Professional work on the stage includes Broadway; out-of-town or road companies of Broadway shows; touring companies and/or bus and truck companies of shows that may or may not have originated on Broadway, and may or may not ever get to Broadway; regional theatres; dinner theatres; Off-Broadway, and Off-Off Broadway, and similar small theatres in Los Angeles, Chicago, and San Francisco, much of which consists of workshop and nonprofessional productions; summer and winter stock; some children's theatre and many university theatre groups.
Everyone who works professionally in these areas (exclusive of workshop productions) is a member of Actors' Equity Association, the union administering jurisdiction over the live legitimate theatre.
Broadway
The minimum wage on Broadway, effective 2013, is $1,754 per week. Most chorus members (singers and dancers in musical shows) work for minimum or close to it. Most principal actors (those playing larger speaking parts) negotiate higher salaries for themselves.
Stars of Broadway productions may earn $5,000-$25,000 or more a week, plus a percentage of the gross receipts. Rehearsal and performance salaries are the same. Dramatic productions may rehearse up to eight weeks, and musicals may rehearse for nine weeks for principals and ten weeks for chorus.
There are also numerous fringe benefits negotiated by the union, including health insurance coverage, employer contributions to a pension plan, and paid vacations.
Regional Theatre
The growth of theatre away from such traditional areas as Broadway began in the 1960s, and by 1966 had proliferated to the point that a new department and separate contract had to be created by Actors' Equity Association to deal specifically with this new phenomenon. In 1975, Equity had contracts with 43 theatres grouped together as the League of Resident Theatres (LORT). Today, there are more than 80, and employment is second only to the Broadway contract. There are professional resident theatres in half the states of the union, including such well-known and long-established theatres as the Cleveland Playhouse; Alley Theatre in Houston, Texas; the Goodman Theatre in Chicago; Center Stage in Baltimore; Mark Taper Forum in Los Angeles; Actors' Theatre of Louisville, Kentucky; The Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis; Yale University School of Drama; McCarter Theatre Company at Princeton University; American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco; and the Arena Stage in Washington, D.C.
Sometimes, productions that have their origins in resident theatres meet with such critical acclaim that they may be moved to Broadway.
An example is The Great White Hope, which began at the Arena Stage before beginning a very successful run on Broadway and being made into a film.
Minimum salaries for LORT Theatres are based on seating capacity and potential gross of the theatre; but they range from around $450 per week to over $600.
Dinner Theatres
Dinner theatres, though their numbers have declined in recent years, remain a good source of employment for actors. There are professional dinner theatres in about half the states in the union. They may accommodate up to a thousand patrons, ranging downward in size to one company in Minnesota with only 130 seats. Minimum salaries are based on seating capacity and go from less than $300 per week to more than $450.
Off-Broadway
The Off-Broadway theatre took hold in the early 1950s as an offshoot of the more "commercial" Broadway theatre. It developed primarily in converted Greenwich Village lofts and basements. Once it was considered the ideal way to break into the so-called big-time and gain notice without too much experience, because few of the more experienced actors would work for the salaries offered. As late as 1961, rehearsals for Off-Broadway shows paid only $20 a week, and salaries after opening began at $45. Here, too, salaries are now based on size and the potential box office gross of the theatre. The minimum ranges from about $380 per week in the smallest theatres (from 100 to 199 seats) to nearly $763 weekly in the largest theatres (351 to 499 seats) for both rehearsal and performance. Off-Broadway productions now get as much attention from drama critics in the large metropolitan newspapers as do the plays uptown on Broadway. Some of the most exciting work in the New York theatre has been done Off-Broadway including Driving Miss Daisy, Steel Magnolias, and Nunsense. Tennessee Williams, Samuel Beckett, and Sean O'Casey have permitted some of their works to be first seen Off-Broadway.
The phenomenal, very rapid development of Off-Broadway theatre represented, in Williams' words, "the greatest new thing that has happened to the American theatre, because really experimental things can be done at such low cost. The thing that prohibits experiment on Broadway," Mr. Williams said, "is the tremendously enormous cost of experiment." Since he first expressed that view, however, the cost of mounting even an Off-Broadway production has increased. This cost is still considerably less than the "cost of experiment" on Broadway.
