Assignment #3


Actors' Equity Association Rule Book



Note: there may be certain elements of the assignment which simply have no relevance to the Rule Book (although you shouldn't take that for granted either...)


Base your answers on the University/Resident Theatre Actors' Equity Association Rule Book (available here. Assume the theatre is in Tier II, and that the actors involved are Equity.



A. You hear that the Illinois Shakespeare Festival is planning to hire Equity actors, so you visit the producer in his office and request an interview. No one else being present or waiting, he says "sure" and asks you what you have done so far; what school training you had; what parts you have played etc., and then asks to see your Actor's Equity Card. You do not have it with you, but promise to bring it tomorrow. Upon returning the next day, he asks that you read him the part of Ophelia, as the only play he has definitely decided upon for the upcoming season is Hamlet. He says he is impressed, squeezes your hand encouragingly, and asks you to come back again the following week to meet his Director. You again read Ophelia and you are requested to "return the day after tomorrow" at 2:00 PM.

This time only the Producer is present, along with seven other actresses. The Producer informs all of you that the Director has been fired and that he is personally conducting the auditions, and that he will probably direct most of the shows, himself. He says that he is considering a run of eight consecutive recent Broadway musical comedies - no Shakespeare. You read Ophelia again, hopefully. He suggests you return, prepared with some ingenue roles; and he will audition you alone, as he is very much impressed with you.

But upon returning at the designated time and day, you find a note pinned to his door of his office saying that he was " unavoidably detained; please come back tomorrow , same time". You do as instructed in the note, read the part of the nurse in Cactus Flower, sing a few bars of Annie Get Your Gun, to your own accompaniment, and the Producer instructs you that you are "now in the finals" and the choice is between you and Suzy Sunshine, who has more experience.

Finally, the following week you get a call to report back to Westhoff Theatre, to audition. This time there is a Stage Manager (who also plays piano as accompanist for the auditions), a Stage Director (newly hired), and a Choreographer. You read the part of Juliet, do an impromptu sword fight with the choreographer, and then retire to a corner of the theatre and watch Suzy Sunshine audition, as you puff nervously on cigarettes. Much to your surprise, at the end of the audition you are awarded a principal acting position in the company at $400 per week, although the director tells you he's not sure which role you will play yet. The director has you sign the contract, and tells you that the Producer will sign the contract as soon as he arrives, and you will be sent a copy in the mail.

Meanwhile, Suzy is storming around, accusing the Producer and his staff of unethical conduct. The Producer arrives after she storms out; signs your contract, kisses you and says he is looking forward to your debut in the first show... but you go home to read your rule book.

QUERY: Any breaches of contract here? If so, specify them. Quote rules violated by rule and page number.



B. Dustin Hoffman calls you. Says he is to star in the first show at the Illinois Shakespeare Festival, and will be playing opposite you, and is looking forward to meeting you and working with you. He asks if you will look up something in your Rule Book as he has lost his copy: does a star performer hired to perform Tuesday through Sunday have the right to also appear in a niteclub two miles away from the theatre, from Midnite until 2:00 am each Tuesday through Saturday of the same playing week? You promise to call him back. What do you tell him?



C. When you arrive at the theatre for work, the Company Manager meets you and excitedly tells you that the Festival has arranged for free housing for you. There are regular rooms available in one of the residence halls for the actors (2 per room), and they're furnished with beds, dressers, and desks. Food service is closed for the summer, but the Company Manager informs you that there are a number of reasonable restaurants close by. When you ask if it's possible to have a room by yourself, he says there are a number of inexpensive apartments available that you could rent yourself and that he'd be happy to help you arrange it. Is this OK?



D. You are the manager of the Shakespeare Festival and you're putting together the rehearsal schedule. The opening week performances are: Assume that you are only doing those two shows, and that all actors are equity and are cast in both shows. Prior to opening, your preference is to have 4-hour rehearsal blocks, with each show rehearsing each day. Put together a rehearsal schedule that maximizes your legal rehearsal time (without violating Equity rules) from June 12 until you open. Note the following: How will you deal with all of these within the rules? Note the relevant rules when commenting.



E. You, Martha Mitchell, come off the stage after the curtain call on opening night, and, instead of being told by your mother about what a great job you did, she says: "the program says you are playing Tom Tyler". She shows it to you:
Tom Tyler...............................Martha Mitchell
Tom Tyler...............................Dustin Hoffman
You see the manager in the hall and tell him of the error and he acknowledges that he noticed it, and had asked Hoffman if he wanted it corrected, and Hoffman said, "Naw, it's O.K."

When nothing is done, on Thursday you speak to him again. He patiently points out to you that there is no way to change the program at this late date as they are all printed in advance for the whole week. You leave in tears, and go directly home to check the rule book, missing the cast party.

QUERY: Do you have any recourse?



F. (unrelated to previous situations). You are relegated to a minor role with but six lines of a sad little song. Just prior to its opening night, the lead is stricken with appendicitis and the Director asks you to take over the lead part. You agree after the Manager states that he will personally make an announcement from the stage before every performance about your last-minute replacement, and that you will be permitted to read your part from the script and score, right on stage, whenever you require help with the part. However, you cannot fit into the costumes of the original actress, so the Manager asks you to select the most appropriate clothes from your own wardrobe. You wear, with the approval of the Director:
Act I: 2 summer dresses, 1 floppy hat, terry-cloth "cover up", white evening dress, underwear (no stockings), white dress pumps

Act II: one piece bathing suit, one torn pair of sneakers, 1 pr. of plain sandals, blonde wig (you are a brunette)
Despite your cooperation in the emergency, the producer is highly critical of your performance during the week's run, and you begin to hate him. You are also aware that Equity has not been informed of the change. You decide to charge the producer for every penny the rule book entitles you to.

QUERY:
  1. Are you entitled for extra compensation for "stepping in"? How much?
  2. Are you entitled to any compensation for the clothes you supplied? If so, how much?
  3. Are you entitled to any reimbursement for cleaning and/or laundering the clothes you wore on stage? Which ones? How much?
  4. Could you suddenly, three-quarters of an hour before the fourth performance, demand $200 per performance, plus $25 per costume you are supplying -- and refuse to play the lead unless they sign a contract agreeing to those terms? If so, can these terms be retroactive to the first performance of the week?




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