Lookingglass Theatre, theChicago-based troupefounded in 1988 by a

group of young graduates ofNorthwestern University(including David Schwimmer ofTV’s Friends) has received the2011 Tony Award ® for RegionalTheatre given to a professionalregional theatre company forartistic achievement and

contributions to theatre’s growthnationally. Lookingglass is thefifth Chicago theatre to receivethis prestigious award. Othersare the Goodman, Steppenwolf,Victory Gardens and ChicagoShakespeare Theater.Lookingglass creates new

works through its gglassworksprogram, stages worldpremieres on the LookingglassMainstage, and reaches out to adiverse and underservedcommunity through its educationand community programsdepartment.To date, Lookingglass has

produced 53 world premieresand has received more than 40Jefferson awards and citations.“The Central Regional Board

and the membership-at-largeare proud to once again havethe Regional Tony Award ®presented to a Chicago-basedcompany,” said Central RegionalDirector Kathryn V. Lamkey.“Lookingglass has long been aprized jewel in the crown of theChicago theatre scene. Nowthe rest of the nation and theworld have the opportunity torecognize their compelling work.We are pleased to have workedwith them since their early yearsand it is gratifying to see themtake their place as one of thecornerstone theatres utilizingthe Chicago Area TheatreAgreement.”

The AFL-CIO hasextended its “We AreOne” campaign, which

was launched in support of thepublic sector workers inWisconsin. The campaign willhave events throughout themonth of August, culminating inLabor Day Parades and otheractivities around the country.The events, rallies and paradeswill be handled through theState AFL-CIOs, individualunions and various City LaborCouncils.The Pennsylvania House

Appropriations Committee haspassed an amendment to thebudget that, if enacted, will

include a 70% reduction to thegranting budget of thePennsylvania Council on theArts (PCA). The PCA helpsstimulate the state’s creativeeconomy through several keyfunding programs, andcommunity based grants.Governor Corbett has asked forlevel funding for the PCA.Activity around Marriage

Equality is heating up in theState of NewYork, with a pushto pass a law in favor ofMarriage Equality as early asJune. Governor Cuomo hasindicated he’d like this bill to beput forward. Spearheaded byEmpire Pride, there are various

activities (including lobbying,television advertisements andpetitions) in place. There will bea rally but the date and thespecifics have yet to bedetermined.

Thanks to a uniquepartnership betweenAlliance for Inclusion in

the Arts and G-PASS, 1.1million NewYorkers and 56million Americans withdisabilities can now enjoy moreBroadway shows than everbefore. The BroadwayAccessibility/AudienceExpansion Initiative sets a newstandard for collaborationbetween producers andaccessibility specialists at allstages of production. Theprogram kicked off in May withBroadway’s new musical, CatchMe If You Can.“The Initiative enables more

theatregoers with disabilities toenjoy as complete andcaptivating an experience astheir non-disabled peers,” saysSharon Jensen, ExecutiveDirector, Alliance for Inclusion inthe Arts. “The Alliance and G-

PASS worked closely with theentire Catch Me If You Canteam—producers, marketing,media, web designers—as wellas the NederlanderOrganization and Neil SimonTheatre staff to createaccessible and comprehensiveservices.”In addition to Catch Me If You

Can, the Initiative—supportedby funds from The City of NewYork Theater SubdistrictCouncil, LDC and the City ofNewYork—will provide theseservices to an additional threenew commercial productions atno cost to the producer oraudiences, strengtheningBroadway’s position as the goldstandard for theatre access anddoubling its current offerings.With groundbreaking

computerized systems bySound Associates, Inc., creators

JUNE2011Volume 96Number 5

A Publication of Actors’ Equity Association • NEWS FORTHETHEATRE PROFESSIONAL • www.actorsequity.org • Periodicals Postage Paid at NewYork, NY and Additional Mailing Offices

Index

2011 Election results ...........1

From the President .............3

Theatre Spotlight................4

Gypsy Robe2010-2011 season ..............6

National News ...................8

Letters...........................12EQUI

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— Henry DavidThoreauEQUITYNEWS

(continued on page 2)

Fourteen members—ninefrom the Eastern Region,one from the Central

Region and four from theWestern Region—have beenelected to serve five-year termson the Council. Ballots weretabulated on May 21, 2011 byElection Services Corp.There were 5,861 valid ballots

cast, of which 2,414 were castelectronically. Following are theresults:

EASTERN REGION

Principal Five-Year TermNancy Slusser (incumbent)

Julia Breanetta Simpson(incumbent)

James Ludwig (incumbent)Bob Knapp ((incumbent)Gil Rogers (incumbent)Brian Myers Cooper (incumbentChorus Councillor)

Not elected: Daniel RobertSullivan, Douglas LelandChorus Five-Year TermFrancis Jue (incumbent PrincipalCouncillor)

Ronald L. BrownNot elected: Al BundonisStage Manager Five-Year TermJason A. QuinnNot elected: Tom Helmer

CENTRAL REGION

Principal Five-Year TermMark David KaplanNot elected: Daniel Mooney

WESTERN REGION

Principal Five-Year TermLarry Cahn (incumbent)Not elected: Stephen PawleyChorus Five-Year TermJennie Ford (incumbent PrincipalCouncillor)

Not elected: Scott WatanabeStage Manager Five-Year TermPat LoebD. Christian BolenderNot elected: Vernon Willet

Fourteen Elected to Council

Canadian Equity LeadersVisit

Equity met with CanadianActors’ EquityAssociation (CAEA)

leaders in NewYork on May 4,2011 to review the reciprocalagreement and other issues ofmutual concern. Attending themeeting were: (back row, l to r)Russell Lehrer, AEA SeniorBusiness Representative; Mary

McColl, AEA Executive Director;Kerry Ann Doherty, CAEA 1stVice-President; Nick Wyman,AEA President; (middle row)Douglas Irons, CAEA Controller;Arden R. Ryshpan, CAEAExecutive Director; FloraStamatiades, AEA NationalDirector – Organizing & SpecialProjects; Ira Mont, AEA 3rd Vice

President; Kerry Davidson,CAEA 1st Vice President; KarenMaster, AEA Organizing andImmigration Assistant; (seated)Rick Berg, AEA EasternRegional Director; Dana Ivey,AEA Principal Councillor andKeith Davidson, CAEA Directorof Business RepresentativeServices.

MoreTheatregoersWill Enjoy BroadwayThrough UnprecedentedAccessibility Initiative

Public Policy Committee ContinuesMonitoring National Issues;Urges Members toTakeAction

Chicago’s LookingglassGets RegionalTheatreTony

(continued on page 2)

By Keith HowardDirector of Auditions

If it seems that the number ofcasting notices requestingphoto/resumes for LORT pro-

ductions has gone way up in thepast couple of years, you’re notimagining things.The LORTAgreement now requires employ-ers to send photo/resume re-quests for posting by Equitywhenever they plan agent-sub-mitted auditions in NewYork,Chicago or Los Angeles.This isone of the many benefits Equityachieved in the most recentAgreement.In NYC alone, five of these

Self-Submission requests arepublished every week, onaverage. Just letting membersknow that a LORT Theatre is intown, casting a certainproduction, might be helpful. Butthe new benefit doesn’t stopthere.The LORT employer isrequired to give auditionappointments to Equity memberswho self-submit (one peravailable role, or five total –whichever is greater).It’s important for members to

realize that this new benefit doesnot change any LORTemployer’s EPA/ECCrequirements. LORT employersstill hold Equity PrincipalAuditions and Local EquityAuditions on a seasonal basis,and they still hold Equity ChorusCalls for each chorus musical.The Self-Submission benefitgives members yet anotherchance to be seen by peoplewho can hire them orrecommend them for casting.With every benefit comes

responsibility, of course.Youalready know that members whoattend EPAs and ECCs areresponsible for reading castingnotices carefully, typingthemselves in or out, preparingwell and auditioningprofessionally.When self-submitting, members shouldobserve some simple, common-sense guidelines.When yousubmit professionally, you’ll

increase your chance of beinggiven an appointment.Here are a few tips for

ensuring that your submissioncomes across as professionaland worthy of seriousconsideration:

• Read casting noticescarefully, and submit only if youare “right” for one or more roles.For these appointments, castingpersonnel are not looking foractors for “future reference”; theywant submissions from goodcandidates for the roles they’recurrently casting.• Submit only if you are free

to work during the entirerehearsal/performance period.• If your headshot and

resume aren’t digital yet, it’s timeto get this done, because somecasting personnel prefer e-mailsubmissions. If yourphotographer didn’t give you adigital file of your photo, ask forone. If no digital version isavailable, scan your photo.Consider converting yourresume into a PDF, becausealmost every computer can openthem. If you don’t have theconversion software, onlineservices can do this for you freeof charge.• Carefully follow any

instructions provided by castingpersonnel. These folkssometimes get dozens (or evenhundreds) of self-submissions inresponse to each notice, andthey can be forgiven for deletingsubmissions that don’t followreasonable instructions. Getseen, not deleted! Read theentire Self-Submission noticecarefully, noting all instructions(some of which may appear onthe Breakdown page), and followthem to the letter.Since the Self-Submission

rule went into effect in 2009,hundreds of members have beenseen at LORT appointments.Even though the program is new,we have already heard of castingsuccesses.Take advantage ofthis great benefit, and let usknow how it’s working for you.

California Senate HealthCommittee has moved SB 810,the state’s single payer healthcare bill, out of committee. Thevote was 5 to 3, with oneabstention. SB 810 will move toappropriations in the next fewmonths. Actors’ Equity is anaffiliate of Labor United forUniversal Health Care, a non-profit organization committed tothe support and passage ofsingle payer health care for allCalifornians. There are anumber of ways Californianscan encourage the passage ofthe bill, including calls andletters to their representatives.At press time, plans for an eventin San Francisco June 15-17were in development.The Federal Reserve Board

recently proposed a rule thatwould cap interchange rates (a

merchant’s fair share of thecosts) and could give retailers$14 billion in windfall profits. TheFederal Reserve was directed toexempt small institutions likecredit unions, but the ruleessentially subjects theseinstitutions to the same rate cap.The result could be increasedrates on credit cards, loss ofrewards programs and otherservices (like free checking). Inresponse are two bills currentlyunder consideration - SenateBill 575 and House ofRepresentatives Bill 1081 - thatwill address this situation. TheActors Federal Credit Union isasking that members write totheir representatives urgingthem to co-sponsor these bills.To learn more about these

issues and how you can takeaction (letter writing, petitions,attending events) visit theAdvocacy page for your Regionon Equity’s website(www.actorsequity.org).

of the original Infrared ListeningSystem, G-PASS develops andimplements D-Scriptive audiodescription, I-Caption personalcaptioning, and ShowTranstranslation services.“As a result of the

revolutionary technology bySound Associates, we havebeen able to introduce specialaccessibility services to everyperformance of selectedBroadway productions,” statesAnne Tramon, President of G-PASS. “In collaboration with theAlliance, we can expand theseservices to more productions,and hopefully, one day, becomestandard.”

