[NEohioPAL] Equity Members - Want to get something back from your dues?

[Cleveland Liaison Committee Actors Equity Association]

Join your fellow Northeast Ohio Equity members and enjoy FREE food, drinks, give-aways, stimulating conversation, and a chance to hear and be heard by the National Director of Actor's Equity.
The Cleveland Actors' Equity Annual Membership Meeting will be held on Monday, November 10th in the Brooks Theatre of the Cleveland Play House. This year's guest speakers include Richard Shavzin, who will share about his work with Chicago's Strawdog Theatre, an Equity theatre created by and committed to providing work for Chicago actors; and John P. Connolly, Executive Director of Actors' Equity Association. 

Registration begins at 6:30pm; please remember to bring your current AEA membership card.  
Equity Membership Candidates may also attend the open portion of the meeting.  The business portion, which will follow the speakers' presentations and Q&A, is not open to EMC's or to ineligible AEA members.
                                                           

Richard Shavzin is a veteran director, actor and casting director who has worked in Chicago since 1981. He was the Artistic Director of Strawdog Theatre Company from 1993-1998, and has received two Jeffs – in 1996 for Direction of Strawdog's production of Burn This, and a special Jeff in 1999. Also at Strawdog, Shavzin directed the world premiere production of Race, and the Jeff-nominated productions of Criminal Hearts, Cat's Paw, The Big Funk, A Mother, A Daughter and A Gun, Skeletons, and Hurlyburly, which won Jeffs for Ensemble, Best Actor, Supporting Actor and Supporting Actress. Recent credits include the world premiere musical Any Someone at All at The Second City Skybox, Vick's Boy at the American Theater Company, and Todd Logan's Tops or Bottoms and Persistence of Vision at Chicago Dramatists. Acting credits include the Royal Alexandra (Toronto), Northlight, National Jewish Theater, Victory Gardens, Organic, Madison Rep, Lifeline, Pegasus and
 Annoyance.

John P. Connolly has served as Executive Director of Actors' Equity since 2007. Mr. Connolly joined Equity directly from his position as National President of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA). Connolly directs the collective bargaining process for more than 30 national and regional contracts, oversees the Union's finances and supervises Equity's large professional staff. He works closely with the Equity Council, the Union's governing body, to implement national policies and build consensus and entertainment industry support on key issues. In addition, Mr. Connolly serves as spokesperson for Equity with media, labor, employers and government officials.

John Connolly, who joined Equity in 1973, has appeared in numerous stage, film and television productions during his 35 year career as an actor. Among his nearly 200 stage credits are the Broadway production of BIG RIVER, New York Shakespeare production of THE GOLEM, THE ICEMAN COMETH with Al Pacino, and A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT DREAM at the Walnut Street Theater in Philadelphia. Off Broadway, he played all 23 men in the life of THE ONLY WOMAN GENERAL starring Colleen Dewurst and played all the men and women in Shirley Knight's life as COLLETTE IN LOVE. He has guest starred in THE WEST WING, WITHOUT A TRACE, CROSSING JORDON and STAR TREK:TNG, among others. Connolly's film work includes leading roles in WHEN THE BOUGH BREAKS, INNOCENT VICTIMS and THE PLAGUE.

As a Union leader and activist, Mr. Connolly served as AFTRA President for six years before accepting the position at Equity. Among the many initiatives he launched during his terms are the creation the President' Strategy Cabinet to guide AFTRA's long -range planning and response to fundamental changes the industry and the Legislative and Public Affairs Committee, which focuses on public policy. Connolly has been a key negotiator in practically every film and television contract for actors in the entertainment industry over the last ten years. Prior to his presidency, he served as National First Vice-President and Vice President of AFTRA's New York local, among other positions and is a Trustee of the Union's Health and Retirement Funds. Connolly also served for five years on the National Board of the Screen Actors Guild and Equity's national negotiating committees.

He worked closely with US Senators Grassley and Kennedy and then- House Majority Leader Boehner, and their staffs, in the development of the 2006 pension reform and protection bills. Currently, Mr. Connolly serves on the General Board of the AFL-CIO; the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco: Council of Economic Advisors; the US Department of Labor's Advisory Committee on International Trade; and is Vice-Chair of the American Workers' Defense Committee, a non-partisan 501©4 fund to support pro-union legislation and referenda nationwide. He is also a frequent guest lecturer and has received several honors from the labor and entertainment communities.


      
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