Blog Stage - Acting in Film, TV, Theatre - Backstage

Act III: Comedy, Tragedy, or 'Nashville'?

Now that AFTRA appears to have a deal, it would seem that we have reached the top of the third act of Hollywood's latest epic, The Year of Living Laboriously. Act I comprised the writers' strike and its resolution; Act II had the SAG-AFTRA meltdown and AFTRA getting a deal on its own; the SAG negotiations should provide the climax.

So far, however, this has been no tidy Aristotelian drama, but rather a sprawling Altman film, with the static of overlapping chatter more informative than the actual words being spoken. Nevertheless, a few things are starting to come into focus.

* SAG would seem to be hemmed in on the new-media front by the four major deals struck so far: the DGA and WGA agreements, as well as AFTRA's Net Code and prime-time pacts. The patterns have been firmly set: a doubling, more or less, on residuals paid for downloads; residuals for online streaming of TV shows; jurisdiction in certain work created directly for new media; and absolutely no increase whatsoever on DVD residuals. Expect nothing radically different in SAG's new-media gains.

However, according to entertainment attorney Jonathan Handel, SAG could achieve a breakthrough on product integration. He indicated that SAG has very real concerns--actors participating in a show with advertising worked into a script could be limited in their ability to get endorsement work for competing products (he cited the famous Coke/Pepsi example); and (all together now) in the age of TiVo, companies are turning to product placement/integration as a new revenue source, and it's understandable actors want a piece of the action.

He also said a small gain for SAG in product integration would be a way for the union's leadership to secure a political victory, and he indicated the AMPTP might not be averse to letting them have one--much the same way the writers got a little extra in their new-media deal after going on strike for three months. (As opposed to the DGA, which settled fairly quickly and easily and provided the framework for the existing new-media models, the writers got a little extra in certain new-media terms in the third year of its deal.) It's not clear, though, that the producers would be overly concerned with throwing SAG a bone.

* There seems to be a subtle move toward splintering actors away from the union, at least in some areas. On the clips-consent issue, AFTRA and the AMPTP agreed that from July 1 onward, performers must negotiate their own deals at the time they are hired. This essentially means most actors will have to sacrifice their consent--though with certain safeguards in place--or not take the job. Without any blanket union protection on this issue, actors' status as independent contractors will be reinforced yet again. The same could happen with the force majeure issue, which, THR's Leslie Simmons writes, the studios want to alter. (Force majeure is a clause in a lot of contracts that allows producers to terminate deals due to matters beyond their control, such as strikes and earthquakes.) As the rules currently exist, studios have the right to terminate deals but they have to negotiate compensation with the unions. Producers now want the compensation issue to be negotiated on a performer-by-performer basis, which would seem to put most actors into another take-it-or-leave-it position.

Holter Graham, president of AFTRA's New York local, told Strike Watch earlier this week on the consent-clip issue that "there are already about four take-it-or-leave-its in every contract," and that adding another one was no big deal. If the studios get progress on force majeure, would that bring the total up to six?

Then again, the amount of money in the clips business is, if anything, negligible, and no one knows the future value of it. Force majeure is an issue that rarely affects actors, and if workaday performers lose its protection, will they even notice? Seriously, how big a deal is it? (Those are not necessarily rhetorical questions. Feel free to comment and disabuse Strike Watch of its blase attitude.) Also, AFTRA secured hefty pay increases in traditional media--about 3.5 percent per year for the next three years--and it's in those areas where blanket union protection is most effective, because that's where the real money is. For now, anyway.

* Chances are there won't be a strike. Dave McNary writes in today's Variety that SAG has yet to seek a strike authorization vote; that securing the necessary 75 percent won't be easy; and that even though the writers received more than 90 percent on their authorization vote, it took them 18 days to complete the process. With SAG's TV/film contract expiring June 30, officials would need to start right now just to have an answer before the deadline. It's hard to imagine SAG scheduling such a vote, the outcome of which would be revealed when talks are at their most intense. It seems the union stands to lose much more than it would gain.

You have just read the rough outline of Back Stage's next News Analysis. For further details, pick up the June 5 issue. To provide information, comment below or contact [email protected].

--Andrew Salomon

Cosby Sweaters To Be Auctioned

Still looking for the perfect Father's Day gift idea? Cosby Show fans, rejoice! A lucky few can have their own authentic "Cosby sweaters" soon.

