After 17 years on staff,Central RegionalDirector Christine

Provost’s last day at Equity

was August 30, 2013.In her letter of resignation,

Ms. Provost expressed herenormous respect for Equity, itsleadership and members and itsdedicated staff. She alsoexpressed her strong belief inEquity’s mission and said shehas been proud to participate inthe work Equity does for itsmembership and the industry.

“Chris has been a dedicatedmember of the staff and hasworked tirelessly on behalf ofthe membership and theAssociation,” said Ms. McColl.“We wish her well as sheembraces the next opportunitiesand milestones in her career.”

Chris joined the Equity staffin 1996 as a Business Rep andwas promoted to SeniorBusiness Rep four years later. In2012, she assumed the positionof Central Regional Director.Prior to joining Equity, Chris,who received her Bachelor ofArts from the University ofPennsylvania and her JurisDoctor from NorthwesternUniversity School of Law, was alitigation associate at a largeChicago law firm.

A Publication of Actors’ Equity Association • NEWS FOR THE THEATRE PROFESSIONAL • www.actorsequity.org • Periodicals Postage Paid at New York, NY and Additional Mailing Offices

“The theatre has beenmy church. I don’t hesitate

to say that I foundGod in the theatre.”

— Julie Harris1925-2013EQUITYNEWS

Index

U.S. Department of Laborhonors Equity ........................1Theatre Spotlight:New Jewish Theatre ................2From the President..................3Centennial feature: Day in theLife of a Dance Captain.............4National News .......................6Letters.................................8EQ

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SEPTEMBER2013

Volume 98Number 7

First Membership Meetingsof the 2013-2014 Season

will be held onMonday, October 7, 2013 – Western Region (11 am)Monday, October 7, 2013 – Central Region (6:30 pm)

Friday, October 11, 2013 – Eastern Region (2 pm)

The Western Regional Membership Meeting will convene onMonday, October 7, 2013 at 11 am in the Bellamy Board Room

in the Equity office, 6755 Hollywood Boulevard,5th Floor, Hollywood, CA

The agenda will include:• Report of the Western Regional Director• Report of the Western Regional Vice President• Membership Discussion Period in accordance with the By-Laws

The Central Regional Membership Meeting will convene onMonday, October 7, 2013 at 6:30 pm in the Member Center

at the Equity Building, 557 West Randolph,Chicago, IL

The agenda will include:• Report of the Central Regional Director• Report of the Central Regional Vice President• Membership Discussion Period in accordance with the By-Laws

The Eastern Regional Membership Meeting will convene onFriday, October 11, 2013 at 2 pm in the

Council Room on the 14th Floor of the Equity Building,165 West 46th Street, New York, NY

The agenda will include:• Report of the Eastern Regional Director• Report of the Eastern Regional Vice President• Presentation of the Paul Robeson Citation• Membership Discussion Period in accordance with the By-Laws

(A sign interpreter will be present on request.)

Future Membership Meetings will be held on Friday,January 10, 2014 in the Eastern Region and Monday, January13, 2014 in the Central and Western Regions.The AnnualMeeting will be held on Friday, April 11, 2014 in all Regions.

U.S. Department of Labor InductsEquity Into Centennial Honor Roll

The U.S. Department ofLabor, which iscelebrating its 100th

anniversary this year, hasinducted Equity into thedepartment’s “Century ofService Honor Roll of AmericanLabor Organizations.” Theceremony was a special part ofthe DC-Baltimore liaison partyheld July 29, 2013 at ArenaStage.

Carl Fillichio, chairman of thedepartment’s centennial andsenior advisor for public affairsand communications, presentedthe award to Mary McColl,Equity’s Executive Director. Inhis presentation, Mr. Fillichiosaid, “Actors’ Equity has not justmade life and work better forthose who hold an Equity card.For the past 100 years, thisunion has made life and workbetter for every stage actor andstage manager in America. Andthe best is yet to come.”

The “Century of Service

Honor Roll of American LaborOrganizations” honors laborunions that have reached their100th anniversary. The HonorRoll, which originated in 1992under Secretary of Labor LynnMartin, now has more than 45

unions that have marked theircentennial. The “Century ofService” is a special permanentexhibit and is located in theNorth Plaza of the U.S.Department of Labor’s FrancesPerkins Building.

Christine Provost Steps Downas Central Regional Director

Equity Leaders Address IATSEand AFM Conventions

Equity representativeswere very much indemand this summer as

guest speakers at unionconventions. In July, PresidentNick Wyman addressed theIATSE 67th QuadrennialConvention. During the sameweek, Eastern RegionalDirector and General CounselTom Carpenter spoke to thedelegates of the AFM’s 99thConvention.

The themes of protectingwages, working conditions andbenefits were emphasized inboth speeches. So, too, wasthe very important message

that unions must standtogether to challenge andreverse the attacks on therights of union members andthe continued rollbacks ofsupport for the arts.

Invited by IATSEInternational PresidentMatthew Loeb to speak to the800 delegates gathered inBoston, President Wyman wasamong a small group ofdistinguished speakersincluding U.S. SenatorElizabeth Warren, DGAPresident Paris Barclay, formerSecretary of Labor Hilda Solisand Christine Bond, President

of BECTU, the UK’s media andentertainment trade union. Inhis speech, President Wymanspoke of the “family of labor,”his favorite metaphor for theentertainment industry, sayingeveryone was critical to thesuccess of theatricalproduction and that eachdepends on the otherindividual’s professionalismand skills.

Mr. Wyman pointed to therise of anti-union sentimentand the shift in the public’sview that “unions are the badguys.” He emphasized the needof unions to stand firm witheach other as each union facesincreased attacks on workers’rights. He challenged theaudience to spread the word tomembers, future members, theemployers and the generalpublic that union members arethe “good guys.” He also spokeof the IATSE Local 500 fightwith the Kravis Center in West

(continued on page 7)

Executive Director Mary McColl accepts the Century of ServiceAward from the Department of Labor’s Carl Fillichio.

President Nick Wyman (r) with IATSE International PresidentMatthew Loeb and former Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis.

TTHHEEAATTRREE

SPOTLIGHT

Editor: DICK MOORE

Associate Editor: HELAINE FELDMAN

Equity News Advisory CommitteeChristine Toy Johnson, Chair

(Eastern)Nancy Daly (Western)Diane Dorsey (Central)

Nicole Flender (Eastern)Bruce Alan Johnson (Eastern)

Stas’ Kmiec’ (Eastern)Kevin McMahon (Western)

Liz Pazik (Central)Barbara Roberts (Western)Melissa Robinette (Eastern)

Buzz Roddy (Eastern)

EQUITY NEWS (ISSN: 00924520) is published monthly except for com-bined issues in Jan./Feb., July/Aug.,Oct . , /Nov. , by Actors ' Equ i tyAssociation, 165 West 46th Street,New York, NY 10036. Telephone:(212) 869-8530. Periodicalspostage paid at New York, NY. andadditional mailing offices. Copyright2003, Actors' Equity Association.Subscription price for non-membersof Actors' Equity Association: $25per year. Postmaster: Send addresschanges to Equity News, 165 West46th St., New York, NY 10036.

