Robert DuSold

How are you doing?

If you ask an actor, or any theater worker that question, you will probably hear “not so good”. As we limp towards 8 months of no work and theater being essentially shut down, thousands of actors and artists are getting desperate. The Met is closed until at least September of 2021. Broadway is shuttered through January, although that’s just a placeholder for ticket refunds. Theater in New York City will be closed for the majority of next year I think, and even that’s being hopeful.

Regional theaters across the country are being devastated by this pandemic too. They face not only the loss of jobs and income, but the reality that they will not survive as institutions. For months, dozens of theater companies across the country have petitioned Actors Equity to use union actors under strict safety protocols. They have submitted rigorous, highly detailed plans to the union to ensure a safe working environment for the cast and crew.

Over the summer, 2 theaters were granted permission, in the Berkshires… out of dozens. Even after being granted permission from Equity, they had to further curtail their seating capacity and change their venues to outdoors only.

Just this week, after the Goodman Theater in Chicago got exceedingly rare permission from the union for a production in a park, the show did not go on and was cancelled because, you guessed it, someone became infected with COVID-19.

When the stakes are life and death for you, and life and death for your theater, the union has found itself in the center of a growing shitshow… denying dozens of theatres the ability to employ Equity actors. Many of these theaters are gonna close as a result. Or, in the short term go non Equity.

Here’s the safety plan put forth to the union from American Shakespeare Center in Virginia… as you can see, it’s highly detailed, in an area with a low infection rate:

https://americanshakespearecenter.com/asc–plan/

They were rejected, and the season went on with a leading actress dropping out of the union in order to work.

I’ve seen the safety plans from a few other theaters, and they are quite similar in scope and detail.

They were all rejected, some as recently as this week.

Most of these theaters are proposing one person shows, or two handers in their requests… this really isn’t about employing actors as much as keeping their institutions alive. Keeping the buzz going, the audience engaged. Staying relevant and on artistic life support until audiences will feel comfortable returning.

So why did Milwaukee Rep just get permission to use union actors for a production of “A Christmas Carol” in December?

Indoors? December 1st- 24. In Wisconsin?

The Covid-19 infection rate in Wisconsin is at the highest alert level. The positivity rate is currently 22%. The virus is out of control, and that’s now… it will exponentially get worse as the cold weather approaches.

https://amp.jsonline.com/amp/3564644001

Mark Clements is the Artistic Director of Milwaukee Rep, who oversees the multimillion dollar theater company. His salary, last year, was in excess of $260,000 per tax filings provided by Pro Publica.

His wife, Kelley Faulkner, is the newly elected Central Regional Vice President of Actors Equity who oversees the Milwaukee area.

She also oversees who gets to use union actors in their theaters.

Actors Equity has some explaining to do. It’s obviously a conflict of interest to have a sitting officer in Equity married to an artistic director of a multimillion dollar theater to begin with. But this takes it to a whole new level. Mrs. Clements, and the entire union owe not only the membership an explanation, but also the many theaters across the country that STILL want to use Equity actors.

Why did Milwaukee Rep get to use union actors and dozens of theaters with the same protocols were denied? Theaters across the country have complained of being stonewalled by the union, and they have.

Personally, I err on the side of protecting human life, so if I were king I would not allow any union actors to work while this pandemic is remaining out of control and getting worse. The utter failure of the federal government to control this virus is the frustrating centerpiece of the union’s inability to deal with this effectively.

Unfortunately, that train left the station over the summer… some theaters opened up with union actors. The overwhelming majority did not. An argument can’t really be made as to why.

So life and death and life and death … and cheese, beer a 🦠 and a union with a lot of explaining to do.

They better hurry while they have a voice.