The AP reports that when he was cleaning out his closet recently, comedian Bill Cosby apparently found a few of the iconic multi-colored sweaters he wore as Dr. Cliff Huxtable on the long-running NBC sitcom. Cosby's daughter Evin is auctioning three of the sweaters on ebay to raise money for the Hello Friend/Ennis William Cosby Foundation, a charity named after Cosby's son, who was murdered in 1997.

The auction is scheduled for June 2-12, with minimum bids set at $5,000. That might be a high price to add an ironic statement to your wardrobe, but "the price of what some of these sweaters might sell for could make a big difference in the lives of thousands of children," said Evin Cosby.

-- Daniel Lehman

Rest Up for Blessed Unrest Gala

Blessed Unrest, a non-profit, experimental theatre company, will hold a gala and fundraising event to celebrate its international collaboration with Teatri Oda, of the newly independent Kosova, on May 31, 7:30-10:30 p.m., at The Interart Theatre, 500 W. 52nd St., just west of 10th Avenue. The evening includes hors d'oeuvres, a full open bar, live music and entertainment, dancing, live and silent auctions featuring dinners, private yoga instruction, guitar lessons, rare wines, gym memberships, and theatre tickets. Proceeds go to the the creation of an original bilingual (English and Albanian) play based on the legend of Doruntine to be staged in October. Advance tickets (purchased by May 28) are $30 or two for $50; tickets purchased after May 28 or at the door are $40. For more information, call (212) 631-8789 or visit www.blessedunrest.org.

Your Big Break

Final Draft's Big Break Screenplay Contest is accepting submissions from promising screenwriters until June 1. The top three screenwriters are honored at a Hollywood event with special guests, including past honorees and speakers such as Oliver Stone, Sydney Pollack, and Syd Field. The three winners also attend the CineStory Screenwriting Retreat, where industry mentors work one-on-one with scripts and help move writers' projects to the next level. The first place winner will select two industry mentors with whom to work for the next year. First place comes with a cash prize of $15,000; second place receives $4,000 and third place $2,000. Finalists win $500, the chance to have the script read by top industry companies; a Gotham Writers' Workshop class, free admission to any one Take A Meeting event in 2009, among other prizes. For more information, visit www.finaldraft.com/events-and-services/big-break/.

Broadway Buzz

Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Sir Thomas More, the family of Nelson Mandela, and Bruce Lee -- or at least theatrical versions of these real-life figures -- are all headed for Broadway. Gates, Jobs, and various people in the computer field will be portrayed in Nerds, a new musical set to open this fall. Telsey + Company is casting Equity principals May 30, 30 and June 1. (See the casting notice in this week's issue.) Frank Langella will return to Broadway as More in Robert Bolt's A Man for All Seasons in a Roundabout Theatre Company revival at the American Airlines Theatre, with performance beginning Sept. 12 for an Oct. 7 opening. A new, as-yet-untitled musical based on the life of Zindzi Mandela, daughter or Nelson and Winnie Mandela, is planned for 2010. The creative team is to be announced. Bruce Lee: Journey to the West follows the martial arts legend's brief life and career and will feature music and lyrics by David Yazbek (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) and book by David Henry Hwang (Yellow Face). Bartlett Sher (South Pacific) will direct. The target opening is the 2010-11 season.

Of Mice and...the Met

The AP reports today that "on-stage villains aren't the only vermin at the Metropolitan Opera this season." The theatre at New York's Lincoln Center has been cited for sanitary violations by the city's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

The department found "evidence of mice or live mice present in facility's food and/or nonfood areas" during an inspection in April, according to reports on the department's Web site. But the Met was not issued a notice of violation from the department, because the inspection still found fewer overall violations than the average for New York City restaurants.

Read the full story, including a few other juicy health code violations at the opera house, here.

-- Daniel Lehman

The Day After AFTRA

In a quick survey of what other publications are saying about AFTRA's tentative deal with the producers, some important issues and questions were raised.

* In the Los Angeles Times, reporters Richard Verrier and Claudia Eller write, "Although AFTRA's accord falls short of satisfying some of SAG's key demands, it could still help the larger union craft a deal that would avoid a strike this summer."