EQUITYNEWS

Area LiaisonHotline systemCall 877-AEA-1913

Equity has a National toll-freehotline system for members wholive in Area Liaison and officecities. The number is 877-AEA-1913 (honoring the year of Eq-uity’s founding). Each AreaLiaison city has its own exten-sion, where members can ac-cess news and information intheir region.

(1) Dial 877-AEA-1913

(2) Dial your city extension: 811 Atlanta812 Austin/San Antonio813 Boston814 Buffalo/Rochester815 Chicago816 Cincinnati/Louisville817 Cleveland818 Dallas/Fort Worth819 Denver820 Detroit821 Florida – Central822 Florida – South823 Houston824 Kansas City825 Las Vegas826 Los Angeles827 Milwaukee/Madison828 Minneapolis/St Paul829 Nashville830 New Orleans831 New York832 Philadelphia833 Phoenix/Tucson834 Pittsburgh835 San Diego836 San Francisco837 Seattle838 St. Louis839 Washington DC/Baltimore

Equity Lands on Black Theatre Holy GroundBy Luther Goins

August 2013 marked andcelebrated the 13thNational Black Theatre

Festival (NBTF). Nationallyaccepted as the Black TheatreHoly Ground, this highlyacclaimed week-long Winston-Salem, NC festival attracts morethan 65,000 people.

In 1989, Larry Leon Hamlin,founder of the North CarolinaBlack Repertory Company, hada dream. He wanted a nationalfestival that would acknowledgeboth the power of black theatreand the amazing abilities andtalents of black theatreprofessionals. Twenty-four yearslater, his dream has become ahighly anticipated (andtreasured) reality.

Now recognized as anInternational Celebration andReunion of Spirit, this amazing

biennial festival opens with astar-studded Gala and aglorious Celebrity AwardPresentation at the M.C.Benton, Jr. Convention Center.Equity member ChesterGregory stole the night with hisdynamic one-man show, TheEve of Jackie (A Tribute toJackie Wilson). Productionsfrom across the country,workshops, seminars, a newplay reading series, MidnightPoetry Jams, actor and directornetworking opportunities, theLarry Leon Hamlin SoloPerformance Series, danceworkshops and events, anddaily activities and workshopsfor children completed the restof the highly charged week.

The Larry LeonHamlin/Actors’ Equity Code,which was designed to supportand guarantee festival

participation for any and allEquity members (especiallymembers of color), alsopresents numerousopportunities for minority-based,non-Equity theatre companies todiscuss the possibilities ofworking with Equity actors andEquity contracts during theirregular seasons.

Along with the continuedcelebration, and use of, theLarry Leon Hamlin / Actors’Equity Code (approved byCouncil in 2009) Councillor JuliaBreanetta Simpson and Ipresent two highly anticipatedEquity workshops. The Equityworkshops include “CelebrityTalk” and “Hear the Truth.”“Celebrity Talk’’ gives festivalcelebrities the opportunity todiscuss their careers and theirpersonal journeys to becomingprofessional actors and Equity

members. “Hear the Truth,”designed to encourage opendiscussions about when andhow to join the union, alsopresents the opportunity toremove many negative mythsabout working and living as aunion member and about Actors’Equity as an organization.

2013 NBTF Celebrity Awardswere presented to the followingEquity members: Hal Williamsreceived the Sidney PoitierLifelong Achievement Award.Starletta DuPois received aLiving Legend Award, and S.Epatha Merkerson received aSpecial Recognition Award.Equity member, and Tony Awardrecipient Tonya Pinkins acted asa 2013 NBTF Co-Chair.

NBTF Coordinators arealready discussing Equity’sparticipation, and presence, atthe 2015 festival.

You don’t have to beJewish to love Levy’sRye Bread—or The New

Jewish Theatre in St. Louis.Everyone does. Here’s whatsome Equity members have tosay about it:

Kari Ely (Chair Equity LiaisonCommittee): “I relish myexperiences at The New JewishTheatre both as a performer andan audience member. Kathleen[Sitzer] has taken the time tobuild a theatre that works tobring the highest quality theatre

to the St. Louis area. Althoughthe new space is larger andfinally flexible for staging, it stillremains truly an intimateexperience for everything. Theplay selection has grown toembrace, not only those that telland remind us of the Holocaustexperience, but encompass themodern Jewish joys andstruggles as well. As a shiksa Iconsider myself very lucky andblessed to have beenconsidered a part of the ‘family’at NJT.”

Gary Barker: “The NewJewish Theatre is one of myfavorite places to perform in St.Louis. It is a highly professionalorganization that values actors.The audiences are like noneother within the city of St. Louis.They are highly engaged duringa performance.You knowimmediately if you aresucceeding or failing to keeptheir interest. And no theatre

has a more active group ofpatrons eager to stay fortalkbacks to explore ideas andthemes engendered by aproduction. The New JewishTheatre is a gem in the St. Louistheatrical crown.”

MJ Probst: Kathleen Sitzerand New Jewish Theatre gaveme my first professional stagemanagement contract. The yearwas 2004 and for the first twoseasons I worked for her, I wasnon-Equity and New Jewish wasonly hiring Equity members onSpecial Appearance contracts.Kathleen worked very hard tobring the theatre up to an SPT IIcontract, employing more Equitystage managers and actorseach season. I got my card in2006 and have stage managed

15+ productions for this theatreand am looking forward to 15+more. I consider NJT my homeand am extremely proud to beassociated with a company thatcontinues to produce such highquality work and attracts thebest local talent in both designand performance.”

Jerry Vogel: “It seems likeevery time I do a role with NJTit’s a challenging character in a

play about an important issue ortime in history. From Shylock tothe present Israeli-Palestineconflict, or the Dark Ages toWorld War II, I am alwaysstretched as an actor. Any St.Louis actor covets a chance towork at NJT. We know it will bea great play, with a great castand director, performed in aprofessional theatre dedicatedto the highest standards. I’velearned so much from my timeat NJT I have been designated‘an honorary Jew,’ a title I acceptwith pride.”

Bobby Miller (actor, directorand NJT Artistic Associate):“Though I work often at everyEquity theatre in St. Louis,there’s something about

Central Region

New Jewish Theatre: A Niche VenueGrows in St. Louis

(continued on page 3)

• Former Councillor AndréDe Shields will be thefeatured speaker at theConference of the InternationalCouncil of Fine Arts Deans(ICFAD) on October 25, 2013in New Orleans.Mr. De Shields, who hasserved as Visiting Professor atseveral universities, will speakon “The Artist As Alchemist.”The presentation will beattended by more than 100Deans and administrators offine arts colleges anduniversities from around theworld.

