Actors' Equity Association was founded in New York City in the early years of the 20th century as the first of the American actor unions. Its jurisdiction covers actors and stage managers in the professional theatre.
Equity is a member-driven, self-governing and self-supporting labor association, funded by membersΓÇÖ dues and initiation fees. It acts as the collective voice of its members, and its strength thus lies in the mutual support of all its members.
EquityΓÇÖs goals are to secure and protect the rights of members in their business relations with employers, to govern its members democratically, and to foster and stimulate theatre. It believes in freedom of speech and thought and action. Equity is against discrimination of any kind, denounces blacklisting, and declares firmly that employment should and must depend on ability alone. As a union, it is strongly opposed to participation in politics, feeling that Equity's primary concern is the welfare and protection of its members in the business of theatre.
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LABOR AFFILIATION
Equity is a member of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) headquartered in Washington, DC, and is an autonomous branch (and founding member), of the Associated Actors and Artists of America (Four-AΓÇÖs).
The Four-AΓÇÖs is the parent AFL-CIO international of all American actor unions. Its other major branches (known as sister unions) are the Screen Actors Guild, the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the American Guild of Musical Artists and the American Guild of Variety Artists. Equity is also affiliated with various state and city labor federations in those cities where it maintains offices, and is a charter member of the AFL-CIO's Department for Professional Employees.
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MEMBERSHIP
The Equity card is the symbol of a commitment to a theatrical career and represents the highest standards and responsibilities of professionalism. Those who choose to become members implicitly pledge to represent the theatre, and themselves, with integrity and dignity.
Membership may be achieved by any of the following methods:
Contract. You may join the Association by virtue of employment under almost all Equity contracts.
Four-AΓÇÖs Affiliation. Membership is also available to any performer who wishes to join Equity by virtue of prior membership in, and employment under, a sister unionΓÇÖs jurisdiction. Applicants must be members in good standing of a sister union for at least one year, and must have actually worked as a performer under the unionΓÇÖs jurisdiction. (This policy is not applicable to non-resident aliens.)
Membership Candidate. This program permits actors-in-training to credit theatrical work in an Equity theatre towards eventual membership. After securing a position at a participating theatre, you may register as a member candidate. The registration fee will be credited against any future initiation fee. (If you are a member of a sister union, a special application is filed.) You become eligible for full membership after a total of 50 weeks of work at participating theatres (reducible to 40 weeks upon demonstration of sufficient knowledge of Equity and the theatre industry).
