<p>@MomCares - I think you really got bad information about Equity vs Non-Equity auditions. There are poorly organized theater professionals at every level. When I was an actor I would have said 75%+ of ALL auditions were poorly run. As a producer/director/casting person - I see the flaws in my logic then. However, remember that most of us who RUN Non-equity professional houses spent much time as professional actors. I think your brain has already convinced you that Equity is just better than Non-Eq, so I don’t think there is much I can do to convince you otherwise, but I assure you - that question is best answered on a case by case basis. I recently interviewed for a job running a community (volunteer theater, outside of a few full time staff members) theater, and the pay was for twice what I make in my current job (which is more than some equity houses pay their AD)…Theater is a funny game, with a lot of ways to make money, at a bunch of levels.</p>
<p>“Submissions Only” is great.</p>
<p>However, take Audition Update with a grain of salt. The main page updating on wait lengths and lists is a great idea - I wish I had it when I was auditioning, would have come in handy (especially to EMCs who want to be seen at EPAs). As for the other two pages…The sad, sad truth is that 90% of jaded opinions of actors are derived from rejection. </p>
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@TheaterHiringCo- Once again, thank you for your perspective! </p>
<p>I guess D has just been very fortunate so far in her audition experiences (all either school-related or Equity since middle school with one exception), but maybe when she hits NYC the 75% poorly run statistic will kick in. I hope not!</p>
<p>I do admit to being generally pro-union (come from a family of teachers), but this is Ds decision and not mine. I’m just interested in trying to better understand the world in which she’ll be working, and hate the thought of anyone being asked to waste hours and hours waiting to audition in the age of computers and cell phones.</p>
<p>Can ANY equity theatre grant an equity card to ANY actor they want to hire for ANY role, or is being offered a card for a single contract the exception rather than the rule? @TheatreHiringCo - could you hand out an infinite number of Equity cards at your theatre (I know you don’t, but could you) or is there some limit?</p>
<p>A theater has to fall under a specific equity agreement to offer cards outright. My theater operates only under a Guest Artist contract, so no, we cannot offer actors their cards.</p>
<p>Two years ago we explored becoming a SPT (Small Professional Theatre). Those are the theaters that offer EMC points and a generally low equity rate. In order to join over a three year period (If my memory is not too hazy), we had to honor a First-7 rate for our productions, meaning the first seven contracts per show were AEA (and under our current GA Rate). It made it tough for us.</p>
<p>Anyway - the odds of a theater who doesnt HAVE to make you equity doing it, are slim. More than likely, you would do a show at a LORT Theater where they are VERY limited in the number of Non-Eqs they use (usually only in a HUGE ensemble, and then very few), and they would bump you up. Otherwise a tour would do it, and I know many, many actors who got their card with their first Bway show.</p>
<p>The other way, of course, is to join one of the other unions for a year - and then join AEA. </p>
<p>The 50 Points system is very antiquated. I know there is a ground movement for AEA to start an audition process, but I think that is 8-10 years off. </p>
<p>Interesting, thanks!</p>
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Ironically, D’s first non-Equity (or non-school) audition was for a tour, so it seems increasingly that’s not a path to an Equity card.</p>
<p>@lojosmo - Just curious how S is feeling about decision to take his card by this end of the summer audition season? Still feeling like a good decision? Do most of his classmates have their cards by Showcase, or just a few?</p>
<p>@ NightOwl2 -</p>
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In your experience, do those appointments usually run on schedule, or do actors still often wait hours to be seen even with an appointment?</p>
<p>@MomCares~ He ALWAYS thought it was a good idea! It was me who didn’t think he should. It is actually a moot point now because he booked Grease at the MUNY; he would have to take it now any way. He also booked three shows at PCLO but I am not sure if that also would have made him take it. Someone else can chime in because as I said in the beginning of this thread I don’t even know what I don’t know! Some classmates have their cards, some don’t; some opted for points and now have accrued enough points, it is varied.</p>