To qualify as an Off-Broadway "house" in terms of computing salaries, a theatre is usually located outside the immediate Broadway theatre area. Also, it may not seat more than 499 persons; 199 seats are usual. While most actors working Off-Broadway settle for close to the minimum salary, here, as on Broadway, actors may negotiate higher salaries.
There are other considerations, too, for, as is the case with most union contracts, the Off-Broadway agreement is rather complex. When one becomes a member of a union, it is advisable to check with it the details of the particular contract under which the actor works. Many of the problems between actors and producers stem from a failure by the members to contact their unions when they begin working. Many actors, too, do not bother to learn the details of their contracts before signing them.
Off-Off Broadway
As production costs increased and Off-Broadway gained more recognition, it was inevitable that it, too, would "go commercial." At this time, Off-Off Broadway theatre appeared, along with the Equity Showcase Code, to protect the professional actors appearing in these productions. A showcase, by Equity's definition, is a nonprofit production participated in by Equity members for the purpose of presenting scenes and/or a play for the benefit of the participating actors in limited semi-public performance. No obligatory admission fee in any form is paid. Shows that have begun as showcases and gone on to far greater glory include A Chorus Line, Ain't Misbehavin', and The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.
But Off-Off Broadway is mainly for the nonprofessional. It is here, in the lofts and basements, that experimentation and learning may still flourish without risk of financial disaster.
Stock
Stock used to be the traditional "meat and potatoes" of the acting profession. It was the fertile soil from which many outstanding talents have sprung and grown. Over fifty years ago, there were hundreds of stock companies flourishing throughout the country, and the resident actor, impelled by necessity and constant exposure, often worked 50 weeks a year. The late actor Ralph Bellamy, renowned star and former president of Actors' Equity Association, estimated that early in his career, he performed 400 separate roles in stock, going from a beginning salary of $25 to several hundred dollars weekly. The solid background of working before audiences in stock paved the way for his continued success and development. With many of the senior members of the profession, the story is pretty much the same.
Employment in summer stock is declining annually. (A stock company is one that rehearses a particular show and performs it in the evenings, while rehearsing the subsequent production during the day.)
Summer stock employment peaked in 1964. Reasons for the current decline include rising costs, which are forcing small capacity theatres out of existence. Also, large musical theatres have found it more profitable to present variety shows headlining TV and recording stars.
There are still stock companies functioning throughout the country during the summer months. Many of them are offshoots of university drama-schools; some are sponsored by community groups. Of these theatres, less than 35 are professional companies, employing Equity actors.
These professional companies fall into different categories. There are resident dramatic stock companies: companies employing at least five principal actors who go from one production to another in the company. These theatres are subdivided within themselves into four distinct categories, depending on the potential box office gross of the theatre: "X" Companies, "Y" Companies, "Z" Companies, and a relatively new category, "ZZ," where the potential weekly box office gross is below $35,000. "X" Companies are the larger theatres. The minimum weekly salary for resident actors in such a company is $598. "Y" Companies, the second category, pay residents $551 weekly. As might be supposed, these theatres have intermediate capacities. "Z" Companies are the smaller theatres, with minimums set at $502 weekly, and the minimum salary at a "ZZ" company is $425.
Another stock company is the large outdoor musical theatre. These companies seat thousands of people, employ casts of up to 50 performers, and mount productions every bit as lavish as their Broadway counterparts. There are, however, only two such theatres that currently negotiate with Actors' Equity: Sacramento Music Theatre and Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera. Minimum salary for professionals working in residence at these theatres is $655 a week. But, as is the case on Broadway, principal actors usually receive a good deal more. This minimum is for both resident actors and jobbers (actors who come in for only specific roles).
In nonresident dramatic stock companies, the so-called straw hat circuit that usually hires stars to tour in their productions, the minimum weekly salary for an actor goes from less than $500 per week to more than $600 weekly.
In stock, actors pay for their own food and lodging, but unless they are making well over the minimum salary, the producer must find them reasonable accommodations and places to eat. There are also numerous fringe benefits, such as health insurance coverage, transportation of baggage, and cleaning of personal clothes worn in productions.
Transportation from city to city, if one is working in stock, on the road or filming "on location," is always paid by the producer.
