<p>Can you get Equity points towards your Equity card for being in summer stock productions?</p>
<p>Depending on the company you work for, yes.</p>
<p>And some companies offer you your card outright.</p>
<p>It's important to understand this on the front end, as many of the summerstock theatres are non-equity and do not offer points. They offer great experience and roles, though, for non-equity young actors.</p>
<p>The one i'm auditioning at hires equity actors and pays them under a contract. All non-equity actors are in the show on a volunteer basis. So do you have to be paid to earn your points, or just be in a professional summer-stock show?</p>
<p>The best way to find out is to ask them directly, because even if they have an agreement to hire equity actors, this does not necessarily mean that they are an Equity Theatre. Oftentimes established community theatre companies have an agreement to hire one or two Equity actors per show, often to enhance the quality of the show and/or to attract more spectators. </p>
<p>It is my understand that you can only earn your Equity card one of two ways:
1) you are offered a role at an Equity theatre under an Equity contract (this implies that you will pay I believe a $1000 initiation fee, plus a cut of your eventual earnings)
or
2) you join the Equity Membership Candidacy program (EMC) and
complete 50 weeks of credit at participating Equity theatres (you pay a $100 registration fee).</p>
<p>Hope this helps.</p>
<p>Here is a link to some more detailed info from the Equity website:
actorsequity.org</a> | Actors' Equity Association Frequently Asked Questions</p>
<p>PS I did not check if my understanding was accurate, so please don't "shoot" the messenger :D</p>
<p>Thanks for all the help!! I re-checked the website and the site says it's a professionally based not-for profit stock theatre!</p>
<p>I think someone was asking if you had to be paid in order to earn EMC (Equity Membership Candidate) points. I do not believe so.... I remember earning points as an unpaid performer in a Syracuse Stage show when I was in undergrad... but things could have changed since then. </p>
<p>The theatre has to be a participant in the EMC program. Most theatres that work under AEA contracts participate in the EMC program... although I believe that some SPT and LOA theatres are not always able to do so. Also -- theatres that offer AEA Guest Artist contracts (but are primarily non-AEA), and Showcase Code theatres are not able to do so.</p>
<p>When you are auditioning at a theatre it is a good idea to ask them if they participate in the EMC program. </p>
<p>When I joined AEA 10 years ago I was already a member of the EMC program -- I think I had about 25 points -- I was also a member of SAG. I was offered an AEA contract and joined the union -- because I had joined the EMC program some years earlier (and had paid the $100 fee) my joining dues were $700 (the $800 that was the joining dues at the time minus the $100 I had already paid when I joined EMC). I believe I had to pay $300 or so of the remaining $700 at the time I joined, and then the rest could be taken out of my paychecks... basically there was an installment plan. I do not know if is still the way it works (the joining dues are certainly higher now)... but I believe that the joining dues still are frozen for an individual the moment (s)he joins EMC and pays the $100 EMC joining fee. That $100 is towards your eventual joining dues.</p>
<p>I think AEA still has a installment plan for the difference when you join -- although this may have changed. If you contact the membership or the education office at AEA they will give you the current details. </p>
<p>On a separate (but related) note -- I believe that when you join SAG you have to pay the entire joining dues... no installment plan. That was the case 13 years ago, and I do not think that has changed.</p>
<p>Good luck! :)</p>
<p>KATMT - my D is a member of both AFTRA & SAG, and yes I can confirm that none of her joining dues were in installments :(.</p>
<p>Thanks MTgrlsmom -- I thought I remembered walking into the SAG office with a cashier's check for a LARGE amount! :(</p>
<p>No, you do NOT need to get paid to earn equity points. My daughter was in an equity show a few years back, did not get paid, and got 8 points. There WERE equity actors in the show who DID get paid, however.</p>
<p>Are there any more auditions for summer stock? Just wondering.</p>
<p>If you live anywhere near New York City, there are lots of auditions coming up in the near future. You can check the weekly newspaper Backstage for dates.</p>
<p>rossji, what theatre was this with?</p>
<p>This was with Playhouse on the Green in Bridgeport, CT (formerly Polka Dot Playhouse). She did Babes in Toyland there.</p>
<p>Just got casted in my first summer stock company this summer!!! AGHH sooo excited. My friend got casted in 3 out of the four shows and I thought that they had already casted everyone so I just assumed I didn't make it! WELL I got a call today and I've been casted!!!!!</p>
<p>SingerNLmusic - congrats on getting cast :D! Keep us posted on your experiences!</p>
<p>I most deff will!!</p>
<p>My daughter just got accepted to the Berkshire Theatre Festival. She had to audition. Does anyone know anything about it?</p>