How do you obtain an Equity Card?

[BwayEqs]

Just wondering.

[dramamama611]

2 ways: you either work for theaters (summer stock, lort theaters) from which you earn equity points and eventually have enough points to get your equity card or 2 get hired by an equity professional job -- with the committment of a job, you get your card.

[BwayEqs]

Cool, thanks!

[SondheimFan5]

Steal it.

[PlayItAgain]

why doesn't equity operate like Aftra used to? you pay a membership entrance fee and then dues.

[E.Davis]

^^^But for some people that is how you do it. I became eligible to "buy" my card and then I start paying dues.

[singtopher]

But you still had to earn the right to buy the card.

AFTRA (and other unions, like SSDC) you just walk in and pay your way into the union, like you're joining Costco or something.

[E.Davis]

Oh, ok. I know you can do that with the British Equity, or at least I think you can.

[sabrelady]

kneepads.

[PReeves2]

what union is "SSDC"?

[E.Davis]

Stage Directors and Choreographers

[taboo123]

if you are male:

Be a boytoy to those with some power and just get in line w/ the likes of the ones that have a new boy toy in arm every other month or so


If you are female:

good luck.

[AEA AGMA SM]

"why doesn't equity operate like Aftra used to? you pay a membership entrance fee and then dues."

Equity does operate like that, but as others have pointed out you can't just buy your card, you have to earn the right to join.

The initiation fee is currently $1100. Within six months of applying for membership you have to pay at least $400 of that. You have two years from the date of your application to pay the full $1100.

There is a $118 yearly dues split between two payments, one in May and one in November.

There are also working dues of 2.25% taken out of your salary each week. The producers are responsible for automatically deducting these dues and sending them to Equity.

[PlayItAgain]

No i meant just being able to join by buying your way in, not "earning" the right to buy your way in.

[dramamama611]

Because they want you to prove there is at least an iota of a chance of your possibly getting hired.

[RippedMan]

It does seem silly. I know plenty of Non-Eq actors who are hella talented, but - especially in the current climate - are having a terrible time getting even seen at an Equity appointment. Seems like why not just let anyone who wants to join into the union. It's more money for the union?

[PlayItAgain]

^ Ding Ding Ding, my point exactly.

[AEA AGMA SM]

It is a very low percentage of Equity members who are working at any given time (I think it's something around 5%, definitely no higher than 10%). Why make it easier for people to join a union that has such a high unemployment rate amongst its members as it is? Do we really want/need to see that percentage fall even lower? For every talented non-Eq person out there who really does deserve their card (and yes, I agree with you Ripped that there are some out there who just need to find that one break) and is having a tough time getting it you know there are many more who would simply have mommy and daddy buy it for them as a graduation present who are nowhere near ready to be working members of the union.

Call me elitist, but I don't want to see Equity membership become the equivalent of "everybody gets a trophy (Equity card)" day.

I'll also add that Equity is hardly the only union that does not have a fully open membership process. Many other unions, especially ones representing tradesmen and craftsmen, have a method of working your way into full membership. I certainly wouldn't want to hire a union electrician to redo the wiring on my house if I knew he just "bought" his membership and didn't prove that he was qualified to actually be doing what he is doing.

[ABB2357]

Well said!

[PlayItAgain]

You just compared an actor to an electrician..... do you realize how stupid that comparison is?

[best12bars]

I'm with AEA AGMA SM on this.

In fact, I joined AEA back when it was a (gulp) $500 initial fee. "But that was many years ago. I doubt if anyone would know."

I worked in summer stock earning points/weeks, but I was signed to an Equity contract long before I hit my eligibility week. Still, i was part of an apprenticeship program when it happened.

[swmwithsharks]

You can also move to Florida and get hired by Disney as a singer, dancer, or actor (not character performer).

[E.Davis]

Also the good thing about getting your card is that it opens you up to the other Union's by virture of the 4 A's program. So since I am getting my card this summer, I can get my SAG card next year,

[JohnyBroadway]

Why are there several actors working in regional theatres that have enough equity points, but simply just don't join the union? Are there more non-equ jobs nowadays?

[best12bars]

There is a point where Equity tells you you have to get your card. You can't be in any more union-driven shows (accruing weeks) as a non-union member without joining. I had a friend who works regionally who was just "forced" to join. He's happy about it ... sort of.

The biggest concern is (obviously) that there isn't enough Equity work in smaller markets to keep them working, and once you join, you can't do non-union shows anymore (without waivers, and they will only allow you so many of those).

It's a tricky situation.

[sabrelady]

You just compared an actor to an electrician..... do you realize how stupid that comparison is?

Ab sol ute leee!

Electricians make a better rate AND work more frequently!