Performing in an outdoor drama is another way to spend an exciting summer. Most companies perform historical pageants and employ large casts. These companies provide an opportunity to work with Hollywood stunt people and are a combination of summer camp and Western movies. Union theatres pay a minimum salary in excess of $500 weekly.
The major outdoor drama companies are Tecumseh/Shenandoah in Chillicothe, Ohio; Trumpet in the Land, produced by the Ohio Outdoor Historical Drama Association in Dover, Ohio; Lone Star, in Galveston, Texas; Young Abe Lincoln, produced by the Lincoln Boyhood Drama Association in Lincoln City; Indiana and Blue Jacket, produced by First Frontier in Xenia, Ohio.
There are also opportunities for young singers and dancers in amusement and theme parks, like Disneyland. Here, too, large casts are required. Most work in this area is nonunion. The work schedule is grueling, but the pay is decent and the experience is excellent. Cruise ships also provide another venue for singers and dancers who like to travel.
Dramatics Magazine, published monthly except June, July, and Au-gust by the Educational Theatre Association (a national nonprofit arts service organization dedicated to the advancement of educational theatre) annually publishes a comprehensive summer theatre directory which includes a state-by-state listing of summer theatre training programs, university-based study programs, university summer theatres, conservatories and arts schools, professional summer theatres, specialized workshops, summer camps, outdoor drama companies and amusement and theme parks. The listings include programs offered, admission requirements and name of the person to contact for information. Included, too, are Canadian and international training grounds.
Subscription information for Dramatics may be obtained by writing to the Educational Theatre Association, Cincinnati, Ohio 45225.
Children's Theatre
Children's Theatre, more formally known as Theatre for Young Audiences, provides acting opportunities for both amateur and professional performers. Actors' Equity claimed jurisdiction over this area in 1969 and lists over 55 professional companies throughout the country. However, many more are nonunion or community-based and should be investigated as possible sources of employment. In many cases, working with a children's theatre group is seasonal (Christmas and spring vacation times or summer) or weekend work, and can be pursued while also working at a paying job. Salaries for Equity actors are $315 per week, or in a smaller company with a limited number of performances, from $47.50 to $62.50 per performance. Many actors have received their early training at a Theatre for Young Audiences Company.
Business Theatre
Many stars work in industrial or business theatre shows and a few may also be identified with a certain product through television commercials. Industrial shows are those productions (sometimes performed only once) that are paid for by a company and presented to an invited, nonpaying audience. Often, the audience consists of the company's employees. Automobile manufacturers often use an industrial show to demonstrate new cars to sales organizations.
In years past, as industry discovered that theatrical techniques were useful in communicating with audiences, these presentations grew in lavishness, and entire production companies were completely devoted to creating and producing industrial shows and films. But today, industrial shows have become more modest in an effort to economize.
Even for the chorus performer or the principal with only two lines, industrial shows are considered choice employment.
The wages in legitimate (stage) industrial shows cover three separate categories. Actors employed for two weeks or more (most industrials tour the country from four to six weeks) earn almost $1,000 weekly.
Actors employed for seven days earn more than $1,200 weekly. The daily rate for less than seven days is more than $400 for the first day and over $200 thereafter. In addition there is a payment of $70 living allowance for each day the performer is away from home.
There are also numerous fringe benefits associated with industrial shows, including accident and health insurance, contributions to the pension and health funds, overtime payment, etc.
Film for Theatres and Television
Motion pictures, which for our purposes shall be defined as anything performed on film (even if shown on television), come under the jurisdiction of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG).
In addition, some shows done on tape for TV viewing are produced under SAG contracts, while some taped shows are produced under the jurisdiction of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA).
As with the stage, there are also different agreements covering various kinds of films. Before television and industrial shows came on the scene, a picture was a picture, and obviously, it would be seen by an audience that bought tickets to a neighborhood theatre. That situation changed years ago. While there are still pictures filmed for theatrical release, there are also separate conditions for films made for television commercials. There is also a separate agreement for "extras" (people who appear in crowd scenes or otherwise provide background), and there is a complex formula for extra payment for recent films that are also shown on TV. And, as a result of a strike by members of AFTRA and SAG, there are special payments for films shown on VCRs and other new electronic equipment.