<p>Hi MomCares. Appointment times run on schedule for the most part. Of course there are days when they will run a bit late but waiting hours does not happen. Casting has the studio for a fixed length of time and want to see everyone they called in from submissions.</p>
<p>SAG-Aftra members are actually paid if auditions run late! <a href=“http://www.sagaftra.org/faqs-4”>http://www.sagaftra.org/faqs-4</a></p>
<p>@lojosmo and @MomCares - If someone is booking work at the PCLO and MUNY they are more than ready to take their card. Those theaters are as competitive as any tour, and most B-way shows, so those are no brainers! ALWAYS take your card in that situation. </p>
<p>My concern is more for students who spend two summers at the Barn in Michigan, or something - they aren’t always better off. </p>
<p>@TheaterHiringCo and @MomCares ~ So he was right! What do I know!</p>
<p>MomCares, like NightOwl mentions, if you have an audition via submission through an agent, there is very little, if any, wait time, and certainly not for hours. That is one of the beauties of having an agent in the first place. No open calls, no full days of auditions and waiting and waiting. You go to your appointment and are often done in 10 minutes. And you don’t have to be Equity to be seen if your agent is submitting you. </p>
<p>Sometimes…it gets even better than that…my D’s most recent audition a couple of weeks ago was sorta tailor made…the production/casting people were interested in my daughter (not a submission via her agent) and contacted her agent and asked for my D for an audition. My D is performing out of town for over four months. My D happened to be flying into NYC for 24 hours to accept an award and perform in two events that one night. The casting people arranged to work around her schedule and had her come in after landing at the airport before heading to rehearse her two events (she was truly on the ground just for a day). She had the audition and was called later in the day and was cast that very day. Haven’t had this experience before but just mentioning that sometimes casting people call someone in and their agent hasn’t even submitted them and go so far as making the audition fit the actor’s own schedule! I’ll admit, this hasn’t been the case in the past and more typically, you have to drop everything to make the audition appointment. </p>
<p>@lojosmo - So happy it’s working out for him and bet he’ll have a blast this summer! We do know kids who have taken cards for a MUNY (3 week?) contract but then have had trouble finding steady Equity work, as well as kids who took cards for Broadway, so nothing is a foolproof guarantee I guess, but it sounds like he made a great decision and is very castable (is that a word?)!</p>
<p>@NightOwl2 - Glad to hear that equity and agent appointments tend to run on schedule! Making people sit around for hours, getting un-warmed-up (is THAT a word?), to apply for a low-paying temp job just seems unnecessary. Guess we can tell I am not meant to be an actor. :)</p>
<p>@soozievt - The day our D is as in demand as yours will be a happy day indeed. It has been so exciting to watch her career blossom!</p>
<p>@MomCares - we called “getting un-warmed up” “getting cold”. At least that’s what we brass players said, not sure about the vocalists. </p>
<p>I just saw my daughter tonight and afterwards was thinking of this discussion from a few days ago. She is in tech week for a show which means VERY long hours. Her agent was contacted asking my D to audition for a show, but via video (how she’ll fit in learning the song and making a video with her schedule for tech the next few days…oy)…and she was saying to me that she has a feeling there won’t even be live auditions for this show (it’s in NYC at a well known venue) and that they are likely just asking for these video submissions (she expects they’ll just cast a “name” though). So, sometimes, there aren’t even live auditions. I know in the past, for some musicals or workshops of musicals my D has written or been part of the casting decisions, they viewed videos of artists and contacted their agents and never held live auditions. This doesn’t happen for some venues/shows like Broadway where Equity rules require them to hold auditions and such, but still, I think some casting involves casting people contacting actors’ agents and calling people in for an appointment (not the same as a submission) or in this case, asking them to submit a video, or in some cases, casting them based on having seen videos of their work online or in person in the past. And of course, for those with major credits, or a “name”…it’s sorta a different ballgame! My daughter is NOT a name by any means. But I will say this…networking is HUGE in this industry. She says she is pretty sure the reason her agent was contacted asking for a video submission “audition” is because the major names associated with this show know her. Keep in mind that every experience you have in this field, can lead to knowing more people and more experiences, especially once you live and work in a particular location for a bit (like NYC in this case). Just another glimpse at all the varieties of how professional casting goes on!</p>
