By Anne Meara

"It was 1948 and I was a summer stock apprentice at a theatre in Southold, Long Island. I believe the Equity rule in those ancient days was that if you appeared in three plays in an Equity company you had to join the Union after the third show.

Lucky for me, I got in the act in THE VOICE OF THE TURTLE, THE LITTLE FOXES, and DARK OF THE MOON. So that autumn I made the “rounds” proudly waving my Equity card to many agents who were not that impressed, but I was still on cloud nine. I was an actor, I was legitimate, I was a member of a union of whom all had the same goal: to create.

Today, I am still on cloud nine and grateful to the community of troupers known as Actors' Equity Association, an organization that gives pride to our profession."