NYTimes.com: With the kind of young audience that theater producers have long courted and a bustling school (costing about $400 a class), the Upright Citizens Brigade — which has three sites on two coasts and has inspired competitors like the PIT and the Magnet, creating a new theater sphere in New York — is one of the great success stories of the new comedy boom. But as the theater expands, not paying performers raises questions about not just labor standards but also about diversity and what comedy will look like in popular culture.
3 comments:
I'm surprised no one has commented on this. I don't think paying people will ruin UCB's creative vibe. I feel like they could lose out on a lot of talent because they don't pay. It was surprising that for a For-profit that the founders don't get paid. Mr. Besser goes on to say, “I don’t see what they do as labor. I see guys onstage having fun. It’s not a job.” I completely disagree. They are doing a service that gets the UCB income. Also if you applied that here you would have to apply that to sports and any job that people do that are also fun...
Before we start utterly ripping UCB apart, let's remember that there is actual codified precedent for performers in other industries to render their efforts for free. The Actors' Equity Showcase Code is a specific set of production guidelines within which union members can work for free, with the potential that they get seen by industry professionals (as indicated by free AEA member and industry "comps"), and if their work is successful, they may continue with it. In this frame of mind, UCB's arguments that providing stage time is valuable enough to improv comedians to justify the labor. However, two issues stand out as the reasons why this shouldn't be ok - the fact that auditions for the mainstage are set from students in the classes, creating a "pay to play" culture, and the fact that the theatre is receiving revenue (however small) from ticket sales night after night after night. The stopping point of the Showcase Code is 12 performances - they're intended for short term opportunities, not to take up a performer's entire life in rehearsals and performances for free. UCB is first of all requiring contributions of over $1000 just to be seen for auditions, and then are collecting ticket revenue 4 times a night most days of the week. Even to consider this fun instead of work, the fact remains that performers are paying for the opportunity to be exploited for company gain - that's just plain wrong.
I don't really see the problem. This company is offering an opportunity for these performers to get stage time. They all go in with the understanding that they are not going to get paid. Its a capitalist society and those are the terms of the arrangement. Although the 2 drink thing really does seem like a slap in the face. Without being told differently I would have assumed that performers are at least drinking for free at the clubs. They are part of the organization and I don't think that they should be getting paid but the club could at least treat them better.
Post a Comment