• Equity member HarveyFierstein joined TheatreCommunications Group(TCG), the nationalorganization for theatre; TheBroadway League; religiousinstitutions and professionalsports leagues supporting“Pardon The Interruption,” aCapitol Hill Forum to protectwireless microphones from thethreat of harmful interferenceposed by the reorganization of

the broadcast spectrum and anew generation of electronicdevices. The Forum, to raiseawareness of the valuablecontributions that wirelessmicrophones make in enablingtheatre, amusement park,convention center, museumand religious concertperformances, was held onJuly 29, 2013.

• Equity mourns thepassing of friend, neighbor inthe New York Equity Buildingand legendary publicistShirley Herz on August 11,2013. In a career that spannednearly 65 years, Ms. Herzreceived numerous honors,including a special TonyAward; served for many yearson the Board of Governors ofthe Association of TheatricalPress Agents and Managers(ATPAM); was on the AmericanTheatre Wing’s AdvisoryCommittee for more than 25years, and donated herservices for numerous AIDSbenefits, including Equity’s TheBest of the Best fundraiser in1985, among many otheractivities.

BRIEF NOTES

2 / EQUITY news SEPTEMBER 2013

Bobby Miller and Jerry Vogel in Awake and Sing! at The NewJewish Theatre.

75 Years AgoSeptember 1938

• Nearly 700 members attendthe first quarterly membershipmeeting on September 23 tohear reports from officersconcerning the current theatricalsituation and Equity’s policiesand to adopt a suggestion thatthe American Theatre Councilbe asked to appoint acommittee to bring about closercooperation between thelegitimate theatre and themotion picture industry.

• Thornton Wilder joinsEquity as a Junior ResidentMember. His play, Our Town,wins the Pulitzer Prize in 1938.He plays the role of the StageManager briefly on Broadwayand later in summer stock.Another play, The Skin of OurTeeth, wins the 1942 PulitzerPrize.

50 Years AgoSeptember 1963

• Equity hails the creationby the U.S. State Department ofa special drama panel to studycultural exchange and theproblems of presentingprofessional performancesabroad.

• Effective September 1,weekly minimum salary in bothmusical and dramaticproductions Off-Broadway goesfrom $45 to $50. Rehearsal payalso goes to $50.

25 Years AgoSeptember 1988

• A U.S. District Court Judgerefuses the preliminaryinjunction sought by 15 Equitymembers for the purpose ofstopping the 99-Seat TheatrePlan from going into effect in

Los Angeles.• In response to questions

from Equity News, VicePresident George Bush andMassachusetts GovernorMichael Dukakis offer, forpublication, their views onsubjects of importance to thetheatrical community.

10 Years AgoSeptember 2003

• Equity announces majormoves to raise awareness ofmembers’ rights under Workers’Compensation.

• A New Member Centeropens in the Chicago office tohouse auditions, seminars andnew member orientationsessions.

• Western Civic Light Opera(WCLO) theatres ratify a newthree-year agreement raisingsalaries 9% over the duration ofthe contract. Health paymentsalso go up and a 401(k)contribution provision isachieved.

SEPTEMBER 2013 EQUITY news / 3

From thePRESIDENT

At the Big Table

How I Got My

Equity CardDane Knell

By Dane Knell

Icame to New York inSeptember of 1952 afterspending the summer doing

an outdoor pageant calledThunderland in Asheville,North Carolina. I was 19. Anactor I’d worked with thatsummer introduced me to hisagent and I was sent toaudition for a new play titledSee the Jaguar by N. RichardNash. The director wasMichael Gordon. I read for therole of Wally. Gordon said Iwasn’t quite right for the part,but he told me to wait. A fewminutes later he, Nash and theproducer Lemuel Ayres calledme back in and asked if Iwould be interested in doingthe role of Jee Jee. Jee Jee,as originally written, wasmeant to be played by an older

actor, but they said the partwas mine if I would be willingto understudy Wally as well. Ofcourse I said yes. But therewas a problem: I wasn’t Equity.When I told them that, Iexpected to be shown the door.But instead, Ayers said to me,“Well, you are now.” Two weekslater, after paying my $100initiation fee, I received mycard.

See the Jaguar opened atthe Cort Theatre on December3, 1952. It ran fiveperformances. Wally wasJames Dean.

A few weeks after Jaguarclosed I was drafted into thearmy and sent to Germanywhere I spent most of my tourattached to US Army SpecialServices, doing a number ofshows for the troops stationed

By Nick Wyman

Irecently took time out frommy national barnstormingtour of Equity Centennial

celebrations to attend theQuadrennial Convention inBoston of the IA. The IA is theInternational Alliance ofTheatrical and StageEmployees, and they are thefolks who work with us andalongside us as stagehands,dressers, publicists, box officestaff, hairdressers, ushers, andcompany managers. IAmembers also work on film andTV sets as gaffers, grips,makeup artists,cinematographers, etc.

Matt Loeb, the internationalpresident of the IA had invitedme to speak, and I thought itonly fair to share the pain —AEA members should not be theonly ones to have to suffer froma Nick Wyman speech.

The tenor of my speech wasthat we are Family. We areBrothers and Sisters (a locutioncommonly used at the IA andmany other unions) in theFamily of Labor. This is a bit of achange from past AEA attitudestowards Labor. From our verybeginnings in 1913, there havebeen those at AEA who havebeen uncomfortable with theidea of aligning or identifyingwith the “workers” of Labor.“After all,” I hear people say tothis day, “we are creative artists,not laborers.” I also hear people

say, “Equity is so weak. Whyaren’t they strong like the IA.”Well, I completely disagree thatAEA is weak (talk to anynumber of producers who seeus as a bully or the 500 poundgorilla), but clearly a coy,diffident or ambivalent attitudetowards unionism on the part ofone’s members does not makefor a strong union.

Regardless of how weak orstrong we may be at themoment, we plan to be strongeras we move forward. After ahistory in which we connectedcircuitously and third-hand tothe AFL through first the FourAs (Associated Actors andArtistes of America) and thenthrough the Department forProfessional Employees, werecently received a directcharter from the AFL-CIO. Weare one of 57 labor unions witha seat at the big table. That’s agreat metaphor. Think of us ashaving graduated from thechildren’s table to the adult’stable at the Family of Labor’sThanksgiving dinner.

As part of our big-tablepresence, AEA leaders willattend this fall’s AFL-CIOconvention in Los Angeles. Wewill make connections. We willfind future allies. We will learnstrategies for dealing withemployers, for dealing withtechnological innovation, fordealing with governmentregulation.

It is time to step up. We areasserting our standing asworkers who deserve respect,fair wages, and protection. Weare making the case that unionsdeserve support even from non-union workers because unionsraise the working conditions andstandards for everyone. If AdamSmith’s “invisible hand” weretruly allowed to control themarketplace, the laws of supplyand demand would crush actors’salaries and reduce ourcompensation to a pittance.Acting would become a sideline,a dilettante’s pastime, theprovince everywhere ofamateurs.