What key demands weren't satisfied? The AP indicates, for one, product placement. SAG had stated before its negotiations began April 15 that it wanted some say and some revenue from PP, which studios and advertisers are using more frequently in the age of DVRs and video-on-demand.

* The L.A. Times also had an editorial praising the deal but fretted over the possibility that there could be a strike (remote, but still a possibility): "...A chill is already descending on the industry. Producers have been reluctant to start projects that could be interrupted by a strike."

Will there be a strike? Two sources (who tilt toward the pro-AFTRA, not-so-pro-SAG side of the equation) downplayed the idea to Strike Watch. One source who has consulted for several of the entertainment unions said negotiations would continue past the June 30 deadline into July but there would not be a strike, something Variety hinted at in its report: "Despite the tough talk, SAG hasn't taken the step of scheduling a strike authorization vote, which would require 75% approval among those voting -- and would, of course, ignite passions on both sides."

* Nikki "I've Learned Therefore I Am" Finke, in a shockingly self-referential passage, declared this bit of intelligence so last month and lambasted Variety for being so totally lame and out of it, I fear she won't ever let Dave McNary sit next to her in the cafeteria again.

* Meanwhile, attorney/industry blogger Jonathan Handel told The Hollywood Reporter that because studios aren't greenlighting any films until SAG strikes a deal, a de facto lockout could be in place after June 30.

What will a de facto lockout/strike mean for actors? The guess of Strike Watch, and it's only a guess, is that it will hurt actors in film but not in TV. Because the AFTRA deal will probably be in place by then, SAG won't want to shut down production while AFTRA-covered shows are up and running. The guild, however, would have no choice but to wait until their contract is done before movie work continues.

However, Handel has now debunked that theory. (Yes, Strike Watch is never above mining the same sources as other publications--some call it thievery, we [like the French] call it "homage.") He believes the studios may lock out SAG from TV as well: "They wouldn't want to give SAG that kind of leverage, where TV shows are up and running and then they could walk out on strike."

Yeesh.

--Andrew Salomon

P.S. The picture is of a supposed French man I got on the Web. It is not Jonathan Handel. I suppose I could have looked harder for a Maurice Chevalier--as this guy is as French as Chef Boyardee is Italian--but, alas, deadlines loom.

L.A. Auditions at a Glance

Culled from the hundreds of casting and job notices listed daily on BackStage.com, below are this week's audition highlights for the West Coast, organized by the day the auditions are being held.

To find the full details for each of these projects -- including the audition times, locations, requirements, and alternate submission methods -- simply locate the project using the BackStage.com Casting & Jobs Search Engine, and then open the notice to view all of the info.

When searching, try any of the following: (1) Run a search for all the categories and countries you're interested in, and then sort the results based upon the date of the auditions by clicking on the triangular arrows found near the top of the "Audition Dates" column on every page of the search results; (2) Try an "exact phrase" Keyword search using one of the project titles/casting notice headlines listed below (hint: put the project title, audition headline, production company, or casting director name in "quotation marks" to get the best results); (3)  try an "exact phrase" Keyword searches using dates such as Nov. 28, Dec. 5, and so on, to discover other opportunities that have audition dates, performance dates, and deadlines for the date you specify. See the Casting FAQ for additional search hints.

LOS ANGELES AREA AUDITIONS

Wed., May 28
'Funeral Flirt' (Union/Nonunion Film)
'Minsky's ' Singers (Union Chorus Calls)
Ice House, Wednesday Open Mic (Comedy & Improv)
AZ, ATC 2008-09 Season (Outside CA - Union Stage)

Thurs., May 29
Untitled Major Motion Picture (Union/Nonunion Film)
'Minsky's,' Dancers (Union Chorus Calls)

Fri., May 30
'Peter and the Starcatchers' Workshop (Union/Nonunion Musicals)
Maly's Redken Beauty Fashion/Hair Show (Modeling)
IL & TX, 'Jingles' (Outside CA - Reality TV & Documentary)

Sat., May 31
'Luann' (Nonunion Musicals)
NM, 'Rabbit Hole' (Outside CA - Nonunion Stage)

Sun., June 1
There are no auditions scheduled on this date.

