How Do I Get An Actor's Equity Card

I always tell younger artists that getting your Equity card does not make you more talented but it does put you in the category of professional theatre actor which was my goal. Heres what you need to qualify.

About Equity Actors Equity Association

Once EMC members accumulate 25 weeks of work at participating theaters they become eligible to join the union.

How do i get an actor's equity card. The simplest way is to work under an Equity contract and apply while employed under that agreement. To register for the program you must first secure a qualifying position at an Equity theatre that offers the Equity Membership Candidate program. I was 21 years old.

Youre guaranteed to get seen by the casting team. Your Equity card is a universally recognised symbol of your status as a professional. If a new applicant or a rejoining applicant is refused membership a refund of the initiation fee paid will be made.

Actors Equity Association reserves the right to refuse or terminate a membership in Actors Equity in accordance with Equitys membership policies the Equity Constitution and By-Laws and consistent with federal law. Equity seeks to foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits including health and pension plans. Alabama Shakespeare Festival Shakespeare Theatre of NJ Florida Repertory Theatre Actors Theatre of Louisville to name a.

Many regional theatres will cast a company of intern actors for the season and offer EMC points or a full Equity card at the end of the contract. They only hold auditions for Equity dancers and actors. How I Got My Actors Equity Card.

But how do actors earn their coveted union cards in the first place. It also means that at least once per year every Broadway show is required to hold an Equity audition. One way to gain membership is to earn points Equity Membership Candidacy Points by working at Equity theaters around the country typically regional theaters.

During tech I noticed a breakdown on Equity for a musical called The Bubbly Black Girl Sheds Her Chameleon SkinIn a twist of fate it was the same company I had received my EMC card for Speakeasy Stage. We reserve this as long as it is not used by another member. Equity seeks to foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of society and advances the careers of its members by negotiating wages working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits including health and.

Many younger actors dont realise that until 1990 you couldnt perform professionally without being a member of Equity. By the time closed-shop unions became illegal Equity was one of. Perks of joining Equity include important protections health and pension collective bargaining and much much more and getting that card is a major milestone in many actors lives.

Names are crucial for the distribution of royalties and other payments and credits and casting clarity. After Hair I was cast in a production of A Little Night Music at Seacoast Repertory in New Hampshire. Getting your Equity card is a rite of passage and a game-changing moment.

There are a couple different ways to earn your card. My points began adding up but I still had a long way to go. Labor union that represents more than 50000 Actors and Stage Managers.

Actors Equity Association founded in 1913 represents more than 51000 professional Actors and Stage Managers nationwide. Once a position at an approved theatre is secured you submit for candidacy and begin working to meet your minimum 50. Unlike open calls Equity auditions are exclusive.

Got my Equity card thanks to Stephen Schwartz and Joseph Stein casting me in a Chicago production of The Bakers Wife. Many Broadway shows do not hold open calls. Proof of Employment SAG-AFTRA membership is available to those who work in a position covered by a SAG-AFTRA or AFTRA or SAG collective bargaining agreement provided that any person qualifying through work as a background actor must have completed three 3 days of work as a background actor under a SAG-AFTRA or AFTRA or SAG collective bargaining agreement.

You can be cast in a production that offers them or accrue points through the Equity Membership Candidate EMC program. If youre a union member thats great. When joining Equity an actor is required to pay at least 400 toward the initiation fee upfront with two years to pay the remaining balance.

Actors Equity Association Equity founded in 1913 is the US. Complete the EMC Registration Form supplied by the theatre and return it to them with the non-refundable 200 registration fee payable to Actors Equity Association.

Equity Principal Auditions For Newbies Actor Aesthetic