We are professionals, and itis Actors’ Equity that makes thisa profession. Those non-unionactors whom we sometimesrefer to as non-professional —but who see themselves asprofessional because they makea salary — owe that putativeprofessionalism entirely to AEAbecause without our force andefforts in the marketplace, thosesalaries would shrink to thevanishing point. Unions work forevery worker not just the unionmember. We are casting offwhatever ambivalence we mayhave had in the past aboutwhether we are workers orartists. We are workers. We areunion. We are proud. We arecarrying that identity of proudunion workers into our nextcentury. Excelsior!

returning to The New JewishTheatre that always feels a littlebit like coming home. It’s afamily that has attracted thebest creative artists in town thatare nurtured, cared for, andtreated with a magical respectthat brings forth our best work.Every show generates its ownspecial buzz of excitement in

the community, giving newmeaning to the idea ‘if you buildit, they will come.’ It doesn’t getbetter than that.”

The New Jewish Theatre wasfounded in 1997 as anoutgrowth of a small theatreprogram at the JewishCommunity Center in St. Louis.During its 16-year history it hasincreased in professionalism (ithired its first Equity actor in itsfifth season under a SpecialAppearance contract), as wellas in size and stature. It nowproduces a five show seasonwith a strong subscription baseand is a fully contracted SmallProfessional Theatre (SPT)Equity company. Artistic Director

Kathleen Sitzer is an Equitymember herself, and says, “Ithas always been a priority forme to ensure that all of theartists are compensated for theirwork. And it was a long rangegoal from the outset toeventually become an Equitycompany. I feel it is importantboth for the theatre communityand the public to present theatreat the highest level of artisticexcellence within our financialcapabilities.”

Sitzer has been at the helmof NJT from the beginning. “Ifind it so rewarding to look backand see how dramatically wehave grown and matured,” shesays. “Being a culturally specificniche theatre, I had concerns inthe beginning about being ableto make an impact in theregional cultural landscape. Butwe clearly have.” This isevidenced by the fact that theaward-winning company (KevinKline Awards, St. Louis TheaterCircle Awards) is acknowledgedas St. Louis’ premiere SmallProfessional Theatre.

Its success has been suchthat the St. Louis JCC in itsrecent renovations built a state-of-the-art 125-seat black boxtheatre exclusively for thecompany’s use. It has been adraw to many of the area’s toptheatre professionals, bothactors and designers, and hasenhanced the already strongdraw that the theatre has had forthe artistic community. NJTcontinues to give the St. Louiscommunity theatre at thehighest level of artisticexcellence and to provideopportunities to many membersof Equity.

A Look Back@Equity Milestones

there. In 1957, I got anHonorable Withdrawal fromEquity. I worked a number ofcivilian jobs in order to feed mychildren. I returned to the

business in 1980 where I haveworked ever since in regionaltheatre mostly, but also on andOff-Broadway. At this point intime (I’m 80) I am collecting a

pension from Equity. I am mostappreciative and very proud tocall myself an Actors’ Equitymember.

New Jewish Theatrecontinued from page 2

Bobby Miller and Kari Ely inNew Jewish Theatreproduction of Sirens.

44 / EQUITY news

IT’S ALMOST

IMPOSSIBLE to writeabout “a day in the life ofthe dance captain.” It wouldn’tcapture the full scope of what we do to writeabout one day. Every

day is differentfrom the next.It might besimpler to ask,“What doesn’t adance captaindo?” Not only doyou have todance, but youalso have to be a clearcommunicator, a teacher, amediator, anorganizer, a quickthinker, a problem-solver, aconfidante, a multi-tasker and a goodl istener.

Here are sometypicalexpectat ionsranging fromrehearsal to after opening:

Making a Show Bible: You find some stagediagrams to start notating the staging andchoreography so you don’t forget the details. Youtry to learn everyone’s names quickly to notatewhere each actor is placed at all times. This cantake weeks or months to perfect.

Tech rehearsal: The choreographer isworking on a number and some actors don’tremember where they go. You are asked wherepeople were in the studio. You look at your bibleand tell Sally she was “stage right 7 with heels onthe track.” The choreographer decides it could bepictured differently so every actor gets moved to adifferent place on the stage. You quickly notate

those changes. An actor

has to go for acostume fittingduring theafternoon andthe swing hasto step in forthe first time.

You workwith the swing tomake sure he or sheis comfortable. Youmake sure they knowwhere to go and grabtheir partner tohelp them worktogether for the firsttime.

Rehearsalsduring previews:The creative team trieda new number for threedays and now thinks itdoesn’t work. They wantto go back to the way itwas but the actors don’t remember. You are

glad you didn’t throw out your old notes, because youare asked to remind them what they did before.

“Noting” the show: The creative team hasleft. Now it’s time to make sure their vision ismaintained and every audience gets to see it as if itwas opening night. You watch the show and notatewhat needs to be fixed. At intermission, Beth tellsyou Greg keeps kicking her in one number but she

doesn’t know why. You write it all down onyour note pad for tomorrow.

Giving out notes: You arrive an hour and ahalf before the show because you have 25 notes to give out. You tell Steve that he could turn his

head a little quicker to match the others. Youtell Sally her extra head movements lookgreat on her, but she is now the only thingyou watch onstage. Judy rushes in andalthough you have five things that she couldwork on, you give her one for herperformance for tonight. (Then praise hertomorrow for doing it and give her the next.)As you go from room to room, Lilla tells youthat she doesn’t feel safe in a lift. The rest ofthe notes wait while this becomes priority.

Evita material and notations printed with permission of choreographer Rob Ashford.

A peek inside the bible.

Noting the show.

Stage Chart.

By Jennie FordCouncillor

Evita notebook.

“One of my favorite things isworking with all ranges ofpeople: 8 to 68 years old,

sensitive to tough. To make acompany happy you must learn

the details early, stick to theintegrity of the piece and listen to

all sides of the story whendealing with a situation. Being adance captain is a big job, so the

extra effort to get details iscrucial for the success you have

with your company.— Antoinette DiPietropolo

A Day in the Life of

EQUITY news / 5

who want to be in the show. You teach thecombination and then dance with each groupto help give them the best chance ofremembering it. You dance full out many

times to “saveface” and then yougo home and takean epsom saltbath before theevening show.

Cut-shows:The stagemanager calls you twohours before the showand says four peopleare out sick tonightbecause the flu is goingaround. There aren’tenough actors to coverthe show so you have tofigure out what

adjustments tomake. You grabyour bible andsee who couldbe cut in eachnumber, whomanages whatprops and howyou can getthrough the show. You let the stage manager knowwhat you need to rehearse before the show to makeit work. You go to the show early to tell everyonewhat their alterations will be for that show.

Scheduling: To create a weekly schedule,you look at what the understudies need to learn,what the swings need help with, who is going onvacation and how to be prepared for that, and ifyou need to rehearse specific areas of the showthat can’t be fixed with notes.

Teaching replacements: You go to thetheatre for fivehours and teachTiffany’sreplacement. Youteach where sheenters and exitsthe stage, where tograb props, whereto change, whereto stand onstage,traffic patterns,director andchoreographer’sintentions andother tips. Therewill just be you, the pianist and her.You find yourselfsinging anddancing all theparts to help her. It makes for a lot of knowledge to be stored in yourhead or easilyreferenced in yourshow bible.