Mon., June 2
'Forty Carats' (Nonunion Stage)
'Let's Go to the Movies' (Nonunion Musicals)
BRT 2008-09 Season (NoCal - Union/Nonunion Stage)
MN, PT 2008-09 Season (Outside CA - Union/Nonunion Stage)

Tues., June 3
'Best of Broadway' (Nonunion Musicals)
'The Laugh Factory, Tuesday Open Mic (Comedy & Improv)
NV, 'Jersey Boys' (Outside CA - Union Musicals)
CO, 'Fiddler on the Roof' (Outside CA - Nonunion Stage)

Wed., June 4
NV, 'Jersey Boys,' Dancers (Outside CA - Union Chorus Calls)
NV, 'Jersey Boys,' Singers (Outside CA - Union Chorus Calls)

Thurs., June 5
'Jersey Boys' (Union Musicals)

Fri., June 6
'Jersey Boys,' Dancers (Union Chorus Calls)
'Jersey Boys,' Singers (Union Chorus Calls)
'Radio City Christmas Spectacular' (Union/Nonunion Musicals)
Santa & Mrs. Claus for Christmas Shows (Union/Nonunion Musicals)
WA, Beauty/Fashion Hair Shows (Outside CA - Modeling)

Sat., June 7
'Jingles' (Reality TV & Documentary)
'Guys and Dolls' (Nonunion Musicals)
WA, SFI, 'Alone In a Crowd' (Outiside CA - Student Films)

Sun, June 8
There are no auditions scheduled on this date.

Mon., June 9
STC 2008-09 Season (Union/Nonunion Stage)
'Robin Hood' (Nonunion Stage)
'Sordid Lives' (Nonunion Stage)
'The Seven Deadly Sins' (Nonunion Stage)
WA, 'Macbeth' (Outside CA - Nonunion Stage)

Tues., June 10
'All Shook Up' (Nonunion Musicals)

Fine Print: Equity's Programs for New Performers

What is Equity's outreach program?

Under the guidance of Tom Miller, director of outreach and career development, Actors' Equity Association provides workshops and seminars at many universities and some high schools to educate students on the realities of a life in the professional theatre. The events include one-on-one discussions about photos, agents, the optimum time to join a union, and other business questions the students may have. Miller will often invite representatives of the Screen Actors Guild or the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists to join him. Through this program, Equity's education and outreach department "seeks to advance, promote, and foster respect for theatrical and labor issues," according to the union's website. Equity also offers printed material and provides educators with counseling so they can better prepare their students for the business. Schools interested in scheduling a seminar should call (212) 869-8530, ext. 424. 

What is the Equity Membership Candidate Program?

During a contract negotiation with the League of Resident Theatres in the late 1970s, Equity established an important precedent whereby non-Equity actors and stage managers can receive credit toward joining Equity for every week they work at a participating theatre. After 50 weeks of work (which needn't be consecutive), you are eligible to join the union. This is the Equity Membership Candidate Program, and it currently has approximately 10,000 enrollees. To participate, you must secure a qualifying position at an Equity theatre that offers the program, fill out a registration form supplied by the theatre, and pay Equity a $100 nonrefundable fee (which will be credited toward your Equity initiation fee, currently $1,100, when you join the union). As a perk, Equity liaisons around the country annually set up events at which EMC candidates can share their work experiences and hear advice from local professional actors. After accruing 50 workweeks, you have five years to join Equity, during which time you cannot work nonunion at an Equity theatre. If the five-year period expires, you lose your accumulated weeks and forfeit your $100 fee.

Must I participate in EMC before joining Equity?

No. If a producer offers you an Equity contract, you may join immediately. However, if you are offered an EMC position and you are already a member of SAG, AFTRA, the American Guild of Musical Artists, the American Guild of Variety Artists, or the Guild of Italian American Actors, you have the option of either joining Equity or completing a reduced 25 weeks of work in the EMC program. Again, there is paperwork and a fee, and a professional résumé must be included with your application.

Do all Equity theatres and contracts provide EMC credit?

No. To find out if an employer participates in the program, you must check with the theatre and also with Equity (either call the nearest Equity office or go to www.actorsequity.org and click on "EMCs" in the Membership menu for a list of participating theatres). To find out whether a contract offers creditable workweeks, go to Equity's website and look up the contract in the Document Library. For instance, only Equity members can perform in or stage-manage a show under the Production Contract; there is no EMC credit available. 

