Press Releases Diversity

Actors' Equity Association, the national labor union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers in live theatre, released the following statement after news reports that the attacks against Asian Americans that began to spike during the pandemic persisted over the course of 2020, reaching a 150% increase over the year before.

Equity and Unions Call for Agenda That Includes Chief Diversity Officer at the National Endowment for the Arts

Study finds only “gradual, inconsistent” improvement for members from marginalized groups.

New York -- Actors’ Equity Association has presented the company members of Head Over Heels with the 12th Extraordinary Excellence in Diversity on Broadway Award for the 2018-2019 season. 

Actors' Equity, the national labor union representing professional actors and stage managers, released a groundbreaking new diversity study of employment on two of its major contracts. The study, which examined the casts of new productions that opened between 2013 to 2015, shows that women and members of color have fewer work opportunities and often draw lower salaries when they do find work.

To perform the study, we compiled new weekly employment opportunities on all contracts that began performances between Jan. 1, 2013, through Dec. 31, 2015. Weekly employment opportunities excluded per-performance contracts with no guaranteed employment. And by focusing on new employment opportunities, we analyzed the opening night casts during that window, excluding all replacement contracts as well as any shows that opened prior to 2013.

During “Changing the Stats: Asian Americans on Broadway,” presented by the National Equal Employment Opportunity Committee of Actors’ Equity and Relmagined World Entertainment, on Nov. 2, 2015, fourteen Asian American actors performed a few of their musical theater dream roles.

Across the country throughout September, members proudly marched side by side their union brothers and sisters showing their Equity pride.

Standing with thousands of individuals and organizations, members of Actors’ Equity Association marched down Broadway from Madison Square Park to Union Square in honor of the 25th anniversary of the signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Actors' Equity  is pleased that the nation’s highest court has ruled that same-sex marriage is now a constitutional right. This is a landmark decision that makes same-sex marriage legal across the country.