It helps to lookat every actor as a multi-talentedperson who isalways trying to do

his or her best. It’s hard to get a note when youare trying your best, so it’s important to be kindand never let your ego get in the way. A dancecaptain’s day is never dull!

You find her partner and rehearse the lift until bothare happy. You look at your bible to see why Jim isout of the light. He is on the correct number buthas migrated downstage. You tell him that if hetook a bigstep upstage,he would belit and all histerrific actingwould not belost. The restof the noteswill have towait.

Don’t beshy aboutgiving out thegood notes! Itgoes a longway. Thereare endlessnotes ofimprovementthat go outdaily but it’simportant forthe morale ofthe companyto remindthem whatthey aredoing rightand howamazing theyare!

Running auditions: Yougo to the studio from 10 am-6 pm to audition 300 actors

“The most interesting part is figuring out what thechoreographer wants from you. Somedon’t want to be bothered by smalldetails and want you to clean thechoreography and make decisions.Some want you to note any questionsand check in with them before lockingthings in. Talk to your choreographer;if you’ve never worked with thembefore, and find out what they wantfrom their dance captain.— Ariane Dolan

New ipad show bible.

Stage chart.

Stage chart.

“Someone took me aside andsaid he was really upset that Inoted him on his ‘attitude’ andhe hoped he never gave off badenergy. It took me a second to

realize what he was talkingabout and then I couldn’t stop

laughing. He misunderstood mynote on his ‘(leg) attitude.’”

— Sarah O’Gleby

(Above and above l): Two types of notations.

of a Dance Captain

About to begin its 16th year,the Annual Broadway and Off-Broadway Free Flu ShotProgram is brought to you byPhysician Volunteers for the Arts,funded by BroadwayCares/Equity Fights AIDS, andsponsored by Actors’ Equity.

The time to get a flu shot toprotect against flu is September-December.

Every winter from lateDecember through March

several strains of respiratory flucirculate around the world. Thesehighly contagious viralrespiratory illnesses can spreadrapidly through casts and crewsand office staffs causing manylost workdays. The symptoms offlu include high fever, chills,relentless cough, discoloredsputum, hoarseness, andshortness of breath. Each yearthe Center for Disease Control inAtlanta determines the threestrains of flu most likely tocirculate and new flu vaccine ismanufactured containing thesethree strains. The vaccinecontains dead portions of theseviruses. These portions of viruscan stimulate immunity but,because they are dead and onlyportions of the virus, theseportions of virus cannot causeactive flu illness. People who getthe flu shot develop a naturalimmunity to the strains ofinfluenza contained in thevaccine and are protected fromgetting flu.

The flu vaccine is essential forcertain high risk groups,including everyone over age 50;pregnant women; people withdiabetes, heart disease, asthma,

emphysema, other respiratoryillnesses; immune defects; andHIV. It is also highlyrecommended for people wholive or work with anyone at highrisk as well as for people whoare exposed to large groups orwork in close quarters such asbackstage. Receiving the flu shotcan protect you from flu and helpyou avoid time off due to illnessthis winter. The shot is safe foreveryone except those who are

allergic to eggs. This year, therecommendation is thateveryone over six months of agereceive a flu shot containing thisyear’s new vaccine.

Dr. Barry Kohn, MedicalDirector of Physician Volunteersfor the Arts, will make “housecalls” to Broadway and Off-Broadway shows, not-for-profittheatre companies and many ofthe theatrical union offices toprovide free flu shots to any cast,crew or staff members whorequests a shot. PVA hasordered enough vaccine toimmunize the entire theatrecommunity. Dr. Kohn and othervolunteer doctors will be visitingtheatres and theatre companiesand union offices throughoutthe fall.

In addition, Dr. Kohn will be onthe 14th Floor at the EquityBuilding in NY with free flu shotson a walk-in basis for allmembers of the theatrecommunity from 10 am until 3pm on Friday, September 27;Monday, October 14; Thursday,November 7; and Thursday,December 5, 2013. Dr. Kohn willalso travel to Los Angeles toprovide free flu shots at the

Equity Office in LA in Octoberand November. The specificdates will be posted on theEquity website and will also beannounced through e-mail blastswell in advance.

The cost of the flu vaccine isprimarily funded by a generous$55,000 grant from BroadwayCares/Equity Fights AIDS, withsupplemental funding fromBWAY (Better Wellness andYou).

Flu shots for the 2013 fluseason will begin as soon asvaccine is delivered. We areanticipating delivery in earlySeptember, 2013. If you have any questions regarding the flu vaccine, you can discuss them with Dr. Kohn when he and other volunteer physicians visit your theatre, office or theatre company. Check with your stage manager or office manager for scheduled times or call Equity for open dates for flu vaccine. If you have specific questions, you can reach Dr. Kohn at (323) 207- 6822 orBarryakohnmd@gmail.com.

In 2012, the Annual Broadwayand Off-Broadway Free Flu ShotProgram provided 5,000 freeseasonal flu vaccinations to theBroadway and Off–Broadwaycommunity. This year it is hopedeven more will be immunized.

6 / EQUITY news SEPTEMBER 2013

NATIONALNEWSNATIONALNEWS

Baffled by Medicare andstumped by new health careregulations? Equity membersnow have online access toinformation, resources andpractical tips on the changinglandscape of health care via TheActors Fund’s new e-LearningCenter.

The Fund’s Artists HealthInsurance Resource Center(AHIRC) has produced fouronline tutorials (Medicare Basics,Help with Medicare Costs,Getting Medications Discountedor Free and Healthcare ReformBasics), based on seminarsoffered in their New York and LosAngeles offices. The seriesincludes a brief video welcomefrom Laura Linney.

“Webinars and seminarsrequire that you be in a certainplace at a certain time,” saysRenata Marinaro, AHIRC’sDirector of HealthServices/Eastern Region.

“People in our community havedynamic schedules and mightnot be able to make it to one ofthem. These tutorials allow youto access the informationanytime.

“Viewers also have morecontrol over the pace of thepresentation,” she adds. “You canlinger on a slide or skip slidesyou’re not interested in, andshare these resources withfriends. And unlike apresentation where you mightnot remember what you’velearned if you didn’t take goodnotes, you continue to haveaccess to the online content andresources via the website, or youcan download the entirepresentation as a powerpoint fileto your home computer.”

To view the series, visit www.actorsfund.org/e-learning. Of course, The Fund is always available for individual counseling as well.

New York/Los Angeles

Free Flu Shot Program Set to Begin

New York/Los Angeles

Actors Fund SetsNew Season ofFree Workshops,Seminars

Check out the new season offree workshops, groups andseminars being offered by TheActors Fund in New York andLos Angeles. Subjects includecareer assessment, job searchstrategies, exploringemployment trends, masteringcash flow, résumé writing,reviewing affordable housingoptions, social networking, andmuch more.

For information, dates and times, visit the websitewww.actorsfund.org or call 212- 221-7300 in New York or 323- 933-9244 in Los Angeles.

