BWW SPECIAL FEATURE: How I Got My Equity Card - By Kimberly Faye Greenberg

BroadwayWorld.com is proud to present its weekly feature, presented in association with and to celebrate the importance of the Actors' Equity Association. "AEA" or "Equity", founded in 1913, is the labor union that represents more than 48,000 Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions and provides a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans, for its members.

Check back weekly for new entries from stars of stage and screen on how they got their Equity cards!

Today's 'How I Got My Equity Card' features Kimberly Faye Greenberg, an actress and singer who is currently starring in DANNY & SYLVIA, THE Danny Kaye MUSICAL at St. Luke's.  When not performing onstage, she is a swing dresser on many Broadway musicals. 

"Getting my AEA card was a test in patience and perseverance. I had been offered the opportunity to earn points at several long term regional gigs when I had finished college but both of these jobs paid nothing and required a full time commitment and I honestly couldn't afford to do it.

"Then throughout my first years in NYC I was offered my card several times again, these times I would have taken it in a heartbeat, but again it didn't work out! The first time I couldn't take it as I had just signed a contract for another project. Another time I couldn't take it because of a family emergency. It was frustrating, but completely beyond my control, especially since I had spent hours waiting to be seen at many AEA calls.

"I then became a member of AFTRA for some soap opera work I did. And, by being a working member of AFTRA for a year, I was eligible to buy into AEA by it being a "sister" union.

"Literally, the day I became eligible to finally join I walked myself to AEA and paid my dues. I am a firm believer in everything working out for the best and it seems that it did! As I have been a working AEA actor ever since!"