The Vision of City Equity Theatre
City Equity Theatre is Birmingham's Flagship Professional Actor's Equity Association Company.
Our Mission:
* To Enrich Theatre Artists' Process And The Community's Life, By Producing Provocative Modern And Classical Plays That Enlighten The Human Condition.
* To Expand The Presence Of Actors Equity Association In The Region For Both Professional And Emerging Theatre Artists.
The board of CITY EQUITY envisions CET as a professional company where members of EQUITY (living in Birmingham or moving to Birmingham) can work and where non-equity actors (pursuing a professional career as an actor or stage manager) can eventually gain membership thru either professional contract employment or an EMC candidacy program.
With the success of seasons 1 thru 4 providing membership opportunity to actors Jonathan Goldstein, Jean-Marie Collins, Quinton Cockrell and Carolyn Messina, this season firmly establishes CET as the longest running professional equity theatre in Birmingham history.
The goal for this year is to look at the viability of producing 4 shows in 4 seasons.
Also with 2011 comes a new board with the following individuals serving in different positions and having increased responsibilities:
Alan Gardner - President (union liason)
Jonathan Fuller - Vice President
Mae Robertson - Secretary
Bert Brosowsky - Voting member
Jason McLaughlin - Voting member
Alan Litsey - Voting member
Actors Equity (Equity) is the union for professional stage actors and stage-managers.
Visit http://www.actorsequity.org/home.html for more information about the union.
Actors become members of Equity for many reasons but ultimately it comes down to being able to compete in large metropolitan areas for professional employment as an actor; with predetermined rules, regulations, work hours, and benefits such as health insurance and a pension.
In cities like Los Angeles and New York, Equity members are allowed to perform at theatres which sign on to either the 99 seat Waiver plan (LA )or the Showcase Code (in New York) these allow actors to work in spaces under 99 seats, in order to be able to continue to "work on their craft," and showcase their work. But in smaller metropolitan areas like Birmingham members are extended this opportunity by using the Member’s Project Code.
AMERICAN BUFFALO, SOMEONE WHO'LL WATCH OVER ME, THE CRIPPLE OF INISHMAN and FAITH HEALER were produced under this kind of project aggreement.
For its population and growth, Birmingham (the "magic" city) is one of the few cities left in the South without an equity company. Memphis has 2 equity theatres which occasionally use the Special Appearance Agreement, and 2 which use the Guest Artist agreements. Atlanta has many: 9 operating under union contracts and 9 using the occasional Guest Artist of Special Appearance agreement. Nashville has 4 equity theatre and Montgomery has 1 (very big) one! Maybe you've heard of it?
Equity members living in Birmingham however have very few options for continuing to professionally "work on their craft."
What CAN they do?
(1) Produce their own shows and hire themselves to perform OR
(2) Get someone to offer them "guest artist" or "special appearance" contract OR
(3) Resign their membership, offering them the option of working (with or without pay) whereever they want to, but also offers no guarantee of later membership reactivation.
(4) Go "inactive" from Equity. This is done through the form of a temporary withdrawal and does not grant them the right to perform in non-union houses.
In local theatre communities (Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile) there is just a great deal of misunderstanding about what "equity" means at all. And that's what City Equity founders hope to change.
That and (as founding member McLernon says) "just get the chance to DO THE ART!"
|