Who keeps track of the workweeks I've accumulated?

Reports are submitted to Equity by the theatre, and the union tracks your weeks. But you should keep tabs on your employer and make sure your weekly performance schedule is being submitted. Performers must always keep personal records of their work. This applies to hours on a set or in a recording session and weeks at an EMC theatre. If there is a difference of opinion between you and the theatre, you must have written proof to substantiate your claim. Once you're enrolled in the EMC program, you must also keep your contact information current with Equity's membership department. 
What is the Roger Sturtevant Award?

Established in 2005, the Roger Sturtevant Award is a $1,000 prize given to EMCs for exceptional talent in musical theatre. It was named for the late casting director known for helping talented newcomers. Two winners, one male and one female, are chosen every year. Applications must be submitted to Equity between Jan. 1 and March 15 and must include an audition videotape or DVD of a song or songs and two letters of recommendation. See www.actorsequity.org for further details.

What educational opportunities does Equity provide its members?

Many Equity branches offer panel discussions -- with franchised agents, for instance. Some run workshops with professional teachers so that members can brush up their audition skills. Arguably Equity's best educational effort is its website, www.actorsequity.org, where one can search Equity casting calls and read union bulletins.

--Armin Shimerman

'Rogue' Behavior

To the editor:

I am so upset with Lauren Horwitch's article ["What Actors Really Want," May 15], which supposes that 20 people chosen by her are somehow indicative of how a combined 200,000 members of the Screen Actors Guild and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists think. Please. It portrays the AFTRA board as "rogues" and SAG as somehow the victim. It excludes a lot of the background on what has happened in the past year, most notably the damning letter from Doug Allen in Screen Actor magazine, which attacked erroneously the way AFTRA organizes work in basic cable.

The select few that were interviewed bought into that attack article lock, stock, and barrel. Since then, AFTRA has been defending itself effectively, yet you seem not to have read Kim Roberts Hedgpeth's article in AFTRA magazine that explains why we do what we do and the errors that were in the Doug Allen letter.

You don't even choose to mention that the decision to break off the Phase One agreement was based on a near-unanimous national board decision after we had arrived in Hollywood and had reason to believe that SAG tried to steal away one of our shows [the daytime drama The Bold and the Beautiful]. The Back Stage article comes across to me as biased, unfair, and reliant on people's opinions that are uninformed.

I remind you that AFTRA did not start this conflict. The last two merger attempts were voted up by AFTRA and turned down by SAG. The New York branch of SAG has sided with AFTRA in this battle, though they too have been sidelined by this Membership First group in Hollywood that is trying to disenfranchise AFTRA so that we will go away.

This fight is costing members thousands, maybe millions, of dollars, and you write an article that throws more fuel on the fire.

-- Mitchell McGuire
AEA-AFTRA-SAG

Mitchell McGuire is a member of the board of AFTRA's New York local and a contributor to Back Stage's Fine Print column.

Lauren Horwitch responds: Thanks for your letter, Mitch. The survey I conducted for that article was informal and wasn't presented as comprehensive or scientific. Here's how it worked: I sent an email to about 50 actors -- specifically, working actors with whom I've never discussed the unions. I did not know their union affiliations, but I did know that none of them serve on the boards of SAG or AFTRA.

In my email, I asked: What do you want the unions to achieve in these negotiations? Would you vote to give SAG strike authorization? Will the outcome of the talks affect you? Does the whole thing bore you?

I asked the actors to forward the email to their friends and colleagues. I also posted the questions on actor websites, message boards, and online groups. Therefore, I cannot calculate how many actors read the questions. By my deadline, I had received 20 responses. Each of the respondents gave his or her permission to be quoted in the article.

Obviously, the comments I received do not necessarily represent the views of all actors, but the majority of the respondents criticized AFTRA for leaving Phase One, and some also criticized SAG for being too aggressive with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers. Perhaps most telling, all the actors said they do not want to go through another strike if it can be avoided.

We cover the performers' unions in numerous articles both in Back Stage's print edition and on our website. Detailing the many events that led to AFTRA's exiting Phase One and the current state of the negotiations would have taken too much room in this article in which I wanted to focus on actors' opinions. Check out articles and blogs concerning the unions on our site.

Lauren Horwitch is the news editor of Back Stage West.