New York

Celebri-TEE Golf & Tennis OutingRaises Funds for Actors Fund Home

The Actors Fund’s JockDuncan Celebri-TEE Golf &Tennis Outing drew more than100 golfers and tennisenthusiasts to the KnickerbockerCountry Club in Tenafly, NewJersey to raise funds to supportthe Lillian Booth Actors Home inEnglewood, NJ. For the thirdyear in a row, the event was ledby Tennis Chair Liz Callawayand Golf Chair Peter Gallagher.Equity members and Broadwayshows represented on the

course included two-time TonyAward winner Judy Kaye, Tonywinner Len Cariou, producersand cast from Kinky Boots, aswell as producers from Once,Motown The Musical, JerseyBoys and Matilda, while LizCallaway and Stephen Schwartzenjoyed tennis with donors.(Pictured are l to r: Actors FundChairman Brian Stokes Mitchell,Liz Callaway and PeterGallagher. Photo: Jay BradyPhotography)

Actors Fund’s E-LearningCenter Offers HealthCare Information

Dr. Barry Kohn (r) administers a flu shot to Tony recipient BillyPorter (Kinky Boots) as Tony nominee Stark Sands (Kinky Boots)assists.

SEPTEMBER 2013 EQUITY news / 7

Equity dancers andchoreographers shared thestage with renowned concertdance companies at the 19thannual edition of Fire IslandDance Festival on July 19-21,2013. The event was producedby and benefitted DancersResponding to AIDS, a programof Broadway Cares/EquityFights AIDS that reaches intothe NYC and national concertdance communities.

The weekend-long festivalfeatured more Equity membersthan ever before among theconcert dancers from ten

companies who performed thechoreography of Broadway’s AlBlackstone, Jeremy McQueen

and Josh Prince. As a special surprise addition

to the show, Mr. Blackstone,formerly of Broadway’s Wickedand a choreographer on “So YouThink You Can Dance” created awhimsical version of Promises,Promises’ “Turkey Lurkey Time”(1) featuring host Mo Rocca andEquity members Christopher Voand Antuan Raimone. JoshPrince, founder of TheBroadway Dance Lab andchoreographer of Shrek theMusical, drafted six ofBroadway’s best to celebratethe repeal of the U.S. military’s

“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy (2)in an exuberant theatrical piecehonoring soldiers’ right to serveand to love. Jeremy McQueen,who performed in the nationaltours of Wicked and The ColorPurple, emerged as a new,exciting concert choreographerin his tour de force “Only theBeginning,” (3) featuring a hostof Equity’s finest joining dancersfrom Ballet Hispanico and AlvinAiley American Dance Theater.

For the third year in a row thefestival set a fundraising record,

reaching $393,647. In its 19editions, Fire Island DanceFestival has raised $3.3 millionhelping to ensure life-savingmedications and health care,nutritious meals, counseling andemergency financial assistanceas provided by The Actors Fundand more than 450 AIDS andfamily service organizationsfunded by BC/EFA.

(To see photos and video, goto dradance.org.) Photos byRosalie O’Conner.

Chicago

Suggestions Soughtfor Second CityAgreement

Equity’s Second City Theatre,Inc., Agreement expires onSunday, April 13, 2014. In thecoming months, a survey will besent to those members whohave worked under thisagreement during the term ofthe current agreement and youare urged to complete it.Your

comments regarding work underthis agreement are veryimportant and will aid staff asthey formulate proposals for theupcoming negotiations. Allinformation is confidential.

If you have any concerns regarding working conditions, rehearsals, stage management issues, or any union matter specific to the Second Theatre, Inc., Agreement, contact Central Business Representative Cynthia E. Hanks at 312-641- 0393, ext. 239 or via email at chanks@actorsequity.org.

First Folio Theatre’s cast ofCymbeline: A Musical Folk Taleused the final week of their out-door run to make the company’scollection for Season of Concern.With a post-show appeal fromEquity actors Ronald Keaton

(Morgan), Lia Mortensen(Queen), and James Earl Jones II(Iachimo/ArchangelGabriel), thecast was able to raise $777.77 forthe Chicago area charity whichprovides compassionate care tothose in the theatre industry who

are experiencing the effects ofcatastrophic illness, includingHIV/AIDS. First Folio Theatre, lo-cated in Oak Brook, Illinois, hasbeen collecting annually for Sea-son of Concern since the theatrewas founded in 1997.

Chicago

“Cymbeline” Raises Funds for Season of Concern

3

2

From four teams in 2011,Actors and Artists Uniteto End Alzheimer’s

(“Actors and Artists Unite”) hasgrown at press time to eighteenteams (including three in NewYork City) that will participate inthe Alzheimer’s AssociationWalk to End Alzheimer’s® thisyear. The walks, which will takeplace in more than 600communities across the countrybeginning in September, are thenation’s largest event to raiseawareness and funds forAlzheimer’s care, support andresearch.

Councillor Nancy Dalystarted the original teams tohonor her parents, and now“Actors and Artists Unite” hasteams in 15 different cities. This

year, “Actors and Artists Unite” has become a full National Team (“Actors and Artists Unite To End Alzheimer’s”) and is the only national Friends and Family team for the National Walk to End Alzheimer’s®. Members interested in donating, starting their own team, or joining one of the thirteen scheduled “Actors and Artists Unite” team walks can log on to www.alz.org/ActorsUnite to learn more.

Upcoming team walksinclude: San Francisco-Saturday, September 21; Seattle– Saturday, September 21;Thousand Oaks, CA – Saturday,September 21; Jefferson City,MO – Sunday, September 22;Hartford, CT – Sunday,September 22; Boston- Sunday,

September 29; Chicago-Sunday,September 29; Santa Barbara-Saturday, October 5; Oxnard,CA – Saturday, October 5; LongBeach, CA – Saturday, October19; New York City-Sunday,October 20; Toledo, OH –Sunday, October 20;Washington DC-Saturday,October 26; Hollywood,FL/Miami - Saturday, October26; Los Angeles-Sunday,November 3; and Monroe, LA-Saturday November 9.

There is no fee to register and each participant is encouraged to fundraise (every little bit helps!) in order to contribute to the cause and raise awareness. For more information on “Actors and Artists Unite,” contact Nancy, who serves as the National Captain and Team Coordinator, at sassyblonde3@att.net.

18 Actors and Artists’ TeamsUnite to End Alzheimer’s

Palm Beach that lasted formore than a decade, and withthe help of Equity and thetouring cast of Jersey Boys aswell as other unions, the Localreached a settlement. That’ssolidarity, he said, to anenthusiastic delegation.

Across the country, in LasVegas, Eastern RegionalDirector and General CounselTom Carpenter, at the invitationof AFM President Ray Hair,addressed the AFM executiveboard and the more than 200delegates in attendance at theAFM’s 99th Convention. In hisremarks, Mr. Carpenter drew aparallel between actors andmusicians, saying they create“beauty,” “art” and “joy foraudiences” each time theyperform. He also said that theprotection of wages andworking conditions for actorsand musicians is critical sothey can continue to enrich ourlives.