With D-Scriptive, blind or low-vision patrons hear a detaileddescription of all the visualaspects of the production,including choreography, lighting,sets, and costumes. It is timedperfectly to the show’s cueingsystem, and adjusts itselfaccording to any fluctuations inthe performance. Initiativeconsultant and Equity memberChristopher Roberts has beenan integral part of the Initiative’ssuccess. “I am honored to havebeen the accessibility consultantfor Finian’s Rainbow, TheMiracle Worker and now, CatchMe If You Can on Broadway,” henotes. “My work and contributionwill help enhance the theatricalexperience and have lastingeffects for patrons withdisabilities. In recent years, as a

direct result of new technologiessuch as D-Scriptive and I-Caption, I have been able toenjoy live theatre again, sincethe complete loss of my sight. Iam thrilled that audiences withdisabilities will now have theopportunity to experiencehumanity at its best and worst,live and onstage.”

I-Caption is an automatedsystem, which displays verbatimtexts of the entire show,including lyrics, announcementsand show information on ahand-held device and iscontrolled by the same mastersystem used by D-Scriptive. “Asa consultant who is Deaf,”explains Equity memberAlexandria Wailes, “I have beenable to bring my 20 years ofexperience to the production

and consult at all levels toenhance the theatregoingexperience. Along with mycolleague Guthrie Nutter, I haveworked with the Alliance onpress, marketing and outreachefforts, as well as assisted G-PASS with testing and refining I-Caption, their groundbreakinghand-held captioning system.”

ShowTrans providestranslations for foreign-languagepatrons, integrating the show’slight and sound cueing systemto the action.To reserve I-Caption, D-

Scriptive or ShowTrans servicesfollowing ticket purchase, go towww.G-PASS.org, or call (888)876-0801.For more information on

Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts,visit www.inclusioninthearts.org.

Editor: DICK MOORE

Associate Editor: HELAINE FELDMAN

Equity News Advisory CommitteeChristine Toy Johnson, Chair

(Eastern)Nancy Daly (Western)Diane Dorsey (Central)Nicole Flender (Eastern)

Bruce Alan Johnson (Eastern)Kevin McMahon (Western)

Liz Pazik (Central)Barbara Roberts (Western)Melissa Robinette (Eastern)Buzz Roddy (Eastern)

EQUITY NEWS (ISSN: 00924520) ispublished monthly except for com-bined issues in Jan./Feb., July/Aug.,Oct . , /Nov. , by Actors ' Equ i tyAssociation, 165 West 46th Street,New York, NY 10036. Telephone:(212) 869-8530. Periodicalspostage paid at New York, NY. andadditional mailing offices. Copyright2003, Actors' Equity Association.Subscription price for non-membersof Actors' Equity Association: $25per year. Postmaster: Send addresschanges to Equity News, 165 West46th St., New York, NY 10036.

EQUITYNEWS

Area LiaisonHotline systemCall 877-AEA-1913Equity has a National toll-free

hotline system for members wholive in Area Liaison and officecities. The number is 877-AEA-1913 (honoring the year of Eq-uity’s founding). Each AreaLiaison city has its own exten-sion, where members can ac-cess news and information intheir region.

(1) Dial 877-AEA-1913

(2) Dial your city extension:811 Atlanta812 Austin/San Antonio813 Boston814 Buffalo/Rochester815 Chicago816 Cincinnati/Louisville817 Cleveland818 Dallas/Fort Worth819 Denver820 Detroit821 Florida – Central822 Florida – South823 Houston824 Kansas City825 Las Vegas826 Los Angeles827 Milwaukee/Madison828 Minneapolis/St Paul829 Nashville830 New Orleans831 NewYork832 Philadelphia833 Phoenix/Tucson834 Pittsburgh835 San Diego836 San Francisco837 Seattle838 St. Louis839 Washington DC/Baltimore

Accessibility Initiativecontinued from page 1

Public Policycontinued from page 1

LORTAgreement IncludesSelf-Submission Rule

TheActors Fund’sArtists HealthInsurance Resource Center:Keeping Equity Members Insured

Are you losing your healthinsurance, uninsurednow, or can’t afford to

maintain the insurance you cur-rently have?Since 1998, the Artists Health

Insurance Resource Center(AHIRC), a program of TheActors Fund, has been helpingEquity members across thecountry get and keep affordablehealth insurance and find qualitymedical care.AHIRC’s website—

www.ahirc.org—provides an up-to-date, comprehensive andunbiased database of healthcare resources for artists,performers, freelancers and theself-employed.You will also findshort guides on how to getaffordable health care and healthinsurance in 18 cities andregions across the country.Counselors at AHIRC’s offices

in NewYork (212-221-7301 ext.265) and Los Angeles (323-933-9244 ext. 32) are available for

one-to-one counseling in person,by phone and via e-mail.AHIRC is also working to help

the entertainment communityunderstand and benefit from thenew health care reformlegislation. In addition to thedownloadable Every ArtistInsured: Understanding HealthCare Reform booklet, AHIRC isconducting an Every ArtistInsured Tour—www.ahirc.org/everyartistinsuredtour—throughout the remainder of2011, offering seminars at unionoffices, theatres and artsorganizations across the countrythat point attendees to new andaffordable options for coverage.The Actors Fund’s AHIRC has

a mission—to have everyone inentertainment and the artsinsured by 2014! Services areavailable to all entertainment andarts-related professionals. Formore information, brochures andevents near you, visitwww.ahirc.org or call today.

22 // EEQQUUIITTYYnews JJUUNNEE 22001111

JJUUNNEE 22001111 EEQQUUIITTYYnews / 33

From thePRESIDENT

The Five C’sBy Nick Wyman

When I consider apossible job, it isnot usually to star

above the title in a newSondheim musical or to haveSpielberg’s next summer tent-pole franchise built around me.It is usually a more modestventure and to evaluate it, I usea template I call the Five C’s. Ingenerally descending order ofimportance, these five are Cash(will it bring me substantialsums of money?), Career (will itraise my profile, balance myresume and/or move me alongin my career?), Creative (willthis role feed my artistic soul?),Coverage (will this show giveme needed weeks for healthcoverage?), and Community (isthis a chance to act with myfriends or be of service to thefolks I like?). I have taken jobsfor each of these five reasons.I offer you this template free

of charge, though your ordermay be much different from myown. One thing that was clear atour Plenary NationalConference was that thereasons why members do aparticular job are many andvaried and that these reasonsdiffer greatly between the officecities and the liaison cities. Thisis one of the reasons that

attempting to enact national,one-size-fits-all contracts fromcoast to coast is sometimescounter-productive. An interesting perspective is

to think about the Five C’s as atemplate for why we got into thisbusiness. It probably wasn’t toget Rich and Famous, and itcertainly wasn’t to get healthcoverage; it was to exercise ourcreativity and be part of anartistic community. That’s thereal bottom line for most of us;and along the way, we’d also liketo earn some money, keep ourvocation viable and maybe earnsome health coverage. Thetricky dance for the staff andelected leadership is how tomaximize the number of creativeopportunities while at the sametime maintaining decentcompensation for thoseopportunities. As I said, weknow the priorities and balancethereof are different in differentareas of the country, so westrive to be flexible.In the next few months, we

will negotiate AEA’s two biggestcontracts: Production and LORT.(In negotiations, the Five C’sbecome Three C’s:Compensation and (Working)Conditions and (Health)Contributions.) These contractsare both national, but we haveshown our flexibility by creating

tiers. The Production Contractcommittee and its proposalselection team have put thefinishing touches on theProduction Contract proposals,but we are still looking forideas/suggestions for the LORTcontract. How flexible do youthink we should be in the LORTnegotiations? In which areas?Among the Three C’s, what areyour priorities?I assume you keep my

columns stacked next to yourbedside for inspiration (or tocure insomnia); if not, they arearchived on the President’spage on our website. Look themover. There is a theme runningthrough them beyond the purpleprose and soporific style. It isthat your personal success andthe success of the Uniondepend upon your participationand communication. Vote. Sendus your ideas. Join a committee.Plan. Network. Support oneanother. No matter how big orsmall the acting pieces in your“mosaic,” we are all in thistogether. I hope your Career is amarathon not a sprint; I hopeyour Creativity is frequentlychallenged and fulfilled; I hopeyou regularly earn healthCoverage; I hope you makesome meaningful Cash; and Iam glad you are part of myCommunity.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY ANACTOR IN A LEADING ROLEIN A PLAYBrian Bedford, The Importanceof Being EarnestBobby Cannavale, TheMotherf**ker with the HatJoe Montello, The NormalHeartAl Pacino, The Merchant ofVeniceMark Rylance, Jerusalem

BEST PERFORMANCE BY ANACTRESS IN A LEADINGROLE IN A PLAYNina Arianda, Born YesterdayFrances McDormand, GoodPeopleLily Rabe, The Merchant ofVeniceVanessa Redgrave, DrivingMiss DaisyHannah Yelland, BriefEncounterBEST PERFORMANCE BY ANACTOR IN A LEADING ROLEIN A MUSICALNorbert Leo Butz, Catch Me IfYou CanJosh Gad, The Book ofMormonJoshua Henry, The ScottsboroBoysAndrew Rannells, The Book ofMormonTony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen

of the Desert

BEST PERFORMANCE BY ANACTRESS IN A LEADINGROLE IN A MUSICALSutton Foster, Anything GoesBeth Leavel, Baby, It’s YouPatina Miller, Sister ActDonna Murphy, The People inthe Picture

BEST PERFORMANCE BY ANACTOR IN A FEATUREDROLE IN A PLAYMackenzie Crook, JerusalemBilly Crudup, ArcadiaJohn Benjamin Hickey, TheNormal HeartArian Moayed, Bengal Tiger atthe Baghdad ZooYul Vázquez, The Motherf**kerwith the Hat

BEST PERFORMANCE BY ANACTRESS IN A FEATUREDROLE IN A PLAYEllen Barkin, The Normal HeartEdie Falco, The House of BlueLeavesJudith Light, LombardiJoanna Lumley, La BeteElizabeth Rodriguez, TheMotherf**ker with the Hat

BEST PERFORMANCE BY ANACTOR IN A FEATUREDROLE IN A MUSICALColman Domingo, TheScottsboro BoysAdam Godley, Anything Goes

John Larroquette, How toSucceed in Business WithoutReally TryingForrest McClendon, TheScottsboro BoysRory O’Malley, The Book ofMormon

BEST PERFORMANCE BY ANACTRESS IN A FEATUREDROLE IN A MUSICALLaura Benanti, Women on theVerge of a Nervous BreakdownTammy Blanchard, How toSucceed in Business WithoutReally TryingVictoria Clark, Sister ActNikki M. James, The Book ofMormonPatti LuPone, Women on theVerge of a Nervous Breakdown

SPECIAL TONY AWARD ®FOR LIFETIMEACHIEVEMENT IN THETHEATREAthol FugardPhilip J. Smith

REGIONAL THEATRE TONYAWARD ®Lookingglass TheatreCompany (Chicago, IL)

TONY HONORS FOREXCELLENCE IN THETHEATRESharon Jensen and Alliance forInclusion in the Arts

Congratulations to Equity’sTony Award® Nominated Members

Council Approves NewLarry Leon Hamlin/Equity Code

At its meeting on May 17,2011, Council approveda new Larry Leon Ham-

lin/Actors’ Equity Code, for theexclusive use of the NationalBlack Theatre Festival. TheCode, which was recommendedby the three regional Equal Em-ployment Opportunity Commit-tees, is named for the latefounder of the Festival.