<p>It is too late to edit my post above, but one thing I sorta had incorrect is that the example I gave of my D’s agent being asked for my D to send in an audition video and my D assumed there were no live auditions…I have seen online that there was an EPA (Equity Principal Audition) for this production about a month ago, but SOMETIMES from what I have observed, they hold these EPAs, etc. but end up casting via agent submission appointments or else simply calling someone in that they are interested in, or in this case, asking for videos and not live auditions. But they have to hold the EPA in some cases based on Equity rules, even if they don’t cast from these. </p>
<p>EPAs can and often are sham auditions. AEA requires them. </p>
<p>Sometimes a SPT will have two days worth even though the whole season is cast internally.</p>
<p>^^^My daughter basically feels likewise. She NEVER attends EPAs, ECCs or open calls. She simply hasn’t the time. She does have an agent and a lot of casting takes place via agent submissions. My last few posts are to say that it often goes further than that whereby a show is cast by calling people in that they know they are interested in (not even submitted by agent), based on having seen their work in the real world of theater, online videos, etc. This has happened to my kid and her most recent casting (for a production this coming fall) is by being called in and not being submitted first. And now her next audition is also by her agent being contacted asking her to submit the audition via video. As I wrote, she has also been on the other side of the casting table and in some instances, they did not hold live auditions and in concert with casting agencies chose people they wanted for the parts (even viewed YouTube clips of them!). </p>
<p>Thought I would jump in and give some info from our experience. S is a BFA MT at Pace and already has his Equity card. He auditions often at the NYC Equity calls - both EPA’s and ECC’s and just so you don’t walk away with the idea that these are not real auditions please know that people DO get callbacks and DO book from these auditions. There may be some cases of a required call and a theater plans to cast locally instead, but I would say that has been the exception and not the rule in our experience. Some of the calls are for future replacements on Broadway or National Tours and they may not be casting at that moment in time - these calls are required x times per year for shows on these types of contracts. However, CD’s will file actors they are interested in and you may get the callback call months later when they are casting.</p>
<p>MTSD322, did your son choose Pace in part because of its flexibility in allowing him to maintain NYC contacts and do auditions outside school? How are they if/when he lands a contract during the school year? Thanks.</p>
<p>@connections - yes that was big part in his decision on attending Pace. They encourage the kids to audition outside of school if they are ready. Having said that - they are not allowed to miss class for an open audition, but can make arrangements with the department head if they have an appointment or callback. The MT class scheduling is a little unique at Pace too - classes are in a block schedule, for example Acting will be one 3 hour class a week instead of 3 one hour classes. And so for with with my S’s classes they usually have a morning and after section for each. On a couple of occasions with a call back or audition appointment he has been able to arrange to attend the other class section that day. The block schedule leaves open slots during the week that makes it fairly easy to audition. They are very good with arranging leaves of absence for significant bookings - such as national tours or Broadway - but may not be as easy with say a touring children’s show, etc. I am also aware of short leaves for film shoots. Most of the kids I am aware of that have been or are currently in Broadway shows have been able to attend at least part time while performing. Two boys currently in Broadway shows now (one since last fall and the other since the first of the year) will both be graduating with their class next week. Kids also have done Off Broadway shows and have been able to work their classes around the performance commitment. </p>
<p>One other great feature if your kid is on scholarship - you are able to get a leave of absence with your scholarship as well on a case by case basis - at least with the Honors college. This was a huge bonus since the other schools S was accepted and scholarshipped at required 4 uninterrupted years.</p>