Deadline: Actors’ Equity Association told members today that it will not place producer Scott Rudin on its “Do Not Work” list, explaining that the union utilizes the list to alert members about the status of non-union productions. Rudin, as the Equity letter states, “is a producing member of the Broadway League, and as such, he has agreed to abide by Equity’s collective bargaining agreements.”
2 comments:
My knee jerk reaction to this headline was disappointment in Actor’s Equity to not hold Rudin accountable. However, after reading the article, I appreciate the decision not to muddy the purpose of the do not work list. Equity’s first and foremost goal is to promote equity work and call out those who work outside equity contracts (and likely don’t follow equity rules in term of pay, breaks, or what have you). If they added Rudin while he’s still a part of the Broadway League, it creates a precedent of expanding the do not work list for individual reasons. I think the more appropriate response would be to investigate the reports of Rudin’s behavior and develop new policies to deal with habitual behavior of harassment. Hopefully the new tools that they are available to the union can help them keep workspaces safe for equity members and beyond. Also, hopefully Rudin can face consequences for his actions.
I choose to believe victims when it comes to traumatic situations, because ultimately why would a majority of people actively lie about being abused. In this case with Scott Rudin, I am absolutely disgusted that he can still get jobs if he just wanted to. I know that he has announced he is “stepping away” from many of his bigger projects, but that does not excuse the fact that he remains employable in the future. I could not imagine being one of his victims and knowing that there was even a slight chance that I would have to work with my abuser. Actors Equity Association even acknowledges that he has to maintain a safe work environment but that is just not something that can happen now. Even if he did not do what others claimed he has, and what news outlets are calling “bullying” rather than a “hate crime,” it would still not be a viable workplace from people being on edge about the verdict of his situation.
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