Luther Goins, Equity’sNational Equal EmploymentOpportunity Coordinator,supported adoption of the Codeand wrote to Council outliningits goals: to support membersof color that, due to aproducer’s financial limitations,are not in a position to securean Equity contract for theFestival; provide opportunitiesfor non-Equity actors of color todiscuss the importance ofworking as a Union actor; and,even though the Code is not anorganizing tool, to presentopportunities for minority-basedtheatre companies across thecountry to discuss thepossibilities of working with

Equity Actors and contracts.The Larry Leon

Hamlin/Actors’Equity Code doesnot supplant, nor can it be usedto avoid, any existing EquityCode or Contract; Actors maynot join Equity under this Code;and non-resident Aliens may notbe used in Code productions.The Actors and producers usingthe Code agree to negotiate asum to be paid to the Actor forthe project and this money is tobe considered a fee, rather thansalary. No benefits (pension,health, FICA) are included andno Equity Working Dues will bededucted. The producer is toprovide housing and round triptransportation for the Actor andthere will be a per diem rate formeals and incidentals. Ifprograms are provided, namesof all Equity members in theproduction are to be sodesignated.Larry Leon Hamlin founded

the North Carolina BlackRepertory Company in 1979and the National Black TheatreFestival (NBTF) in 1989, both inWinston-Salem, NC. Heldbiennially, the NBTF takes placeduring the first week of Augustto, according to Mr. Hamlin,“unite black theatre companies(nationally) and ensure thesurvival of the genre into thenext millennium.” The NBTFattracts more than 65,000people during the six-days ofperformances and events.Since 1989, NBTF has

presented over 291 theatrecompanies and productions.August 2011 marks the 21stanniversary of the Festival.

Facts to Know AboutFestival/Code ProductionsBy Nancy SlusserEastern Principal Councillor

Spring is here and anotherfestival season is uponus. To this end, Equity re-

cently hosted a New York Musi-cal Theatre Festival (NYMF)seminar. AEA Business RepsMichelle Kelts and KennethNaanep were present, alongwith Gil Rogers, Chair of theOff-Off-Broadway Committee.Equity members brought uptheir concerns regarding NYMFand Fringe productions.This seminar was informative

and pointed out the fact thatmany of our members still don’tquite understand how Festivalsproduced under the BasicShowcase Code differ from anAEA contract. Therefore, Ithought a FAQ column mighthelp.It’s wonderful to be part of a

Festival and a new production. Ifyou get the chance to do a

Festival show—enjoy! But, asan Equity member you shouldbe armed with some facts aboutthe Code/Contract orAgreement that you will beworking.All Festival/Code productions

follow specific AEA guidelinesoutlined through our AEAShowcase Codes.You cancheck out these individualCodes by visiting our website,actorsequity.org and clicking onthe Document Library. The 2011NYMF season will be under aNYMF Special Agreementunless on an AEA contract.Questions from members:� Am I guaranteed two comps

just as I am in other Showcaseproductions?Answer:Yes. All AEA Actors

performing in the show aregiven two comps. However, youmust request these compsbefore the producer sells all ofhis/her allowable tickets to a

(continued on page 4)

Larry Leon Hamlin

The Barnstormers inTamworth, New Hampshire is inits 81st year. Founded in 1931by Francis Cleveland (youngestchild of U.S. President GroverCleveland), his wife Alice, andtheir friend Ed Goodnow, thetheatre, which operates underan Equity CORST contract,claims to be America’s oldestprofessional summer theatre stilldoing the traditional eight showsin eight weeks. “That’s the way itwas done in the heyday ofsummer stock, and that’s theway we still do it,” says ArtisticDirector/Producer and Equitymember, Bob Shea. “To call TheBarnstormers ‘special,” he adds,“is an understatement, not onlydue to longevity and the sheervolume of work, but mostlybecause of the excellence ofthis artistic community. For tenweeks every summer TheBarnstormers Theatre is at acrossroad, a dynamic point ofconnection for actors, designersdirectors, musicians, dancers,technicians and mostimportantly for our network ofsupportive patrons and trustees.Eight overlapping creativeteams that collide in mid-air andcatch each other in the embraceof respect and inspiration.Weare very lucky to be in residencehere for a privileged time in ourartistic and professional lives.”In the early days, the troupe

would rehearse in Tamworthand open on Monday at The

Tamworth Gardens, the barnbehind the Tamworth Inn, wherethey built a stage and had hardwooden chairs. They thentoured to various local towns,closing on Saturday back inTamworth; hence the name, TheBarnstormers. In 1935, theybought the Pollard’s Storebuilding on Main Street andturned itinto a 282-seattheatre.The sametheatre,renovatedandupdated,but lookingmuch thesame, isstill thetroupe’shome.Touringended with World War II.Mr. Cleveland, who died in

1995 at the age of 92, was anEquity member who hadappeared in the originalBroadway productions of OurTown and Dead End. He joinedthe Union around 1937 wheninitiation was $40 and Equityminimum was $25. “In about1937 more of the actors thatcame here were Equitymembers. Then it began to beeverybody and it became anEquity theatre,” he wrote in ahistory published for the

theatre’s 70th anniversary.Francis Cleveland remainedactive with the theatre up untilhis death. He performed with thecompany until 1989 andcontinued to direct although hehad been diagnosed withmacular degeneration in 1991and was legally blind.“The Barnstormers is an

exceptionally loyal family,providing me with 33 years ofwork,” says Equity member JeanMar Brown. It has given meroles that run the gamut, fromone line maids to leading parts,empowering me by its trust andbelief that the job could bedone, and in a week.”W. Clapham Murray (known

as Cope Murray), Equitymember and Actor at TheBarnstormers since 1958,Director and Artistic Directorfrom 1995-2002 says, “An Actorcomes to Barnstormers as ajuvenile or ingénue, works hisway to leading parts, thencharacter roles and finally fadesaway into the archives ofmemory. It’s a special place.We’re a family.”“Thirty years ago, Francis

Cleveland took a chance on meand every summer since thenI’ve been able to work with goodfriends in a beautiful part of thecountry. For me, TheBarnstormers is the definition ofa theatre family. It’s amazingwhat can be done in a week,”says Equity member Dale Place.“As of the end of our 2010

season, we have put on 592productions of 409 differentplays,” reports Anne McKeyBatchelder, an Equity memberwho was on the stage crew anda stage manager and actresswith the company from 1949-1962 and now serves on theBoard of Directors. “The eighthshow of our 2011 season will beour 600th production inTamworth.”

44 // EEQQUUIITTYYnews JJUUNNEE 22001111

performance.� Do I get health weeks on

this Code?Answer: If your Festival

show is on an AEA Code youwill not receive health weeks.Only shows on an AEA contractreceive salary, health weeksand a pension contribution.� How much money will I

make on my Festivalproduction?Answer: This depends on

the Festival. At minimum, youwill receive travel and expensereimbursement.Some other things you

should know:� If you have any questions at

any time, call AEA. Speak to ourShowcase Rep. Equity can onlyhelp if our Business Reps areinformed of a problem. Beassured that all correspondencewith Equity is confidential. It isvital that you call while you arein production. Calls madeafterwards regarding concernsare difficult to verify and correct.� NOTE: As an AEA member,

you have the right to walk awayfrom any Showcase production

at any time. This may be hard todo, but if you feel that your rightsare in jeopardy—leave.� Don’t rehearse extra hours

that aren’t stipulated by yourCode. The AEA Showcase Codewas created to help showcaseour members’ talents, not toworkshop new material. If thereis not enough time to developyour show through the Festivalguidelines, perhaps your showis better suited to an AEAcontract.� Elect a deputy and report

any questions/concerns toEquity. Remember, if you don’treport something, Equity will notknow about it and thereforecannot help you.� Check on any subsidiary

rights you are entitled to bybeing part of your Festivalproduction. This is especiallyhelpful if your productiongraduates to a contractproduction in the future.Our best resource as

Actors/Stage Managers iscommunication. Communicatewith your fellow AEA members.Ask questions of our AEA Repsand enjoy working. I know howfulfilling doing Festival showscan be. I have done two myself.

Facts to Knowcontinued from page 3

Central Region

The MUNY: Almost asOld as Equity“St. Louisans have always had

a warm spot in their hearts forthe living tradition that is TheMuny, and they’ve made us theirfamily tradition,” says Dennis M.Reagan, current President andCEO of The Muny. “There are au-dience members who are thirdand fourth and even fifth genera-tion season ticket holders. It’s theaudiences’ affection for TheMuny that inspires everything weput on the stage.”Equity members also have af-

fection for The Muny. Ken Page(Drama Desk recipient, Ain’t Mis-behavin’ and Old Deuteronomyin the original Broadway produc-tion of Cats) and Lara Teeter(Tony nominee for the Broadwayrevival of On Your Toes) bothhave strong Muny and St. Louisties. Ken was born in St. Louis,began his career there in 1973and has performed there almostevery summer since 1994. Larahas performed there often andwithin the last couple of yearsmoved his family to St. Louiswhere he’s head of the musicaltheatre department at WebsterUniversity. This summer he’ll beAlbert Peterson in Bye ByeBirdie and his children will alsoperform in the children’s ensem-ble, and both he and his eight-year old daughter will be in LittleMermaid.

“Way back in the dark ages of1973 before I left my hometownof St. Louis, I was hired for thesinging ensemble of The Muny,”recalls Ken Page. “It was themost highly regarded and profes-sional theatre job you could getin St. Louis at the time.Thatsummer I earned my Equity cardand was introduced to this amaz-ingly run theatre. It made a last-ing impression on the youngman that I was and set an artisticstandard that I would take withme to New York. I returned toThe Muny in 1994 to recreate myBroadway role in Ain’t Misbe-havin’ and have returned fornearly every summer since. Iwould have to say quite simply,there is no place else like TheMuny.”

