Jean-Paul Richard, a member of Council since 1991, Second Vice President from 2000 to 2009 and longtime Chair of the Advisory Committee on Chorus Affairs, has received the ACCA Award for Outstanding Contributions to Chorus and his 18 years of work on behalf of those who need the union's protection most. The surprise ceremony took place during the Eastern Regional Board meeting on May 12.
Jean-Paul Richard, who joined Equity under a Chorus contract in 1972, was elected to his first five-year term on Council representing Chorus in 1991. His election statement in Equity News said that one of his priorities was "preserving and strengthening the pink contract." He did and he has-for 18 years. In 2000, when he ran for the office of Second Vice-President, he pledged to continue as "the voice of the working Chorus Actor," and listed some of his accomplishments: forming the Dance Captain Committee, forming the National Deputy Committee, bringing to the forefront the dangers of raked stages and establishing a Raked Stage policy, and establishing new dance shoe and protective clothing requirements for several contracts. More recently he added to this list of accomplishments by creating the ACCA Award for Outstanding Broadway Chorus and overseeing the trademarking and copyrighting of the Gypsy Robe and the Gypsy Robe Ceremony.
Accepting the award, Mr. Richard said it has been an "honor and a privilege" to work for, and with, the Chorus.
