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AGMA, AGVA, AEA, CEA, AFTRA, SAG

10/18/2012

 
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          AGMA, AGVA, AEA, CEA, AFTRA, SAG            
    My first union was the American Guild of Musical Artists joined in 1947 to dance—two weeks at the Zeigfeld Theater—with Martha Graham. When Actor’s Equity called a strike, I was in Once Upon A Mattress  On the 3rd of every month a union retirement check arrives, the last thing I’d expected for dancing on Broadway.
    For Paint Your Wagon, I had to join Chorus Equity, for TV, the American Federation of Radio and Television Artists, for The Latin Quarter (a night club), the American Guild of Variety Artists, and for Peer Gynt, although a lowly dancer, I had to join Actor’s Equity, big brother to Chorus Equity. Each required an initiation fee and dues between jobs, or back dues when re-hired. The exception was Screen Actors Guild which gave the producer a “waver,” allowing him to pay almost nothing. A performer is allowed only one but SAG gave him a second for me. And when he tried to do me out of re-run residuals, it refused to lift a finger. I envied musicians, one union for all whatever and where ever they played.
    Rehearsing in a studio of the Zeigfield, a stage hand said if we put one foot on a prop, Martha Graham would have to pay four stagehands for four hours of work. We chalked its outline on the floor.
    Auditioning for Onna White, I couldn’t plug my record player into a wall socket, so hauled an automobile battery and converter to the audition.
    After an off-Broadway flop titled Morning Sun, disheartened composer, Paul Klein, was giving up show biz, so the cast wanted to make him a reel-to-reel souvenir of his songs. Our Equity deputy, a singer, said no. We did it anyway and when he nosed around the dressing room, dancer, Michael Maurer, sounded the alarm, singing, “Schmucks are taking over the world!”
    When I formed a young-audience in-school troupe, The Ballet Team, I wanted to go union. The rep approved $125 a week, saying they had a small opera contract for that amount. “You can play four shows on weekends.”
    “We play week days in public schools.”
    “We don’t have a contract for that.”
    “So write one!” He shook his head. We went non-union.
    Finally, Equity News is the most boring monthly trade paper in the universe, even though it reports on the most interesting people who live in it.  
`    Hard working dancers are in natural opposition to producers, but theatrical producers are not soulless suits and union staff need to know the difference between Walt Disney and tiny start-ups like, yes, The Ballet Team.
    With the exception of fire fighters, unions have a poor public image not enhanced when the Chicago teacher’s union calls a strike as school is starting. Labor college types call it perfect timing. It’s also the worst possible PR.    
    Wisconsin’s union-busting Scott Walker should have been kicked out, but too many Wisconsinites resent what they view as high-handed union power plays. The union movement, in decline for decades, desperately needs PR consultants. If the Wisconsin defeat wasn’t a wake-up call, I wonder what it will take?

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tracy everitt link
10/18/2012 03:38:21 pm

Dear Stu,
Lazy, corrupt UNIONS can be defeated with the artists' or workers' will to do it, and UNIONS can be ennobled also, But theyaren't challenged since a long tgiomne ago, like gthis night:
One historically sparkling night, when American ( please do CROSS yourself right now as I write his name)- ORSON WELLES- defied the theater owners and the actors' unions and WPA's new evil rulers of the WPA, had forbidden the opening of Mssr. Welles' great, socialistic , revolutionary new theater production, "Rock of Ages", , Orson and his cast were locked out on opening night: SO, Mssr Olympic Orson took his cast andmarched to a new theater that every night against the law, to open in another theater, ILLEGALLY.. That theater was dark that bight but Orson gained entry illegally somehow, and since no union hands were there. and with the public in tow who had enthusiastically followed their march,took over the Theater TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT THIS CAPITALISTIC MITT ROMNEY NIGFHTMARISH USA EVEN THEN
THIS TOOK THE COURAGE OF A lioness such as a Rosa Luxembourg or like the Swiss exile Vladamir Lenin, in order to tell the truth; Orson Welles and cast DID that on THAT very night they were forbidden to tell the truth, becasue of the genius and SOCIAL CONSCIENCE of Welles, His cast of his political musical, "Rock of Ages", took over a closed stage against all obstacles, on a stage with no unions asked to be involved, It was marvelously subversive, with daunting actors, and he AND THEY showed us what to do to make theater important..
NO ONE HAS DONE IT SINCE. America died right then.


Tracy rter ownesr anbd atched overt to anitgehr thetare to roesent hisI am a kittlke inebriated and miserable right now, caused by a soearaation from a goddess whio si my wife, and I also am a little tiposy, living alone, trying to think of the fcators of the workd that natter,

tracy everitt
10/18/2012 03:43:04 pm

correction of typos:
Dear Stu,
Lazy, corrupt UNIONS can be defeated with the artists' or workers' will to do it, and UNIONS can be ennobled also, But they aren't challenged since a long time ago, like this night:
One historically sparkling night, when American ( please do CROSS yourself right now as I write his name)- ORSON WELLES- defied the theater owners and the actors' unions and WPA's new evil rulers of the WPA, had forbidden the opening of Mssr. Welles' great, socialistic , revolutionary new theater production, "Rock of Ages", , Orson and his cast were locked out on opening night: SO, Mssr Olympic Orson took his cast and marched to a new theater that very night against the law, to open in another theater, ILLEGALLY. That theater was dark that night but Orson gained entry illegally somehow, and since no union hands were there and with the public in tow who had enthusiastically followed their march,took over the theater TO TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT THIS CAPITALISTIC MITT ROMNEY NIGHTMARISH USA EVEN THEN.
THIS TOOK THE COURAGE OF A lioness such as a Rosa Luxembourg or like the Swiss exile Vladamir Lenin, in order to tell the truth; Orson Welles and cast DID that on THAT very night when they were forbidden to tell the truth, Because of the genius and SOCIAL CONSCIENCE of Welles, his cast of his political musical, "Rock of Ages", took over a closed stage against all obstacles, on a stage with no unions asked to be involved. It was marvelously subversive, with daunting actors, and he AND THEY showed us what to do to make theater important..
NO ONE HAS DONE IT SINCE. America died right then.


Tracy rter ownesr anbd atched overt to anitgehr thetare to roesent hisI am a kittlke inebriated and miserable right now, caused by a soearaation from a goddess whio si my wife, and I also am a little tiposy, living alone, trying to think of the fcators of the workd that natter,
Cancel Reply
typos:

tracy everitt
10/18/2012 03:48:30 pm

Signing off typos of:last paragraph :
written by a cat walking on the keyboard

Elizabeth link
2/28/2013 06:07:46 pm

Thanks, you helped me a lot, the information for me was very helpful


Comments are closed.
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    Author (Yuma, AZ, 1944)

    Being 90 years in this world,  with great kids,  great grandkids, great wives (two, one at a time) and great memories, I wonder why some people seem to have stopped loving the U.S.A.? I will wonder in print right here. If you wonder too, or can provide some answers, please comment.
                                   Stuart Hodes

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           With my friend, Nero.
                   April, 2012.
        Photo by Ray Madrigal

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