“No where else in the worldcan you take the two most Amer-ican things and put them intoone: baseball and theatre,” saysLara Teeter. “When you come toThe Muny, you can sing the Na-tional Anthem, have some beerand some popcorn, and watchthe Great American Musical. TheMuny has been a great St. Louistradition for 93 summers.”The Muny, short for Municipal

Theatre Association of St. Louis,has been around almost as longas Equity. In 1917, it was builtfrom scratch in 49 days, minusseven days lost to rain, and haslasted for 93 years—and count-

ing. The massive stagewas constructed, an or-chestra pit built to hold upto 200 musicians, all theconcrete was poured anddressing rooms added be-hind the stage. All thiswent forward despite thefact that the country wasengaged in World War I.The theatre was com-pleted on June 2, 1917and Verdi’s Aida was itsfirst presentation.The firstmusical presented at thenow-incorporated Munywas Robin Hood in 1919.The Muny claims to be

the “nation’s oldest andlargest outdoor musicaltheatre.” It is surely theoldest. As for the largest,there are larger ones, but

those venues also present con-certs and other events. TheMuny is the largest to host onlyBroadway style musical theatre.“The size of our stage (the

stage opening is 90 feet wide)dictates the size of the showsand the level of spectacle we puton,” says Mr. Reagan. “We have,for instance, used a 110-piecemarching band for the finale ofMusic Man.We’ve flown a vin-tage World War II plane over thetheatre during the overture ofSouth Pacific and we believeourselves to be the only theatreanywhere to have had a real hel-icopter flyover during MissSaigon. We call these spectacu-lar touches ‘Muny moments,’ andthey’re one more element thatmakes The Muny

Eastern Region

America’s OldestTraditional SummerTheatre Celebrates 81stSeason in New Hampshire

Office ClosingAll Equity offices will be closedon Friday, July 1 and Monday,July 4, 2011 in observation ofIndependence Day.

(From l) Equity members Frank T. Wells, ScottSeverance, Doug Shapiro and Dale Place in A FunnyThing… at The Barnstormers.

Lara Teeter in Singin’ in theRain at The Muny.

Ken Page in Cats at The Muny.

JJUUNNEE 22001111 EEQQUUIITTYYnews / 55

Yes, You Can—Book Jobs ThroughEPAs and ECCsBy Melissa Robinette

(In the May 2011 issue ofEquity News we introduced aseries based on EPA/ECCsuccess stories. This month, weare focusing on members fromthe Central Region who havebooked work as a result ofattending Equity PrincipalAuditions and Equity ChorusCalls.)

According to PamSpitzner, the CentralRegion’s Member Serv-

ices Coordinator, there were168 auditions posted in theCentral Region in 2010, 94 ofwhich were in the greaterChicago area and 51 of thosewere at the Equity AuditionCenter. Out of the 3,274 Equitymembers who made appoint-ments or walked into auditionswithout appointments only fivewere not seen. (This makes methink about relocating toChicago!)

I spoke with Adam Belcuore,Casting Director at theGoodman Theatre, who saidthe biggest success he recentlyhad was from a self-submissionfor The Trinity River Plays fromEquity member Jefferson A.Russell, who ended up bookingthe job. Mr. Belcuore remindedme of a few things we all forget:Auditions are all part of the

collaborative art. An auditionconsists of the monitor, thecasting director, the creativeteam, the actor and the unions.If we remember every time weaudition that we are all in thistogether, it makes for a bettersystem and “work” place. Theother thing to keep in mind isthat casting people want us todo well. The better we (theactor) do, the better job theycan do in bringing the showtogether.Cree Rankin, Casting

Director of the Court Theatre,stated he found three Equitymembers for their currentproduction of Porgy and Bessfrom the Equity calls. Mr.Rankin stated he loves theEquity calls for finding newfaces or people he hasn’t seenin a while. Erica Daniels, thecasting director of theSteppenwolf Theatre expressedthe same opinion.Diane Dorsey attended the

Northlight Theatre’s EPAs inChicago for years. Last year theNorthlight Theatre’s castingdirector, Lynn Baber, submittedDiane for TheatreWorks in PaloAlto, California and she bookedthe role of Alice in Auctioningthe Ainsleys. Matthew Scott Campbell,

who moved to Joplin, MO in2009, has attended five EPAs in

the area and booked two ofthem.

Lyndsey Cole went to adancers’ call for the Chicagosit-down of Jersey Boys. Shenot only got the job, she alsogot her Equity card! Turns outthree out of the four girls in theproduction got the job from theChorus Call.

Liz Pazik, who is currentlyworking at the Skylight OperaTheatre in Milwaukee, in TheAdding Machine, has bookedmany jobs through the system.She booked the national tour ofScrooge, The Musical! starringRichard Chamberlain; the longrunning hit Shear Madness;Dennis DeYoung’s Hunchbackof Notre Dame and GaryTrudeau’s Rap Master Ronnie,to name a few.

Ronald Keaton, the Chair ofthe Auditions Committee in theCentral Region, says,“Personally, I have had greatsuccess through our EPAsystem here in Chicago. It hasoffered me nothing but goodnews. No, I don’t get every job,but I do find a way to audition atplaces that I normally might notaccess.”

(Do you have a story youwould like to share? ContactHelaine Feldman,helfel22@aol.com.)

Policy Changed to AllowMembers-at-Large to CallIn to Committee Meetings

At its meeting on May 17,2011, Council accepteda recommendation from

the Presidents’ Planning Com-mittee (PPC) to approve a policychange that would allow Mem-bers-at-large to call in to non-Councillor only committeemeetings. Current procedures permit,

with some exceptions, onlyCouncillors, Liaisons andmembers of Liaison Committeesto call in to committee meetings.The result is that manyMembers-at-large outside ofOffice cities cannot participatefully in the committee systemand thus the Union operateswith limited input from Regionalmembers. The PPC discussed

this issue following the Plenaryin March, at which theimportance of national memberparticipation figured prominently.

The new policy will providegreater regional participationand input from members outsideof Office cities; strengthennational affiliation and reducethe sense of “locals;” enhancethe leadership pool by increasedentry into the committee system;deepen committee workcontent, and result in a uniformpolicy.

There was extensivediscussion of the costs, extraresponsibilities for staff andconfidentiality, but in the end themeasure passed unanimously.

�• Chicago Mayor RahmEmanuel has appointedMichelle T. Boone to beCommissioner of the city’sDepartment of Cultural Affairsand Special Events. Ms. Boonerecently received one ofEquity’s Central Region’s Spiritof Diversity Awards for herminority-based theatrementorship and her campaignfor minority-based theatreleadership training.• Beginning with the revival

of Rodgers and Hammerstein’sOklahoma! this summer, ArenaStage at the Mead Center forAmerican Theater inWashington, DC has instituteda new Pay Your Age savingsprogram, offering discountedtickets to patrons ages 5 to 30.This program was developed toreach out to younger audiencesallowing them to experiencetheatre at Arena Stage thatmight otherwise be cost-prohibitive.• Darko Tresnjak, who has

directed productions at the OldGlobe Theatre, WilliamstownTheatre Festival and at NY’sTheatre for a New Audience,has been named ArtisticDirector at Hartford Stage.• Playwright and director

Cay Yew is the new ArtisticDirector of Chicago’s VictoryGardens Theatre, replacing theretiring Dennis Zacek, who

headed the theatre since 1977.

• New York’s Drama BookShop is the recipient of a 2011Tony Honor for Excellence inthe Theatre, the first time anybook shop has received suchan honor. The Drama BookShop was born in NYC’sTheatre District in 1917 whenladies from The DramatistsGuildunfolded atable in thelobby of theANTATheatre(later theVirginiaTheatre andnow theAugustWilson) andset out someplays to sell.

• EquitymemberAnitaHollander has once againparticipated in AIDS Walk NY.She has been in the event for25 years—on one leg—and isin the top 50 AIDS Walkfundraisers. Her team, TheWooden Shoe, is also in the top50 teams. She is National Co-Chair of the tri-union I AM PWDcampaign for Inclusion in theArts & Media of People WithDisabilities.

• Council has awarded LifeMemberships in theAssociation to members James

Haire and Jac Alder. Mr. Hairehas been in the professionaltheatre for 50 years, beginningas an Equity Stage Manager.He joined San Francisco’sAmerican ConservatoryTheatre (ACT) as ProductionStage Manager in 1971. In1985 he became ACT’sproduction manager and, in

1994, ACT’s ProducingDirector. An Equity membersince 1972, Mr. Alder and hislate wife, Norma Young,founded Theatre Three inDallas and he remains itsArtistic Director and ExecutiveProducer. The theatre (SPT 4)is celebrating its 50th season.Mr. Alder is one of the twolongest-running continuousArtistic Directors in Americantheatre. Both members areresponsible for providing jobsfor Equity members in general,and in the Western Region in

BBBBRRRRIIIIEEEEFFFF NNNNOOOOTTTTEEEESSSS

75 Years AgoJune 1936

• The Council at its regularmeeting on June 16, orders anational referendum on aproposed amendment to theConstitution requiring JuniorMembers to play at least 50weeks in the legitimate theatre,for which they receive pay, aswell as two years ofmembership in order to qualifyfor Senior Membership.

50 Years AgoJune 1961

• Effective June 1, minimumsalary for Actors in “StandardProductions” increases to$112.50 weekly, with rehearsalexpense money increasing to$87.50 per week.• An historic contract barring

performances by Equitymembers in places ofperformance where racialdiscrimination or segregationexists is concluded on June 6when Council unanimouslyapproves a new contract withthe 54 producers of liveIndustrial Shows.• Theodore Bikel (now

Equity President Emeritus) joinsthe Council for the first time onJune 6 as an interim appointeeto serve until the 1962 AnnualElection.`• Reporting at the June 9

Membership Meeting in NewYork, the President of the EquityLibrary Theatre Board notes that“300 of you have appeared inthe 15 productions of the 1960-61 season, and approximately180 received offers ofemployment as a result…”

25 Years AgoJune 1986

• Equity anticipates thatthere will be almost 50 Stocktheatres operating undercontract this season. • An Equity Theatre for

Young Audiences (TYA)company, the Empire StateInstitute for the Performing Arts,becomes the first Americancompany to perform in theSoviet Union since 1979. TheMoscow Musical Theatre forChildren arrives in Albany onJune 2 to complete theexchange.

10 Years AgoJune 2001

• The 401(k) Fundestablished in the newProduction Contract goes intoeffect on June 25. Producers areto contribute an amount equal to3% of members’ weeklycompensation, up to amaximum salary of $5,500 perweek, to members’ individualaccounts.

A Look Back

particular.• Council also has awarded

Honorary Life Membershipsto two non-members: SusanCole and Leonard Garbin. Ms.Cole retired at the end ofDecember 2010 fromSettlement Housing Fund,which did the original marketingplan for Manhattan Plaza, and

where, for more than 30 years,she offered incalculablesupport to Equity members. Mr.Garbin is a longtime anddevoted VITA volunteer who,although not a member, lovesactors and has providedthousands of hours to providingthem with income taxassistance.

Anita Hollander (c) with her daughter, HollandHamilton (r) and Alyce Hershenhart of TheWooden Shoe AIDS Walk team.

