Theater actors will now have an easier time becoming a member of Actors’ Equity Association: The union has announced that it will now open membership to any actor or stage manager who has worked professionally in the United States. Previously, membership was only open to actors who have worked for an Equity employer or were members of a sibling union like SAG-AFTRA.
The new membership program called Open Access, defines “worked professionally” as anyone who has received payment for their work; there is no minimum payment that an actor or stage manager has to receive in order to qualify for membership.
Equity President Kate Shindle told Backstage that under the old membership rules, “We were letting our employers control who became Equity members.”
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