It must be emphasized that this information represents only the most rudimentary summary of base salaries and other conditions. The actual SAG contract with the motion picture producers runs more than 170 pages. Briefly, then, let us list a few examples of these various conditions.
Whereas employment on the stage is usually predicated on a minimum work of two weeks, most salaries in feature films (those made originally for theatre viewing) are based on daily or weekly rates.
Unlike the feature films, television films have a special interim pay scale for three days' work, since many half-hour television shows complete most of their shooting in a three-day time span, and there are refinements of these contracts to encompass the filming of multiple episodes of a television series, provisions for overtime, and "residual rights," etc.
These "residual rights" have, in recent years, assumed enormous economic importance to the actor, particularly in the field of filmed television commercials. Residual payments may be defined as additional payment to the actor for re-showing on television a play or commercial (on tape or film) in which the actor appeared; the amount of the payment is related to the number of times the program or "spot" (a short commercial shown between programs) is used, and the number of cities in which it is shown.
All the wage scales negotiated by the unions are minimum requirements. The actor can be paid as much as he or she can get, but the great majority of performers must be content to work for "scale" (minimum).
There are also contract provisions for residual payments for television films and recent regular feature movies, and many actors who appeared in television serials that are being rerun collect money for those, too.
Radio
Performing on radio is under the jurisdiction of AFTRA. Never a broad avenue at best, radio acting is making a comeback of sorts in terms of dramatic programming-shows using actors as opposed to those utilizing only the services of announcers, news broadcasters, or disc jockeys. Still, radio performances on dramatic shows and commercials are usually done in major production centers (New York and Hollywood) by a few dozen actors who have been at it for years.
Original theatre by exciting playwrights, including Wendy Wasserstein, is being presented on public radio stations around the country. Peabody Award-winning producer Marjorie Van Halteren, in an interview in the trade press, said "Radio drama is making resurgence. There are more people doing it now than ever before...I don't have a hang-up on good voices. I'm interested in people who inhabit their voices. People who do a lot of voice-over commercial work have a hurdle to get over when they work for me."
Television
Except for a difference in the minimum wage scales, the same basic contract principles apply to television broadcasting as to radio. There is a standard minimum rate for network broadcasting and a wide variance in local rates, depending on where the stations are located. Stations in New York, Los Angeles, Washington, and Chicago pay the highest minimums for local broadcasts.
Network broadcasts are something else again. A certain number of rehearsal hours is included. Overtime for television rehearsals is paid at different rates, depending on the circumstances, and overtime payment.
As with theatre and films, most experienced principal actors earn more than the scale salaries for "one-shot" shows. Those appearing regularly on the few soap operas still left, however, usually work for scale or close to it, in exchange for guarantees of continuous employment for anywhere from 13 to 52 weeks. Taped shows that are shown again offer residual payments to the actors.
AFTRA and SAG have negotiated jointly in the field of "prime-time" television, so that the rates and repayment structure for prime-time programs are identical for each union, and in some cases, they are higher than for other network shows.
AFTRA has separate contracts covering local and network radio broadcasts, local and network television broadcasts, taped television, sound recordings, transcriptions, and commercials under these separate and individual circumstances. There are numerous sub-classifications, fringe benefits, and working conditions that have not been mentioned, including special (and lower) scales for extras. Then there are other rules and wage levels applying only to announcers, news broadcasters, singers, and sportscasters.
In the field of television, too, the oft-repeated commercial yields high returns.
Whether commercials are performed on film, are done live, or taped on television, they are something quite separate and apart from conventional acting. Many good actors find it virtually impossible to adapt to the "hard sell" technique of looking directly at the camera's lens and "pitching" a product. The actor's job essentially is to relate to other people, and sometimes the only thing available in a commercial is a cake of soap. Conversely, many relaxed and attractive performers, who have no difficulty whatsoever convincing a camera that the thing they would most like to do in the whole world is unclog a sink with a certain product, are not at their best when they are put onstage with other people. Few actors today can afford the luxury of specialization. To survive, they must do everything.
Award-winning actor Eli Wallach was the voice of Toyota for many years. Asked how he felt about acting in commercials, he replied, "I don't think you should be ashamed of doing commercials. Anything that sustains the actor while he tries to get into the theatre is worth doing. Olivier did commercials; so did Gielgud and Orson Welles."