66 // EEQQUUIITTYY news JJUUNNEE 22001111

JOYCECHITTICKAnything Goes

SHANNON LEWISThe People in the Picture

JENNIFERFRANKELCatch Me IfYou Can

J.C. MONTGOMERYScottsboro Boys

THEGYPSY ROBE2010-2011SEASON

HEATH CALVERTBloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

GRADY MCLEODBOWMANWonderland

ERIC SCIOTTOPriscilla Queen of the Desert

(Photos: W

alter McB

ride)

CONGRATULATIONSTO THE RECIPIENTS

LISA GAJDAElf

CLEVE ASBURYHow to Succeed in BusinessWithout Really Trying

MICHAEL JAMES SCOTTThe Book of Mormon

KEVIN LIGONSister Act

JULIO AGUSTINWomen on the Verge ofa Nervous Breakdown

JJUUNNEE 22001111 EEQQUUIITTYYnews / 77

Six weeks of audience ap-peals, signed poster andPlaybill sales and one-of-a-

kind auctions by 52 Broadway, Off-Broadway and national touringcompanies pushed BroadwayCares/Equity Fights AIDS’ (1) 25thAnnual Easter Bonnet Competitionfundraising total to (2) $3,706,085.Since the Easter Bonnet Competi-tion began in 1987, the event hasraised more than $46 million forBC/EFA.This year’s Competition ended

with two star-studded, sold-outshows featuring original skits andsongs, eye-popping dance numbersand the true stars of the show: theextravagantly elaborate, custom-made bonnets from 17 of the partic-ipating productions.The Easter Bonnet judges in-

cluded Equity’s Executive DirectorMary McColl, welcomed in her firstappearance at a BC/EFA event, andEquity members Nick Adams(Priscilla Queen of the Desert);Montego Glover (Memphis); EstelleParsons (Good People); EquityCouncillor Kate Shindle (Wonder-land); Book of Mormon composerBobby Lopez; director and choreog-rapher Casey Nicholaw and cos-tume designer Marty Pakledinaz.

La Cage aux Folles took tophonors for bonnet presentation witha tribute to the first Easter BonnetCompetition, hosted in 1987 by theoriginal production of La Cage, thenplaying the Palace Theatre. The Ad-dams Family was Runner-up.Highlights included a hilarious

appearance by Robin Williams;

BC/EFA Easter Bonnet Fundraiser Brings In More Than $3.7 Million

(3) Christie Brinkley and the cast ofChicago; (4) the families from ThePhantom of the Opera; the kids ofBilly Elliot, as well as songs, skitsand humor from the Broadwaycasts of The Lion King, MammaMia!, (5) Priscilla Queen of theDesert and the Off-Broadway com-panies of (6) Avenue Q andFreud’s Last Session as well asspecial performances from R. Evo-lution Latina and Dancers Respond-ing to AIDS.

(7) Harvey Fierstein (La Cage

aux Folles), Sutton Foster (AnythingGoes) and Daniel Radcliffe (How toSucceed in Business Without ReallyTrying) presented this year’sawards—with the Top FundraisingAward going to Wicked – Munchkin-land tour with $360,021.Top Broad-way fundraising awards werepresented to How to Succeed…($271,916); First Runner-up:Wicked ($165,979)’ Second Run-ner-up: Billy Elliot ($151,363); ThirdRunner-up: The Phantom of theOpera ($149,194). The top national

touring show award was presentedto Wicked – Emerald City($242,212); First Runner-up:MaryPoppins ($150,472); Second Run-ner-up: Les Misérables ($124,019)and Third Runner-up:Billy Elliot($116,384). The top fundraising award for a

Broadway play went to That Cham-pionship Season ($163,542); FirstRunner-up was Lombardi($86,099). Top Off-Broadwayfundraiser was Avenue Q ($44,072)and First Runner-up was Freud’s

Last Session ($24,500).This year’s hosts included Judith

Light and Dan Lauria (Lombardi),Heidi Blickenstaff and Roger Rees(The Addams Family), Josh Gadand Andrew Rannells (The Book ofMormon), Jose Llana (Wonder-land), Renée Elise Goldsberry(Good People), Jayne Houdyshell(The Importance of Being Ernest)and Maxwell Caulfield (CactusFlower). For a full story and more photos,

visit www.broadwaycares.org.

1

2

4 5 6 7

3

Share Your Story.

A Multimedia Personal History of Actors’ Equity at 100

Let Your Voice Be Heard.

Visit and ‘like’ the AEA Centennial page at www.facebook.com/AEA100 to share your stories,images and videos or go to www.actorsequity.org for more details.

THE NARRATIVE PROJECT

We’re creating a personal and lasting multimedia history of AEA through the eyes of Equity Members across the country, as an integral part of the 2012 - 2013 Centennial celebration.

Please share your personal stories as an AEA Member, behind-the-scenes photos, personal images and videos, as well as personal memorabilia to include in the project.

The Ghost or “Equity” Light ensures the theater will never go dark and AEA History lives on.

Photo: Lucinda Surber

88 // EEQQUUIITTYYnews JJUUNNEE 22001111

New York, Los Angeles

Fund Sets SeminarsIn New York, The Actors

Fund will conduct a seminar onthe basics of investing onTuesday, June 21, 2011 from 5-7 p.m. in the 10th FloorBoardroom at its offices, 729Seventh Avenue. Do you knowan IRA from a 401(k), a moneymarket account from a mutualfund? This seminar will providethe answers. For informationand to RSVP, call (212) 221-7300, ext. 184 or emailaclayman@actorsfund.org.A two part time

management workshop will beheld on Tuesday June 14 and21, 2011 from 5-7 p.m. also at

The Fund offices. This is opento current Actors WorkProgram members.Reservations required.Information: (212) 354-5480,ext. 255 oremiocene@actorsfund.org. In Los Angeles, The Fund

is sponsoring a four-weekworkshop on Managing CashFlow for Artists. Sessions willbe held from 2:30-4 p.m. onThursdays, July 21 to August11 at The Fund office, Suite400 at 5757 Wilshire Blvd. Forinformation call Tracey Downs,(323) 330-2423 or visittdowns@actorsfund.org.

NATIONALNEWSNATIONALNEWS

Denver

New Cherry Creek TheatreProvides More AEA ContractsBy Lara Maerz, DenverLiaison CommitteeMember

In a year where we lostsome Denver area Equitytheatres, the LiaisonCommittee is proud to haveassisted Cherry CreekTheatre in adding threeSpecial Appearance contractsfor its inaugural production,Side By Side By Sondheim.The production showcasesthe versatile talent of localEquity favorites Stephen Dayand Susie Roelosfz andStage Manager Lara Maerzalongside non-Equity actorsZachary Shannon and AngelaMendez. Said Denver Posttheatre critic John Moore,“That this fledgling theatrecompany would take on sucha brazen challenge out of thegate says everything about itscreative ambitions andalready deep resources.”Cherry Creek Theatre is

performing in the backshowroom of Denver’s ShaverRamsey Rug Gallery, and ishoping to use Equity

Actors/Stage Managers infuture productions. Thoughthey are not yet financiallyable to commit to do so in allfuture productions, it isdefinitely something they planto continue to pursue. Saysproducer Pat Payne, “It hasbeen great having the chanceto work with some of Denver’sfinest. We hope that CCT willhave continued success thatwill allow us to continue todevelop a relationship withAEA and give members achance to work some more inthis beautiful city we callhome.”Cherry Creek Theatre has

plans to produce two or threeshows per season in thefuture, and the LiaisonCommittee will work withthem to help aid in includingEquity Actors/StageManagers in as manyproductions as possible. Weare thrilled to welcomeCherry Creek Theatre to theDenver theatre community,and look forward to a longand prosperous relationship.

Washington/Baltimore

27th Annual Helen Hayes Awards Presentedat Warner TheatreBy Gregory Gorton

Washington’s patriarch oftheatre royalty, The KennedyCenter, led all others with 24nominations and took home fourHelen Hayes Awards for its Non-Resident productions ofThurgood, Mary Poppins andHair.The Shakespeare Theater,

with 18 nods in Resident Theatrecategories, lived up to its statusas one of the front runners,garnering eight of the covetedawards for its ResidentProductions of Candide and TheLiar.It was an evening of

celebration, reflection, humor,and the usual surprises, as the27th annual Helen Hayes Awardswere presented on April 25, 2011at Washington’s historicallyornate Warner Theatre.The evening began on a

lighthearted note as MaryZimmerman, receiving the first ofthe awards for ShakespeareTheater’s production ofCandide—Outstanding Directionof a Resident Musical, remarked,“ I am in total shock. I came hereto lose.” Geoff Packard, accepting his

award for Outstanding LeadActor in a Resident Musical forCandide, found himself in thesecond of the evening’s ties. “I’ma twin so I’ve been tied all mylife.” Mr. Packard shared thisaward with Nicholas Rodriguez,for his performance in the ArenaStage production of Oklahoma!Accepting the award for

Outstanding Lead Actress in aResident Play for In Darfur atTheater J, Erica Rose said, “ Thiswas a remarkable play to be in,but not exactly a date nightplay...except maybe for somewho might be kinky.”The evening also served as

the launching point of yet anotherhonor for the great Helen Hayes.The United States Postal Serviceunveiled a commemorativestamp honoring the life andcareer of the remarkable “FirstLady of the American Stage.”Each audience member wasoffered a first day cover of thenew stamp. The tribute became ahighly entertaining parody by the

chorus of “That’s Why the Lady’son a Stamp.”When Ms. Hayes appeared at

the first awards program shequipped, “Now I’m not only anactress, I’m an award too.”Appropriately so, the stamp thatbears her likeness is a “forever”stamp.The Charles MacArthur Award

for Outstanding New Play orMusical was awarded to TheShakespeare Theater Company’sproduction of The Liar by DavidIves.

The son of Mr. MacArthur andMs. Hayes, James MacArthur,has traditionally been itspresenter. He truly loved comingto these awards named after hismother to honor his fellow actorsand present the award namedafter his father. Sadly, JamesMacArthur passed away October28, 2010. In his honor, an awardnow bears his name: the JamesMacArthur Award for OutstandingSupporting Actor in a ResidentPlay. The award was presentedby James MacArthur’s wife, H.B.MacArthur who noted, “My dearhusband is still here in spirit.James was well known as anoutstanding supporting actor.”The Helen Hayes tribute,

sponsored by Jaylee Mead, waspresented to the amazing TommyTune. In a career beginningin1964, Mr. Tune has beenhonored with nine Tony Awardsand seven Drama Desk Awardsfor his lifetime work as dancer,choreographer, actor and

director. Mr. Tune leapt onto the stage

to accept the tribute andengaged the audience with abrief, but exciting few minutes oftap and spontaneous dance. The6’6 Mr. Tune, holding his award atwaist level remarked, “This looksshort!” He began his acceptancespeech by singing a few bars of“S’Wonderful.” Ever gracious andhumble, Mr. Tune went on to say,“It is such an honor to receivethis, and to be in the company ofsuch theatre greats as James

Earl Jones, DerekJacobi, Robert Prosky,Emory Battis, StephenSondheim, and manyothers.”A frequent theme

running throughout theevening’s festivitiesproved to be anappreciation for theWashington theatrecommunity and itsaudience.Hollis Resnik,

Outstanding SupportingActress in a ResidentMusical for Candide said,“This is a fabuloustheatre community;warm, sincere and Iwould love to come

back.”Adventure Theater’s

Outstanding Production, Theaterfor Young Audiences award for IfYou Give a Pig a Pancakeinspired producer/directorMichael Bobbit to enthuse,“Thanks to the D.C. communityfor supporting children’s theatrehere. And I want to say a specialthank you to my mentor JerryWhiddon.” Victor Shargai, Chairman of

the Board of Directors for theHelen Hayes Awards said it all:“Theatre is not a consequence,but rather a necessity, so that weknow what it is like to be human.”For a list of all the recipients of

this year’s awards, go to theEquity website atwww.actorsequity.org and clickonto the Wash/Balt link.

