It really has been a bad week for Broadway, but extra super-duper bad for Actors Equity. Like anybody needed it with dwindling box office and Covid-19 taking another curtain call.
First, Patti LuPone withdraws from the union, and yesterday Garth Drabinsky sues AEA for 50 million bucks for defamation.
To save you the work, I’m gonna summarize his complaint.. I’ve gotten pretty good at reading legal documents for a variety of reasons.
For reals, I find it interesting. Here it is.. all 50 something pages. I recommend reading the whole shebangle if you want to.
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zli69v18yxy4avu/Drabinsky%20v.%20Actors%27%20Equity.pdf?dl=0
Oh, before I start, I’ve been following the sosh since LuPone quit the union, and the overwhelming majority of comments regarding her are dismissive. They range from calling her a media whore, to crazy, to ARROGANT to a diva yada yada.
No comment from Actors Equity.
A lot of “how dare she”s and “she’ll get hers” and stuff like that.
I dipped my toe in the interwebs water and said a simple something to the effect of “I don’t blame her” on a dudewhoIhadworkedonBroadwaywith’s wall, he with the ARROGANT moniker, and I was subsequently labeled with snark and derision by his social media friends as a victim of child abuse, an alcoholic and a drug addict.
I wish I was making that up, but I’m not. I also wish I was surprised at that level of discourse…
Actors Equity is a cult… I really didn’t need any more proof but got it anyway.
Anyhoo, that pretty much sums up the level of brains in the theater industry today… particularly in the old AEA.
Garth and Patti… that sounds like a WB series… have more in common than you know. Both intersect in Actors Equity Association.
Turning on a Broadway star who has brought in millions of bucks to the theater industry is one thing. But, it doesn’t surprise me. Equity has evidently told her she’ll have to reapply to join the union and be judged by some sort of tribunal… just like every other run of the mill actor who has like 3 Tonys and kept theater afloat for 40 years.
But, being labeled a diva is quite different than being labeled…
A racist.
And that’s why Garth Drabinsky is suing Actors Equity. And that’s why he may win his lawsuit. It’s gonna be a lot harder to dismiss him with snark because this is a brewing legal battle.
Since I have intimate experience with both the union and Garth, no I didn’t sleep with him, I’m gonna give a little preview of why I think his suit has merit, and, if this case goes to trial, why Equity may not want the curtain pulled back on what I can only describe as a dysfunctional, identity driven leadership that has failed it’s members.
Patti may be proven right, by a detour.
I was cast in the original workshop of Hal’s “Showboat”, and I was there for some of the many discussions I’m sure surrounding using the original lyrics.
I subsequently was hired for the Toronto production of “Showboat” for a year playing Pete.. the dude who says that word.
I’ll be getting into the Garth stuff, but what most people aren’t aware of is the temperature in the union regarding race. I’ve written about it in previous blogs, but race, in addition to other identity issues has consumed the union to the point of chaos.
From my experience, using race as a weapon in the union started a few years ago in an election for council. As I’m writing this it just sounds so stupid. People running wanted to win, and it sort of turned into a race war of accusing people of being racistby5yearoldtweet or racist by knowing somebody or racist by ____________.
It was commandeered by the executive council for the most part.. amplified and weaponized… and sprinkled on the cult.
Without a doubt, it was a smear campaign.
The sole purpose was to disable.
Not one person in leadership. Not one, put a stop to it. Quite the opposite.
The fallout of that insanity was very real… one guy lost his job, many lost their reputations, death threats, rape threats and so much pain was inflicted all the way around.
Well, my friends, the elections are over, but the weaponization of racism remains in the union to this moment.
It lingers in the council room… it’s part of the chairs and the air and the tension that remains.
Garth brought up the controversy that occurred in “Showboat”.. and that word, with union reps in the room. Talking about race doesn’t make you a racist. They knew it. They knew the context. But, decided, in my opinion quite strategically, to target Garth as a racist.
They know how to do that.
In my experience working for Garth for several years, I can say with complete confidence he is not a racist. Sometimes he’s an asshole and a bully… but not a racist.
I am very interested, if there’s some sort of discovery in a trial, who crafted that letter, who was in the room and who signed off on it.
I have some very good guesses.
The next part of Drabinsky’s complaint I also find is strategic stonewalling by the union. Sexual harassment claims are sorta candy for the president of AEA in particular… she leapt off the dais to kick one guy out of the union for sexual harassment and the Harry Potter dude was fired to name a few of the cases the union was very jazzed about.
Why wouldn’t the union follow through on this?
The union violated their own rules of protocol.. why?
Ok, this caught my attention. Equity kept the bonds for both runs of “Paradise Square”.. well over half a million bucks.. and kind of ATMing with it. There are lots of legal and contractual obligations centered around what it can be used for.
Unions are hyper aware, or should be, of strikes and work stoppages. I mean, that’s the nuclear option. They used it, but I would say in a more casual, mundane sort of Abomb way…
There was a lot more strategic stonewalling by the union that did nothing but further marginalize Garth. It culminated in putting him on the DO NOT WORK list after…after the show had closed.
Thank you for taking this little ride with me. No matter the outcome, the resources of AEA are unfortunately depleted from the COVID crazy…
Dues money is what’s gonna pay for this. Every member’s dues money… which is hard earned in so many ways.
This sorta reminds me of the Catholic Church and putting your very own money in the collection basket. Do you want a chunk of your paycheck to go to civil judgements?
I figured that one out a long time ago…but it sure seems the union is pressing it’s luck lately. I’m not sure if there’s a tipping point, but now I think it’s more than reasonable to ask questions and get some accountability. And answers.
I do believe some sunlight is needed.
No whammies!
Robert DuSold 
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