Mr. Carpenter spoke of the

challenges that commercialtheatrical productions face; theindustry has not bounced backlike other sectors and thatstruggle is impacting the wagesand employment of the unions.He also called for continuedsupport among theentertainment unions, sayingthat together we can meethead on the attacks andchallenges faced by unionsand the performing arts. Mr.Carpenter, too, cited the IATSELocal 500 situation, telling theaudience how the musiciansand actors would not crossthe picket line and how thatbecame the impetus for thepositive settlement for thelocal.

President Wyman andEastern Regional DirectorCarpenter both spoke ofEquity’s Centennial, whichreceived a round of applausefrom the assembled delegates.Their presence at theconventions and the passion oftheir speeches further solidifiedEquity’s leadership position inthe entertainment industry.

Equity Leaderscontinued from page 1

New York

Broadway Takes Center Stage at Fire Island Dance Festival1

8 / EQUITY news SEPTEMBER 2013

Letters received from paid-up members on subjects of concern to Equity members will be consideredfor publication in Equity News, provided that they are no greater than 175 words in length. Lettersselected for publication may be edited for space requirements. Actors’ Equity Association reserves theright to decline to publish letters at its sole discretion. When multiple letters on the same topic aresubmitted, the Editor may decide to select a smaller number of representative letters for publication.Letters must be signed and must provide preferred contact information for verification purposes, butnames may be withheld from publication in certain limited circumstances, at a member’s request.Opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor are not necessarily those of Actors’ Equity Association.

Letters to The Editor

Bradley C. AikmanNarda E. AlcornMarilyn AlexKelly AlexanderYvonne AlfanoChristopher M. AllportBenjamin ArellanoGwen ArmentDavid ArrowLaura L. AswadMargaret AuerbachEdward C. BachmanChristopher E. BaileyBenjamin R. BaileyRenee BarkanTamara L. BaronSheri BarronClare BatheDavid J. BeachLaura BeattieTamara C. BecharaBrooke J. BehmkeMonday Sessions MediaMargaret BenczakRandee BenedictIra S. BitnerCynthia BlackmanSusan BlackwellJason M. BlairMary L. BlanksNancy BlechmanTeresa M. BoggessJoseph BongiornoSusan BougetzCherie L. BowerDonald BrassingtonRalph H. BraunKyle A. BrennJasper BriggsBroadway Hype LLCThomas BrouardDavid A. BrowdeJames C. BrownRon BruncatiPatti M. ButlerL. S. CaldwellWilliam CardenDoug CarfraeAllan CarlsenJoel R. CarltonCharles L. CarringtonKelly CarrolCarolyn L. CartwrightJanie CasserlyMartha CataldoCello

David J. CeruttiSteven ChaikelsonKim L. ChangCynthia ChapmanJudy ChesnuttLaurie C. ChurbaVincent E. CitarelliPeter ClarkMatthew T. ClemonsDavid ClennonKevin CobbJoanna CoccaLeslie M. CollinsLesley CollisComposers Group

InternationalSid ConradSharon E. CooperMeryl CooperPaul M. CornillonDonald CorrenGeorge CostacosWendell L. CraigElizabeth A. CrommettElizabeth CrookAnne S. CrowJohn CunninghamJo A. CunninghamJack Dabdoub,JrLynn S. DaleyDeidre DalyCraig H. D’amicoMatthew V. DaughertyLloyd Davis JrKaren S. DayRobertson DeanTeri L. DeaverPiet Hein DekkerMichael DelegetErik C. Della PennaBruce DentRichard DerryRonald DevitoKeriann Di Bari-OberleFrank DifiliaSharon D. DivelyMatthew DixonWilliam Dolive,JrJoy DonohueAmy DorrisJohn P. DoughertyStephanie DouglasTahmohkhie A. DukharrarHerbert DuncanChristopher DurangMichael V. Duzer

Melissa D. DyeKevin EarleyJohn EckertDaniel E. EdelsteinPatricia EdensSusan EdwardsMalik B. El AminMerav P. ElbazMikael ElsilaBarry ErnstMichael R. EscamillaTony FarentinoRussell M. FarrarIrving Street Rep Inc.Stephanie FeyneEdwina N. FindleyDoris F. FirkserDawn H. FisherJames P. FlynnDavid W. FontenoElliott ForrestBrian J. FowlerGeorge M. FraggosHarold S. FreedmanDan FrickJames R. FryerJennifer R. FujitaAnthony M. GamlieliRobin GammellMorison C. GampelJacki GarlandNick GarzilloShirley T. GenusTimothy GibbsChristopher J. GillespieKen GlickfeldCharles E. GoffRobert J. GoreBreon GormanSuzanna GranfieldJeanne GrantMichael K. GreenLawrence A. GreeneVirginia GregoryZach GrenierGregory GroveReed P. GrudinMarie L. GuinierRobert J. HackworthMary P. HallFrantz G. HallKelly P. Hall-TompkinsLinda K. HamilStephen J. HammMatt HankleKenneth Hanson

James HarnedMatthew HarringtonSteven M. HarrisPaul W. HartisMichelle F. HartleyEric HatchWilliam L. HauserRobert HebertJamie L. HectorNevin W. HedleyJohn N. HeftiTeresa Y HegjiNina HennesseyElizabeth F. HenneySandara L. HerronDennis HigginsJack H. HirschornAndrew HoffmanAndrew K. HolmesBarbara HoustonMerry J. HowardGaye HustonVictor HyamsFernando IsellaSarah E. JacksonClory C. JacksonKevin JeffersKenneth JenningsStephen JohnsLisa JohnsonRebekah J. JohnsonGrace M. JohnsonParker R. JohnsonRoy L. JonesAurora JonesCarolyn R. KallisSabine KartenDavid KatzenbergEric H. KaufmanArt KempfJoy KennerJoshua W. KesslerLoren KiddFloyd KingKurtz KingsleyKenneth J. KlemSamuel M. KlineNicholas M. KlineArthur B. KoenigShane D. KossAlbert W. KuetherKyle KulishL. & L. ProductionsEmma H. LamGloria LambertDavid B. LambertonValarie LamourTimothy LandfieldMara LandiMichelle LaneBobbi LangeRichard LarkinMark W. LazarJames A. L’ecuyerJason LeeMelissa LeebaertJohn LenartzRichard Lester