Gregory Gorton is theWashington/Baltimorecorrespondent for Equity News

Stephen Day and Susie Roelosfz. (Photo: Brian Miller)

Tommy Tune.

JJUUNNEE 22001111 EEQQUUIITTYYnews / 99

New York

Asian American Female PlaywrightsCelebrated in Short Play FestivalNearly 200 people attended

the Asian Heritage Month eventon May 12 and 13, 2011 co-pro-duced by the Eastern Equal Em-ployment Opportunity Committeeand Leviathan Lab, a creativestudio founded to support thework of Asian American perform-ing artists and run by many Equi-ty members.The Asian AmericanFemale Playwrights’ Short PlayFestival featured 12 short playsand monologues written bymembers of Leviathan’s AsianAmerican Women Writers’ Work-shop.Among the playwrights show-

cased were Equity membersLeanne Cabrera, Elaina ErikaDavis, Siho Ellsmore, NancyEng, EEO Co-Chair ChristineToy Johnson and Eileen Rivera,along with Nora Chau, DorimLee, Marisa Marquez, MayNazareno, Kristine M. Reyes andSusan Soon He Stanton.Equity Actors who performed

in the readings included Char-lotte D’Amboise, JenniferPrescott, Valerie Wright, SihoEllsmore, Nancy Eng, AngelaLin, James Chen, Helen Farmer,Zack Griffiths, Leanne Cabrera,Cindy Cheung, Loresa Lanceta,Lisa Villamaria, John ChristopherJones, Jo Jo Gonzalez, JaygeeMacapugay, Eileen Rivera andSandi Carroll. Equity directors

were Victor Lirio, Peter Kim andErnest Abuba.Half of the playwrights pre-

sented had had their work pro-duced at theatres around theglobe, from New York City to thePhilippines.The plays’ diversetopics included the recent earth-quake in Japan, online dating,dysfunctional Filipino families,Charlie Sheen’s women, theJapanese internment camps andthe Tiger Mom.Recent statistics show that

only 17% of the plays producedon America’s stages each sea-son and 12.9% of major NewYork productions are written bywomen. In addition, not oneAsian American female play-wright has ever had a play pro-duced on Broadway. This eventwas produced to foster the spir-it of hope that someday thesestatistics might change, and tocreate a platform to showcasethe talents of this under-repre-sented group.Leviathan’s producing team

was represented by Ariel Estra-da, EEOC member andFounder of Leviathan Lab; Nel-son T. Eusebio III, Leviathan’sResident Director, and play-wright Ji Hyn Lee. They workedwith Christine Toy Johnson andEastern EEO Business Repre-sentative Pearl Brady.

San Francisco

Equity Co-Sponsors Theatre Critics AwardsOnce again, Equity was a

proud co-sponsor of the SanFrancisco Bay Area TheatreCritics Circle Awardspresented on April 4, 2011 tohonor achievements during2010 by local actors andtheatres. Representing bothprint and electronic media, 28members of the SFBATCCsaw over 400 productions fromSan Jose to Santa Rosa andSan Francisco to Concord.Equity, which represents over1,000 Actors and StageManagers in the Bay Area,shares with the Critics Circle agoal to support professionalEquity theatres in order toimprove the livelihood of themembers who work there.The Critics Circle separates

the awards into threecategories: theatres with 99seats or less, 100-300 seatsand over 300 seats. This way,theatre companies of similarsizes compete and receiverecognition. An award is alsopresented for an outstandingtouring show. This year, WestSide Story, produced bySHN’s Best of Broadway,received the nod from amongfive nominations.

In the under 99 seatcategory, Equity membersAldo Billingslea (…and JesusMoonwalks the Mississippi,The Cutting Ball Theater) andDawn Scott (Intimate Apparel,Alter Theater) receivedPerformance Awards.In theatres having between

100 and 300 seats, AuroraTheatre Company and CenterRepertory Company receivedmultiple awards. MagicTheatre, Marin TheatreCompany, SF Playhouse andSan Francisco Mime Troupealso were recognized. AuroraTheatre Company’s Trouble inMind received the EnsembleAward; Equity’s RhonnieWashington was cited forSupporting Performance,Male; Tim Kniffin for BestPrincipal Performance, Maleand Margo Hall, PrincipalPerformance, Female. On themusical side, Equity’s KleaBlackhurst (Everything theTraffic Will Allow, 42nd StreetMoon) garnered an award forSolo Performance; NoelAnthony (She Loves Me,Center Repertory Company)was named for SupportingPerformance, Male; Molly Bell

(A Marvelous Party, CenterRep), SupportingPerformance, Female; RyanDrummond (She Loves Me),Principal Performance, Maleand Velina Brown (Posibilidad,or Death of the Worker, SanFrancisco Mime Troupe)Principal Performance,Female.In theatres with over 300

seats, Berkeley Rep,TheatreWorks, San JoseRepertory Theatre andAmerican ConservatoryTheatre all received multipleawards. Equity members GeoffHoyle (Lemony Snicket’s TheComposer is Dead, BerkeleyRep), Margo Hall (Marcus, orThe Secret of Sweet (TheBrother/Sister Plays, Part 3),ACT), Bill Irwin (Scapin, ACT),Jannie Jones and JessicaWortham (Black Pearl Sings!,San Jose Rep), andConstantine Germanacos (TheLight in the Piazza,TheatreWorks) all receivedawards.

For a complete list of theawards, visit the Equitywebsite: www.actorsequity.org.

New York

New Member Reception Features Gregory JbaraGuest speaker at the New

Member Reception in New YorkCity on May 9, 2011 was TonyAward ® recipient GregoryJbara.Mr. Jbara garnered a Tony,

Outer Critics Circle and DramaDesk Award for Best/Outstanding Featured Actor forhis work in Billy Elliot. He alsooriginated the roles of “AndreThibault” in the Broadwaymusical, Dirty RottenScoundrels, for which hereceived a Drama Desknomination, and “SquashBernstein” in Victor/Victoria.Other Broadway and Off-Broadway credits includeChicago, Damn Yankees!,Privates on Parade and ForeverPlaid. He attended theUniversity of Michigan andJuilliard, where he earned hisBFA in acting.Mr. Jbara began by

acknowledging Equity’s newestmembers. “I’m so impressed byyou. Being a native Michigander,I only had the courage to cometo NYC on my own because Ihad been accepted into astructured training program. Soto all of you who came herebecause you so passionatelywant to make it happen, I saluteyou.” Mr. Jbara relocated from

NYC to LA in the late 1990s.His career in LA was goingwell until a prolonged Writers’Guild strike stopped

production, followed by apotential SAG strike. With awife and two sons and anaffordable mortgage, movingthe family back to New Yorkwas not an option. Hesupportedthe needfor a strongSAGcontract,but neededto work. “The

solution -find a jobin NYC.Although itmeantspendingtime awayfrom myfamily, incase of a strike I wouldn’t haveto worry about feeding them.”A short time later his agent

called about Billy Elliot. Eventhough he was not on the listof people the production teamwanted to see, his agent waseventually able to get him anaudition. In the three monthinterim, Greg did everything hecould to bring himself closer tothe character. He gained 25pounds and on the auditionday, shaved off all his hair. Hebooked the job and said of theshow, “Billy Elliot has trulybeen the most professionallyand personally gratifying job Iever had. And interestingly, my

initial motivation was justsurvival; I needed a job so Icould take care of my family.”During the Q & A, Mr. Jbara

told the AEA newbies to “keepthrowing things at the wall” and

audition foreverything. Besavvy andsincere. For “BillyFlynn” inChicago, mostmen dressed insuits at thecallback, he worea tuxedo andbooked the role.Gumption andtalent make youmemorable; thatextra degree ofcommitment paysoff in the end.

Regarding long term survival,don’t assume someone elsewill do the work for you. Even ifyou have representation,agents need to be remindedthat you’re alive andrelationships with castingdirectors are vital. The mostgratified Actors are the one’swho are completely involved.Have an accurate profile on allthe internet casting sites. Andalways stay in touch.

(For more on the NewMember Reception andGregory Jbara visit the Equitywebsite www.actorsequity.organd the Membership/NewMember link.)

Gregory Jbara (Photo: Bill Kiefer)

Participants at the Asian American Female Playwrights ShortPlay Festival. (Photo: Lia Chang

Philadelphia

Get-Together SetThe Philadelphia Liaison

Committee is hosting a postshow get-together for Equitymembers and MembershipCandidates on Tuesdayevening, June 14, 2011 from

10 p.m. to midnight at Coco’sRestaurant, 112 South 8thStreet (between Chestnut andSansom Streets and aroundthe corner from the WalnutStreet Theatre). There will becomplimentary appetizers, acash bar, fun and friends.RSVP: Julie Czarnecki,PhillyCzar@aol.com.

The Lambs ®, America’s firstprofessional theatrical club,established in 1874, is alive andthriving at 3 West 51st Street inManhattan, where it has residedfor 35 years. The Lambs hasnever gone out of business, soldor licensed its name, nor is itconnected in any way to the

restaurant located in the buildingthe club erected on West 44thStreet. The Lambs, Inc. is aprivate club for professionals ofthe entertainment industry andproud of its 137-year history.(The Lambs ® is a registeredtrademark of the Lambs, Inc.)

New York

The Lambs Not Lost

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Equity partnered with theRoundabout TheatreCompany to celebrate BlackHistory Month with a specialone-night-only staged readingof Alice Childress’ 1955 play,Trouble in Mind, on February28, 2011 at the AmericanAirlines Theatre. Theproduction was directed byCharles Randolph-Wright,2010 recipient of Equity’s PaulRobeson Award, and featureda stellar cast of Equitymembers (Bill Irwin, LaChanze, Malachy McCourt,Tim McGeever, ErichMcMillan-McCall, Alano Miller,Roger Robinson, DonStephenson and LeslieUggams, and one non-member, Justine Lupe-Schomp (a student atJuilliard). The Stage Managerwas AEA member AmberDickerson.The evening was

introduced by Christine ToyJohnson and Julia BreanettaSimpson, co-chairs of theEastern Equal EmploymentOpportunity Committee.“We were extremely proud

to collaborate with two ofEquity’s big award winners:the Roundabout, winner of our‘Extraordinary Excellence inDiversity on Broadway Award’for their stunning production

of 110 in the Shade, and mydear friend, CharlesRandolph-Wright, our mostrecent recipient of the PaulRobeson Award,” said Ms.Johnson. “It was a trulyspectacular celebration of agreat playwright in both blackhistory and theatre history.” Ms. Simpson said, “The

staged reading of AliceChildress’ Trouble in Mind isone of the most exciting andimportant events everproduced by the EEOC incelebration of Black HistoryMonth. The content of Ms.Childress’ play is as relevanttoday as it was in 1955 whenfirst presented at theGreenwich Mews Theatre inNew York. We are proud to beassociated with this Broadwayfirst and hope it will ultimatelylead to a full scale Broadwayproduction.”

