes or any phase of the production 
without consultation with  and permission of my director or producer or their 
agents, and I shall inform  all people concerned. 
8.  I shall forego the  gratification of my ego for the demands of the play. 
9.  I shall remember my  business is to create illusion; therefore, I shall 
not break the illusion by  appearing in costume and makeup off-stage or outside 
the theatre. 
10.  I shall accept my  director’s and producer’s advice and counsel in the 
spirit in which it is given,  for they can see the production as a whole and 
my work from the front.   
11.  I shall never “put on an  act” while viewing other artists’ work as a 
member of an audience, nor shall I  make caustic criticism from jealousy or for 
the sake of being smart. 
12.  I shall respect the play  and the playwright and, remembering that “a 
work of art is not a work of art  until it is finished,” I shall not condemn a 
play while it is in  rehearsal. 
13.  I shall not spread rumor  or gossip which is malicious and tends to 
reflect discredit on my show, the  theatre, or any personnel connected with them—
either to people inside or outside  the group. 
14.  Since I respect the  theatre in which I work, I shall do my best to keep 
it looking clean, orderly  and attractive regardless of whether I am 
specifically assigned to such work or  not. 
15.  I shall handle stage  properties and costumes with care for I know they 
are part of the tools of my  trade and are a vital part of the physical 
production. 
16.  I shall follow rules of  courtesy, deportment and common decency 
applicable in all walks of life (and  especially in a business in close contact with 
the public) when I am in the  theatre, and I shall observe the rules and 
regulations of any specific theatre  where I work. 
17.  I shall never lose my  enthusiasm for theatre because of 
disappointments. 
In addition, the document continued: 
“I understand that membership in the Circle Theatre entitles me to the  
privilege of working, when I am so assigned, in any of the phases of a  production, 
including:  props,  lights, sound, construction, house management, box 
office, publicity and stage  managing—as well as acting.  I  realize it is possible 
I may not be cast in a part for many months, but I will  not allow this to 
dampen my enthusiasm or desire to work, since I realize  without my willingness 
to do all other phases of theatre work, there would be no  theatre for me to 
act in.” 
All members of the Circle Theatre were required to sign this  document.  And 
they must  have—because the theatre, and the group into which it evolved, was 
successful  for many years.   




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