Equity in the News

Actors’ Equity Association has launched an emergency “Curtain Up Fund” and issued a grant to the Actors Fund to help get members who lost work because of the COVID-19 shutdown of legit theaters across the country to get back on their feet financially. The union is contributing $500,000 to start the fund and will match another $250,000 in contributions from other donors.

Broadway producers have agreed to pay hundreds of actors, musicians, stagehands and others for the first few weeks of the industry shutdown, and to cover their health insurance for at least a month.

Since it was announced that Broadway would suspend all performances to reduce the risk of COVID-19 spreading through New York City, the past few days have been uncertain for Broadway artists. However, Friday night, union leaders of the Coalition of Broadway Unions and Guilds (COBUG) negotiated a deal with the Broadway League—representing producers and theater owners—to offer emergency compensation to performers during the shutdown.

New Yorkers can’t go to the theater, but there’s a theater show that can come to them.

A day after reaching a payment deal for workers on Broadway, the theatrical unions and the Broadway League have reached an agreement for employees on tour.

Almost 40 members of Congress have signed a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Representative Kevin McCarthy, the House minority leader, urging them to include entertainment workers, including theater artists, in their upcoming relief packages for American citizens.

Close to 40 members of Congress have signed a letter urging Speaker Nancy Pelosi and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy to include theater workers and other entertainment workers in any upcoming relief packages.

As the coronavirus knocks out regional theaters all across the country, Actors’ Equity is making new streaming media agreements available to select regional producers to capture and make performances available online for one-time viewing to ticket-buyers in areas where there are limits on public gatherings.

With theaters across the country canceling performances to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus, Actors’ Equity—the nation’s union for stage actors and stage managers—is advising its members to file for unemployment immediately to earn the maximum amount of benefits should they qualify.

Actors’ Equity is sending its members guidance on applying for unemployment benefits as actors await word on any salary they may receive during the shutdown.