Trouble in Mind premieredOff-Broadway in 1955 toenthusiastic reviews from bothcritics and audiences. As aresult, it was optioned forBroadway and announced toopen in the spring of 1957under a new title, So EarlyMonday Morning. After twoyears of rewrites, however,Ms. Childress realized that theproducers would not besatisfied until she turned her

play from a subtle portrayal ofracism from the perspective ofan African-American womanto a “heart-warming little

story.” She was not willing todo this, and the productionwas cancelled.Alice Childress would have

been the first African

American female playwright tobe produced on Broadway hadTrouble in Mind been done asoriginally intended. She was,

however, the first AfricanAmerican female to win theObie for its Off-Broadwayproduction. (LorraineHansberry became the first

African American femaleplaywright to have a playproduced on Broadway in1959 with A Raisin in theSun.)As stated in the program

notes: “Childress certainlywent on to a successful careerregardless of this setback, butit is hard to believe that thisstunning play has not graceda Broadway stage untiltonight. To some extent,Childress was just so aheadof her time that the theatricalworld didn’t quite know whatto do with her work. Trouble inMind pre-dates the height ofthe civil rights and feministmovements, yet it speaksknowingly to these issues. Italso depicted the hypocrisy ofthe supposedly progressivemembers of the New Yorktheatre community who lackedan understanding of their ownprejudice, but this unflatteringportrait obviously bothered themembers of this realcommunity who could havehelped bring the play to life.” The original concept of a

reading of Trouble in Mind fora celebration of Black HistoryMonth came from AEAmember Erich McMillan-McCall, who is hoping toorganize readings of the playin African-American theatresthroughout the country, underthe auspices ofPROJECT1VOICE.

New York

Staged Reading of Childress Play Commemorates Black History Month

Readings of “Trouble in Mind” Will BenefitAfrican-American Theatre

African-Americantheatres across thecountry, including Equity’sBillie Holiday Theatre(Brooklyn, NY),Crossroads Theatre (NewBrunswick, NJ) and CongoSquare Theatre (Chicago,IL), will engage in anational day of celebrationof African-Americantheatre on June 20, 2011by producing benefitstaged readings of AliceChildress’ Trouble in Mind.The event, the brainchildof Equity member ErichMcMillan-McCall, alsorecognizes Juneteenth,known as Freedom Day orEmancipation Day,commemorating the

abolition of slavery in theU.S. in 1865. (The word isa portmanteau of “June”and “nineteenth,” and theday is recognized as aholiday in 37 states.)“This national day of

celebration honors thelate great playwright’sseminal work. It alsoseeks to highlight theAfrican-American theatrecompanies that arestruggling for their veryexistence,” said Mr.McMillan-McCall. “It isimperative that ourcommunity spark renewedinterest in the art, theartists and theorganizations whichnurture them.”

Deirdre O’Connell andReed Birney have receivedthe Seff Award. Ms.O’Connell was cited for herperformance in Lisa Kron’s InThe Wake at the PublicTheatre. She made her

Broadway debut in the 1986revival of The Front Page andwas nominated for the 1991Drama Desk Award forOutstanding Featured Actressin a Play for her performancein the Off-Broadway

production,Love andAnger. She isthe recipientof two Drama-LogueAwards and aLos AngelesDrama CriticsCircle Awardfor hertheatre workin LosAngeles.Reed

Birney wasrecognized

for his performances in ASmall Fire at PlaywrightsHorizons and Tigers Be Still,part of Roundabout’sUnderground series. OtherNew York appearancesinclude Playwrights Horizons’

Circle Mirror Transformation,Roundabout’s The Dream ofthe Burning Boy; Blasted atSoho Rep, for which hereceived a Drama Desknomination; Stuff Happens atthe Public andHomebody/Kabul at BAM. Hehas three Obies and a DramaDesk Award.The Judges’ panel for both

awards was JoeDziemianowicz, Daily News;Adam Feldman, Time Out NY;Harry Haun, Playbill andDavid Rosenberg, BackStage.

New York

Four Receive Equity AwardsThe Equity Foundation has

presented its annual ClarenceDerwent Award (to mostpromising performers on themetropolitanscene) andRichard SeffAward(honoringveterancharacteractors in asupportingBroadwayor Off-Broadwayproduction). The

Derwenthas gone toTraceeChimo(Bachelor -ette) andSantino Fontana (TheImportance of BeingEarnest).Before appearing in

Bachelorette, part of SecondStage Theatre Uptown’sseries, Ms. Chimo was seenOff-Broadway in Circle MirrorTransformation, whichreceived both Drama Deskand Obie special ensembleawards. She made herBroadway debut in Irena’s

Vow in 2009 after appearingin several showcaseproductions.Santino Fontana received

a Drama DeskAward for hisperformanceon Broadwayin the revivalof NeilSimon’sBrightonBeachMemoirs.Other creditsinclude theoriginalBroadwaycast of BillyElliot, Sunday

in the ParkWith Georgeat theRoundabout,the originalrevival cast ofTheFantasticksand regionalperformancesat the Guthrieand Old Globetheatres,among others.

Santino Fontana (r) and David Furr in The Importance of BeingEarnest. (Photo: Joan Marcus, 2010)

(L to r) Reed Birney, Halley Feiffer and Natasha Lyonne inTigers Be Still. (Photo: Joan Marcus, 2010)

Deirdre O’Connell.

Tracee Chimo.

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By Les ReinhardtStage Manager, Member ofBAAC

Forty-eight StageManagers (AEA and non-AEA) came from as far asSacramento to attend thefirst-ever San Francisco BayArea Stage Managers’Networking Event held inFred’s Columbia Room inACT’s Geary Theatre onMarch 28, 2011. HeathBelden, AEA Stage Managerand Chair of the Bay AreaAdvisory Committee (BAAC)Stage Managers’Subcommittee, spearheadedthe organization of the event.He contacted local AEA SMsand got the word out on theAEA website and in EquityNews. AEA SMs, includingStephanie Schliemann andJaimie L. Johnson, jumped atthe chance to be part of theevent. The response was sogreat that Mr. Belden had tocreate a waiting list, andturnout was amazing. Twelve theatres from San

Rafael to San Jose and allpoints in-between wererepresented by ProductionManagers, Resident StageManagers and ExecutiveDirectors. Each theatre hadits own table, and SMs movedfrom table to table in orderwhen the timekeeper rang abell. With just five minutes ateach table, it was anexhilarating experience. SaidMs. Schliemann: “I thought itwas great! A bit overwhelming

at first since you only had fiveminutes to talk to eachtheatre company but, on theother hand, it was a fabulousopportunity to meetrepresentatives from manylocal Bay Area theatres. If itwas offered, I would goagain.”

When asked about herexperience, Ms. Johnsonsaid, “I strengthened oldcontacts, though I haven’t gotmuch out of the new contactsyet. I thought the event wasvery well managed andhandled.”

As Stage Managers arrivedfor their scheduled hour, theyreceived a contact sheet forthe 12 theatrerepresentatives they would bemeeting. Each theatrerepresentative had his/herown idea about what the fiveminutes would entail. Somefelt it was their time to talkabout their company, otherslet the SMs talk aboutthemselves, while othersmade it a pretty equal give-and-take. The diversity oftheatres and individuals inthe room brought a constantbuzz of chatter that lent anaura of excitement to thewhole event.

As an AEA SM, workingprimarily in the South Bay forthe last few years, I thoughtthis was a great chance tointeract with a broader set ofcompanies. I can’t wait for thenext one!

San Francisco

Great Turnout for Stage Manager Mixer

Los Angeles

Roger Bart is Guest Speaker at New Member ReceptionTony Award ® recipient

Roger Bart was the GuestSpeaker at the New MemberReception in Los Angeles onApril 6, 2011.Mr. Bart’s Broadway credits

include You’re a GoodMan, Charlie Brown(Tony and Drama DeskAwards); TheProducers, (Tony andDrama Desknominations); YoungFrankenstein,originating the role ofDr. FrederickFrankenstein; Triumphof Love and the LincolnCenter production ofThe Frogs. Recently, atthe Pantages Theatrein Hollywood, hereprised his role inYoung Frankenstein.Film credits includeThe Stepford Wives,The Producers,American Gangster andthe singing voice ofYoung Hercules in Hercules.Television credits include TheEvent, CSI: Miami, 30 Rock,Desperate Housewives andLaw & Order.Mr. Bart told about his

career and the challengesActors go through on a dailybasis. He also spoke aboutthat exhilarating day when hereceived the Tony Award ® forYou’re a Good Man, CharlieBrown. A lasting memory wasduring the time of the terroristattack in New York City on9/11. He was performing inthe Broadway run of TheProducers and took greatpride in the fact that after theattack, the Broadwaycommunity came together,with Equity leading the

recovery. He concluded withan excerpt from a letterwritten by the late Equitymember Robert Prosky:

“It has been said that anActor must have the hide of a

rhinoceros, the courage andaudacity of a lion, and mostimportantly, the fragilevulnerability of an egg. It alsohas been said, and I’m notsure by whom, that themoment of not knowing is themoment that has the greatestpotential for creativity. Theprofessional and private livesof most Actors are filled tothe brim with moments of notknowing. Actors are survivorsand will continue to strivebecause they have the needto celebrate, in performance,that sacred communionbetween Actor and audience.”Other speakers included

Tina Hookum of The ActorsFund and Gabriel Olmos ofthe Actors Federal CreditUnion. Tina spoke of The

Fund’s mission as anationwide human servicesorganization helping allprofessionals in performingarts and entertainment with abroad spectrum of programs,

including comprehensivesocial services, healthcare services,employment, trainingand housing. The ActorsFederal Credit Union isa non-profit organizationchartered in 1962 for thebenefit of Actors’ Equitymembers. The CreditUnion, unlikecommercial financialinstitutions, cares aboutand serves only onegroup—theentertainmentcommunity.Equity staffers Ivan

Rivas and Doug Dixonexplained variouscontracts, Equityrequired auditions andthe LA pre-sign

privilege, and MembershipDepartment frequently askedquestions. AgencyRepresentative Michael VanDuzer went over thecommission schedule andanswered questions aboutwhat it means to be an EquityFranchised Agent.As Western Councillor

Clarinda Ross put it: “ If youhave an Equity card in yourpocket you can be an Actor,be active, go out and reallydo it. The New MemberReception provides ournewest members with a goodfoundation of information and,hopefully, the courage andsupport to embark on achallenging but rewardingcareer.”