James R. LettisJames LeverettMarie F. LevesqueHoward LevyAnnette S. LewisMichael S. LewisDylan E. LongLisa LoomerMartin LowryDon LucasChristopher T. LuckenbillTheodore T. MadisonSean MahonyZairi MalcolmBeth A. MaloneLouis M. MarkertJennifer K. MarshallWilliam MasonAna C. MassetteTheodore B. MatherRichard T. MathewsDeborah MathewsSteven MattilaValentine MayerBill MccallumNancy G. McCloudCharlesh McCollisterCrystal N. McCrearyBeth McDonaldMarissa E. McGowanSterling P. McKinneyWilliam MetzoMartin MeyersLeslie D. MiddlebrookAlyssa F. MilanoRandy MilesMargaret A. MileyPilar MillhollenMarcy MirkinJodi MocciaWilma MondiMoocow, LLCNandi S. MorakeNicholas A. MoranElizabeth A. MorganTracy A. MoroneyAnnie E. MosbacherJohn MoscaJeanne MouchetLoretto M. MuirKrys MurphyLaurent E. NahonNapama, Inc.Kuniko NaraiLuis R. NegronLeslie A. NelsonLeslie C. NemetSha NewmanLiam NortonJames N. Nutt JrElinore J. O’ConnellJoyce O’ConnorChinasa D. OgbuaguDavid H. OkarskiSteven K. OlsonAndrew ParkerWilliam ParryJames J. Parsons

Cleo D. PartingtonMichael ParvaJohn PattiMichael R. PauleyPamela PeadonClifford A. PellowJose PerezWilliam PerezChristopher M. PersilRosemary PetersSusan PhillipsWendell PierceRichard PilcherRon PolaoMichelle PolinsDon PotterMichelle J. PowersMatthew R. PraetIan C. PrattFaith E. PrinceThms F. PriscillaJohn ProskyRichard W. PughBruce RacondSheryl L. RalphMonte RalstinRicki G. RavittsKit ReedJoshua E. ReeseJohn M. RemmeGregory ReuterPearl Revels-BeyPaul ReynoldsDawn M. RileyRuth E. RinklinRhonda RitchieMargaret H. RitterLaura M. RiveraLisa L. RobinsJerome RockwoodLynne RogersAnn RoggenAnne M. RollerSusan RosenstockKathryn M. RossetterDominique P. RoyNancy RozakisCarol L. RuburyRWS & AssociatesDavid A. SamuelsMegan A. SaraceniUmamaheswari SaradaHilari B. ScarlAnn L. SchautBethann SchebeceCarl R. SchieblerGregory S. SchildBrian L. SchneiderJared SchonigJoseph SchulteWilliam T. SchutteAlicia SedwickNestor SerranoClaire M. ShadoodKelly M. Shain TyreeThomas E. SharkeyKaren L. SharpeJoseph Sheridan

Brian SherrattArmin ShimermanDavid L. ShroderJulia B. SimpsonMichael R. SinksEmily SkeggsDonald S. SmythDavid SnellIngrid SonnichsenLucy M. SorluccoGeorge SpencerDoug SpinglerDaniel StantonJess R. StevensGrant StewartSeth StewartDaniel SturgesRachel StyneRadha A. SukhuKelly SullivanJason SuttonJoel SwetowBarbara J. SwiftCarole SylvanMarie TakazawaJo A. TannerPriscilla A. TaylorLinda J. TaylorRosalie TensethEileen S. TepperRicardo ThomasMarit TinguelyTom TodoroffDolph TraymonT. R. TreeceBetsy TrueLaura TurnbullTraci L. ValenzanoLoretta M. VasquezRoberta L. VatskeBonnie WalkerClifton WalkerPatricia A. WallaceMichael J. WalshKaren B. Walsh RullmanMonrico T. WardTimothy WarmenMarsha WarnerDavid WassonSamuel A. WaterstonJanet L. WatsonJohn T. WiessnerVernon WilletMelanie F. WilliamsLeslie F. WilliamsRegina M. WilliamsJohn T. WilsonDion M. WilsonDouglas G. WinstonChristopher E. WissGeorge C. Woodworth IVMitchell R. YavenFung Yee-BorchertYellin Productions, Inc.Gerri I. YoshidaBryan YoungSusan ZaguirreSaami Zain

Do You Have Unclaimed Fundsat Actors Federal Credit Union?

According to records ofActors Federal CreditUnion, the following people

have dormant accounts that havenot been used for three years. Ifyou are listed or know someone

appearing on the list, contactMember Services at Actors FCU:212-869-8926, option 6. If themoney is unclaimed ActorsFCU isrequired by law to send it to theState of New York.

DEE-LIGHTEDDear Equity:

I attended “Working with theMusical: From Audition toClosing,” [at the GoodmanTheatre in Chicago] and wasdelighted such an opportunityhad been arranged for areaAEA members. I’m grateful forthe time and efforts of fellowunion members of the AEAEqual Employment OpportunityCommittee and the Goodmanfor making this event possible. Itwas perfect timing for me, justperfect.

How lucky for me that,

although I currently find I needto work a full-time job outsidethe entertainment industry, myunion provides me withspecifically scheduled times toaudition for companies lookingto hire AEA talent. I’ve attendedover 20 auditions since mid-December. Thank you and yourstaff for arranging theseauditions. It’s up to me to dobetter at my audition, and I’mconfident that I will get better atdoing them. My union has givenme the chance to audition forjobs I hope to be hired for, insuch a convenient way to boot,

and is helping me improve myauditioning skills. Wow! I am justdee-lighted!

Frank Farrell

IN MEMORIAMTo the Editor:

Richard Starr diedunexpectedly on July 8, 2013 atage 62. He is missed andmourned by his family andlegions of friends who flocked to“Hollywood Sheet Music” to reapthe benefits of his extraordinaryknowledge of classic popularsong and theatre music. Rickwas a pillar of the entertainmentcommunity, offering his expertiseto TV and film projects, superstarrecording artists, and everynewcomer to the Los Angelestheatrical community equally. In2007, Actors’ Equity awardedhim the Lucy Jordan RecognitionAward “for going above andbeyond.” His life was defined by a

unique kindness, generosity, anda deep love of the musical art heperformed so vibrantly andsupported for so many.

An event to celebrate Rick’slife and contributions will takeplace at El Portal Theatre inNorth Hollywood on October 6,2013 at 5 pm. Memorialcontributions may be made toThe Actors Fund in gratitude fortheir excellent care and service:The Actors Fund, 5757 WilshireBlvd., Suite 400, Los Angeles,CA 90036, 323-933-9244.

Pamela F. Starr

Dear Editor:

Paul Ainsley = Big! PaulAinsley had perhaps the Biggestpersonality of anyone I knew. Hewas Big of heart, performance,laughter, life and love. As theoriginal Broadway “Herod” inJesus Christ Superstar heplayed his Big-ness. At 6’3”,

wearing platform shoes and aheaddress that shattered theozone level, Paul was Big.

Our friendship was strong,intimate and at times, fierce.When we fought (and whatfriends don’t?), it would angerme further to mention his nameto anyone who knew him, andbe faced with a huge grin andthe comment, “I love Paul!” Yes,he was universally loved.

On January 20, he passed.His brother Mark may have saidit best: “Paul’s heart was so big,both spiritually and physically,that it just couldn’t work thathard anymore.” He is missedand he has left a Big hole in thehearts of all who knew him, onstage, in the halls of the Equityoffices, in his many haunts inNew York or Los Angeles: Wemiss you BIG, Our Paul!!

Carol Swarbrick