Actor-Activists Plan ‘March on Broadway’ to Demand Equity Transparency, Rudin Removal or Restorations

Playbill: In the wake of reported abuse allegations against Scott Rudin and the producer’s subsequent announcement that he’d “step back” from his shows, an April 22 “March on Broadway” will rally for proper accountability and safe work environments moving forward in the theatre industry. The event (originally scheduled April 21 but changed due to weather forecasts), is organized by Nattalyee Randall and Courtney Daniels and demands action not just from the Broadway League and Rudin himself but also Actors’ Equity Association, calling for transparency on the union’s part on active steps to ensure equity for BIPOC artists and other underrepresented communities.

Lift the Curtain: Tackling the Issue of Unpaid Internships

USITT Webinar Replay « Stage Directions: Lift the Curtain is a group of like-minded individuals looking to end unpaid and underpaid internships by providing information and resources to interns and organizations alike. They’ve come together to address unpaid arts internships.

Elsa Hiltner advocates for transparency in theater design salaries

Performing Arts Feature | Chicago Reader: This past week, Theatre Communications Group (TCG) announced that its job search engine, ARTSEARCH, would not only be free of cost to all users, but would additionally require all prospective employers to list a salary range for all postings. This announcement comes on the heels of seismic changes within the theater industry aimed at dismantling inequity and financial exploitation.

White NYC Theater Actors Get More Jobs and More Pay According to New Study

www.backstage.com: Despite industry calls for diversity, white actors continue to get more roles with higher pay, than BIPOC actors, according to a new study. The Asian American Performers Action Coalition, an advocacy group focused on advocating for diversity in the American theater, has released the findings of their newest demographic study, called “The Visibility Report: Racial Representation on New York City Stages.”

Going Broke in Hollywood: TV Assistants Reel From Pandemic Pay Cuts

Vanity Fair: “Isobbed on the phone with my showrunner—our pay was already too low.”

That’s a Hollywood assistant describing her reaction when her boss let her know that the studio was jeopardizing her income in ways she found “cruel.” This assistant, one of more than 20 sources that Vanity Fair interviewed for this story, is an LGBTQ woman of color who works in TV. She doesn’t blame the showrunner for the kind of reductions that assistants all over the industry have been forced to accept in the wake of the pandemic. But she and many of her peers are furious at the studios that employ them.

Twitter Is On Fire Talking About How Low-Paid Hollywood Assistants Are

The Mary Sue: Twitter is having a productive day discussing and calling out the problems with how Hollywood’s writer and production assistants are grossly underpaid. This is not a new conversation, but it is being brought to light by writer/producer Liz Alper, who wrote a Twitter thread about her own experience as an assistant and the problems with the pay there, especially considering how expensive Los Angeles is.

Why Do Employers Lowball Creatives? A New Study Has Answers

KQED Arts: Larissa Archer has been asked to perform for free so many times she's lost count.

Despite her years of training, impressive resume and credibility as the founder of San Francisco Bellydance Theater, she often finds herself turning down invitations to dance for a few wrinkled dollar bills.

Viola Davis on ‘Widows’ and the Pay Gap in Hollywood

Variety: It was a familiar dilemma for Viola Davis. What to do with her hair?

The star of the upcoming film “Widows” needed to know what kind of wig or extensions she should wear to play Veronica Rawlins, the leader of an unlikely band of robbers scrambling to pull off a dangerous heist. Director Steve McQueen’s answer shocked the Emmy-, Tony- and Oscar-winning actress.

“I said, ‘Your own hair is beautiful — just wear it that way,’” recalls McQueen. “Veronica is a wash-and-go kind of girl.”

The Voiceover Actor’s New Fight

Backstage: SAG-AFTRA, the nation’s union for screen actors, is gearing up for “the fight of its life” on behalf of animation voiceover actors, said SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris. The powerful union is initiating the first steps of a strike—pinpointing streaming services like Netflix, iTunes, Hulu, and Amazon, as well as newcomer services from Disney, Facebook, and Warner Bros.