South Florida

Members Race for the ArtsBy Irene AdjanSouth Florida EquityLiaison

Equity members in SouthFlorida participated in the10th Annual Race for the Arts

on Saturday, May 7, 2011.The 5K Race took place atJohn Prince Park in LakeWorth. We chose, however, tocasually stroll the 3.1 miles.As is the case most

everywhere, funding for artsprograms in the schools hasbeen drastically cut.Proceeds from the Race forthe Arts will be used to offerspecial project grants for artsprograms in Palm BeachCounty schools. My contact atthe event, Annette Johnson,was thrilled when I let herknow that a group from theUnion would be participatingin the walk. We thought thiswas a perfect communityservice event in which toparticipate. It raised moneyfor an important cause, andwe got to show the supportand presence of Actors’Equity to arts students andtheir parents and teachers.We proudly donned ourActors’ Equity shirts and hatsand walked with a sign clearlyidentifying Actors’ EquityAssociation. In addition tothose of us who walked,members also pledged

donations.Councillor Margot

Moreland said, “I felt it wasvery important to be a part ofthis event since it directlyaffects our Palm BeachCounty youth and theirinterest in the struggles tofind funding for the artsprograms, something ourstate of Florida feels is notimportant.” When asked whyshe chose to participate inthis event, Elizabeth Dimonreplied, “I felt after seeinghow much unions were takinga beating in the north, it wastime for me to take a moreactive role in my union andwith the people that populateit. As actors, we see eachother frequently, but comingtogether to show support as aunion, as a whole, insolidarity, is important so thatwe are seen by othersoutside of our close knitgroup. Anytime we can show

people that actors have aunion and the importance ofthat to us, and ultimately tothem, we must do so. I realizea union is as strong as itsmembers, and I have to domy part in making thathappen.” Lisa Manuli added,“I was so happy to participatein the Walk. It’s such a greatcause, and I love to takeadvantage of any chance thatI can get to support what wedo. I’m supporting the artsand supporting a union thatI’m very proud to be a part of.Can’t go wrong with that!”Getting theatre-folk to

show up at 7:00 a.m. is noeasy task, and I’m extremelygrateful to Margot, Beth, Lisaand Ed Limia for choosing toparticipate in this importantcause. Thank you, too, tothose who sent in pledges. Itwas a beautiful morning andit felt good to give back to ourlocal community!

South Florida members racing for the arts are (l to r) Lisa Manuli,Margot Moreland, Ed Limia, Elizabeth Dimon and Irene Adjan.

Roger Bart

IN MEMORIAMDear Editor:The Second City and

the entire Chicago theatrecommunity lost a mentor, acolleague, an icon and asecond mother whenJoyce Sloane passedaway earlier this year.There are literally

thousands of individualsworking in our industrythat can say definitivelythat Joyce Sloane gavethem their start. I’m one ofthose people. Her reachextended far beyond thehistoric Wells Street wallsof Second City—fromChicago ShakespeareTheatre to the Annoyance

Theatre; Victory Gardensto the late, great NationalJewish Theatre. Joyceloved theatre. She lovedartists. She gave her timeto anyone who asked for it.She lent couches to sleepon and clothes from hercloset. She arranged moremarriages than a Yentaand loved your childrenway more that she everloved you. And she’d sayso proudly.

We miss Joyce dearly,but her legacy continuesthe minute the house lightsdim on every stage in thecity she loved most of all.

Kelly LeonardThe Second City

Dear Editor:I was saddened by the

passing of John Craw-ford. In 1972 I was privi-leged to appear in a pro-duction of The Time ofYour Life, starring HenryFonda, Struther Martin,Gloria Graham, VictorFrench, Lou Gilbert, Ron-ny Thompson, Richard X.Slatter and John Craw-ford. John was a Renais-sance Man. A talentedmusician and writer, hewrote the screenplay forThe Ballad of CableHogue, starring JasonRobards Jr. and ap-peared as an actor in TheAmericanization of Emily

and other films.

In The Time of YourLife, he shared the stagewith his wife Nancy Jeris,a wonderful actress andgreat all-around broad. Iwas 25 at the time. Johnand Nancy were nurturingfigures, who helped meand several other youngactors survive the joyouscomplications of road life.We played the KennedyCenter, Locust StreetTheater in Philadelphia,Studebaker in Chicagoand the Huntington Hart-ford in Los Angeles.

Besides being a terrificactor, John Crawford wasa kind and robust mentor.His generosity toward myunformed life, helped meto become a more bal-anced and enthusiasticprofessional.

Lewis J. Stadlen

Dear Editor:

The New Englandtheatre community haslost a friend and staunchsupporter of Equity. MarcP. Smith, founder and firstProducing Artistic Directorof the Worcester FoothillsTheatre Company inWorcester MA., passedaway on March 23. Overthe last decade, Marc alsowrote and spoke on thereconciliation he knewhad to occur betweenGermans, Poles and Jewsover the events of the lastEuropean war.He completed pieces onPolish resistance fighterJan Karski (who broughtnews of the Holocaust tothe Allies), and Germanunderground anti-Naziopposition leadersHelmuth and Freya vonMoltke.

Marc and his wifeSusan, “Mom and Dad” ofthe Worcester Foothillsfamily, created awonderful environmentfor all workingprofessionals —encouraging andnurturing talent andproviding us withopportunities to try newthings and grow astheatre artists. He wasfair, kind, generous andunderstood theimportance of Actors’Equity as a partner increating a professionalworking environment thatwould be reflected in thehigh caliber of workpresented on theFoothills stage. He will bemissed.

Michael G. Dell’Orto

Greater Boston AreaLiaison

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Los Angeles

Member Ed Committee Hosts Series of Vocal SeminarsBy Jennie FordCouncillor; Chair, WesternMembership EducationCommittee

The Western RegionMembership EducationCommittee hosted a series ofthree vocal teaching seminars inApril. The guest teachers wereRachael Lawrence, DanCallaway and husband and wifeteam, Tom Griep and EvelynHalus.

Touted as “vocal coach to thestars,” Rachael’s approach isthat singing should be as easyas speaking and she believesevery actor should take voicelessons even if they don’tconsider themselves a singer.She strives to achieve the mostnatural sound from clients,encouraging everyone that ifthey can speak, they can sing.She spoke about how manyindividuals work way too hardand that if something is difficult,you probably aren’t doing itcorrectly. She said directors,musical directors, castingdirectors need to hear a brief,efficient snippet of a song that isjust long enough for them toexperience you and hear yourvoice. But she remindedattendees that they don’t literallycount bars of music. Rachael’sadvice: Sing only the bestsection of your song and don’tfixate on the exact number ofbars.

One of the most sought-afterteachers in LA, Dan isclassically trained and has ahands-on approach. He isimmediately able to identifywhat problem a singer has andhow to fix it. His philosophy isthat singing should consist ofthree things: breath, space andhow easy it feels. To get the bestsound and the mechanics of the

voice functioning, he works withsingers physically and byutilizing visualization. Hediscussed the air space behindthe soft palette (gaggy spot inthe back of your mouth wherethe uvula hangs down) and thenasal passage and focuses onmaking the most of your airwhile you sing. He also spokeabout jaw tension and keepingthe tongue loose so it does notretract back into your throat. Ifboth are loose it is impossible totighten up your throat.

As a musical director andfrequent audition accompanist,Tom spoke about the auditionprocess and what works best inthe audition room. As a pianistfor auditions, he prefers musictaped or printed onto card stockbecause music placed withinplastic sheaths is often, due toglare, difficult to read. Beprepared to review all pertinentmarkings and to sing a littlefrom the beginning so that theaccompanist can get the tempo.If your music is not well markedyou are putting your audition atrisk. If you can’t read music, hesuggests getting together withsomeone who does so that theycan help you make precise cutsin the music and show you howto clearly translate themaccurately to the page. Evelyn isa classically trained vocalist withextensive teaching andcoaching experience. She spokeat length about being loose andkeeping your larynx down to getthe most out of your voicewithout tension. They bothtalked about the purpose of asong, what makes it interestingboth to listen to and watch,emphasizing that purpose canbe more important than greatvocal ability.

New York

Softball SeasonOpens Up inCentral ParkThe Broadway Show

League kicked off its 57thseason in Central Park onMay 12, 2011. Openingday ceremonies werehosted by Actors FundPresident Brian StokesMitchell and includedperformers from Broadwayshows collectively throwingout the first pitch and Aaron Tveit (Catch Me if You Can) singing the National Anthem. Others at theevent were Edie Falco (House of Blue Leaves), Billy Crudup (Arcadia), Tom Wopat (Catch Me if YouCan), Chad Kimball (Memphis), Gregory Jbara (Billy Elliot), Darren Ritchie (Wonderland), Barry Pearl(Baby It’s You), Dominic Scaglione Jr. (Jersey Boys), Ryan Jesse (Jersey Boys), Mitch Jarvis (Rock ofAges) and Will Swenson (Priscilla, Queen of the Desert). At press time, Equity’s team was 2-0.Another softball note: There will be a charity softball game on June 27 at Yankee Stadium featuring

Broadway stars and Yankee oldtimers to benefit the Boomer Esiason Foundation Fighting CysticFibrosis and The Actors Fund.

Los Angeles

Equity Joins Actors Fund Teamin Revlon Run/Walk for WomenWomen and men in the entertainment industry,

including Team Equity, joined forces on Saturday, May 7,2011 as part of The Actors Fund Team at the 18thAnnual Revlon Run/Walk for Women.In addition to funding the fight against women’s

cancers, participation also supported The Fund’s PhyllisNewman Women’s Health Initiative, created to addressthe myriad of concerns women face when dealing with aserious medical condition.The Fund dedicated this year’s event in memory of

Lynn Redgrave, a beloved friend, colleague andsupporter. Equity member Joan Van Ark, a member ofTeam Equity, said: “I ran in celebration of Lynn—anactor’s actor.With every step and every heartbeat, Ithanked her for her greatness and inspiration. GodBless you, Lynn.” Joining Ms. Van Ark were AEA staffers Richard

Ostlund, Maura Murphy-Barrosse, Jacy Crawford andhis friend David Oates. Mr. Ostlund was the highestfundraiser, accounting for $1,000 of Team Equity’s totalof $1,160.

Scene Around

Joan Van Ark with Equity staffer RichardOstlund.

Letters received from paid up members on subjects of concern to Equity members will be considered andpublished as soon as possible. The Editor reserves the right to limit letters to 150 words and to select oneor two representative letters when many similar letters are received. Letters must be signed, but nameswill be withheld on request for those letters which may affect members’ employment. Signatures will notbe withheld on letters antagonistic or accusatory, either implied or expressed, against other members.Opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are not necessarily those of Actors’ Equity Association.

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