The Actors’ Equity Association has announced a halt on issuing contracts for developmental work in live theatre following a breakdown in negotiations with the Broadway League. The union, representing over 51,000 actors and stage managers, has been in talks with the League since January 22, 2024, but the current Development Agreement expired on February 11 without a new deal in place.
Stephen Bogardus, chair of the Equity Negotiating Team, expressed frustration over the wage package proposed by the Broadway League, calling it “unacceptable.” He emphasized that the compensation levels offered for the next five years are insufficient for their members. “We never wanted it to come to this, but the wage package put across the table by the Broadway League was just plain unacceptable. Our members cannot afford to work on this contract at the proposed compensation levels over the next five years,” Bogardus stated. He added that the union is ready to return to the bargaining table whenever the League is prepared to negotiate a fair wage.
The Development Agreement, established in 2019, is crucial for the development of new works by the League. It ensures that actors and stage managers share in the success of a production through contingent compensation. The agreement came about after a 33-day strike in 2019, which was the union’s first strike in 50 years. During that strike, union members gained a share in 1% of the show’s profits once it goes into full production and recoups, along with a salary increase.
Several shows have benefited from the Development Agreement, including “Days of Wine and Roses,” “The Great Gatsby,” “Gutenberg! The Musical!,” “Harmony,” “The Heart of Rock and Roll,” “How to Dance in Ohio,” “Lempicka,” “The Notebook,” “Once Upon a One More Time,” “The Outsiders,” “Suffs,” “Water for Elephants,” and “The Wiz.”
The strike authorization vote, unanimously agreed upon by the union’s 83-member national council, does not mean an immediate strike but gives Equity the power to call one if necessary. This move comes less than a month after Brooke Shields was elected as the president of Actors’ Equity, marking her first significant challenge in the role.
Equity Executive Director and Lead Negotiator Al Vincent, Jr. highlighted the importance of compensating developmental work appropriately. “We know that show development is work,” Vincent said. “This development work hopefully leads to successful shows, some of which have long lives with many iterations that can make a lot of money for producers. We know there is no revenue from the development sessions themselves, but it’s still work, and that doesn’t change whether there’s revenue today or whether it’s an investment producers are making against future profits. And that work must be appropriately compensated.”
The Broadway League, represented by General Counsel and Executive Vice President of Labor Relations Jason Laks, stated that the negotiations have been conducted in good faith and that the developmental work does not generate revenue for producers. “We have been engaged in good faith negotiations with Actors’ Equity regarding development work. These negotiations have no impact on any Broadway or touring productions. The contract we are negotiating covers only short-term employment in the early stages of development work on projects that may or may not ever become fully-realized productions. As the Union itself has acknowledged, this work does not generate revenue for the producers. We look forward to returning to the bargaining table and continuing our efforts towards reaching an agreement,” Laks said.
Currently, there are no scheduled future negotiation dates, and developmental work is continuing as planned. However, if a strike is called, it could impact upcoming developmental projects, including workshops for the musical adaptation of “Smash,” “Take the Lead,” “The Lost Boys,” and “Tangled.”
The union’s decision to halt issuing contracts for developmental work underscores the ongoing struggle to balance fair compensation for actors and stage managers with the financial realities of developing new theatrical productions. The outcome of these negotiations will likely have significant implications for the future of live theatre development.
