Life Upon The Wicked Stage

As far as jobs go, touring overseas and performing in a musical can seem like a very glamorous profession. Having worked in this situation myself, I am keenly aware life upon the wicked stage ain’t never what a girl supposes.

Opinions of friends and acquaintances outside the industry are very often over-romanticised to the tune of “Oh, you lucky thing! What a hard life!”. Comments like these don’t sit well with many people, but I put the flippancy of such a remark down to a lack of education about the industry itself.

The ‘general public’ who read entertainment magazines and watch E! News are not often privy to the workings of the “theatre world”, and will therefore have a warped view of the profession itself. By the same token, those who watch Grey’s Anatomy, Boston Legal or CSI often have a warped view of the medical, legal and law enforcement industries. I know plenty of lawyers who use the term “it’s not like the movies” to describe their workplace. The same goes for the arts – it’s certainly not always as glamourous as the tabloids and magazines would have you believe, and there is much more to the industry than the finished product seen onstage every night.

We in the theatre industry still go ‘to work’. Arriving at your desk in an office covered in pens, papers computers and phones isn’t that different to arriving at your desk in a dressing room covered in bobby pins, wig caps, make-up, false eye lashes and microphone belts. The objects on the desk may vary, but once you are at your desk, your work day has begun. Being in a professional show isn’t our weekend hobby – the show we perform is our job, and we are paid to carry out our work duties in the same way an accountant, lawyer, sales person or doctor would be paid.

As with many professions in Australia, the entertainment industry has a union: the Media Arts and Entertainment Alliance (MEAA). This union has fought for many, many years to bring equity to the theatre world, and to stand up for the rights of performers. In fact, the MEAA are currently in the final stages of signing off the next Performer’s Collective Agreement after 3 years of talks, negotiations and meetings with members.

Unfortunately, in Australia, there simply are not enough shows running at once to keep everyone in the industry in consistent work. So, we see profit share productions cropping up for a few weeks at a time, and production companies touring shows around the Asia Pacific area – sometimes as far as China and Korea – giving Australian performers more opportunities to work, and showcasing professional shows internationally.

That people outside our industry don’t understand working in the arts is a profession – does seem mildly concerning, but not distressing. What I do find distressing is the recent news that members of our industry are allowing their work to be undervalued and their talents to be exploited simply for the love of, or even the desperate NEED to be in a show.

I refer you to a recent example: a production of Kiss Me Kate, produced by Bravetouch productions, which is set to tour China this year. A concerned actor contacted me recently stating that Actor’s Equity (a branch of the MEAA) contacted agents about this production prior to the audition process:

“Equity sent out emails to agents saying that nobody should audition as the pay is $200 per week below minimum wage, the rehearsals are unpaid and there are no per-diums whilst on tour. Yet there were still hundreds at the audition.”

I confirmed this with the union, their official stance being:

“The rates of pay being offered for musical theatre production Kiss me Kate are below Equity and legal minimums. Equity also has concerns about workers’ compensation, insurance arrangements and general working conditions. We strongly advise members against working on this production. Equity cannot assist members if they sign a non-union contract.”

Why then, when we KNOW a show is doing wrong by the performers, paying less than the LEGAL minimum, do people continue to audition for them? If this continues to occur, producers will get away with treating their employees in such a fashion, and it weakens our industry. I simply cannont comprehend how anyone would choose to work on a show for which they will not be paid to rehearse!

Thankfully, the wonderful team at MEAA have managed to come to an agreement with Bravetouch productions. Victoria Houston from the MEAA has stated the company have “agree to pay Award minimum for rehearsals. Not Equity rates but better than nothing”.

This is a victory for the union, for the industry and for the performers involved in the show – but a fight which needn’t have begun.

Life upon the wicked stage ain’t never what a girl supposes…

For more information on the Media Arts and Entertainment Alliance, visit www.alliance.org.au
Victoria Houston (02) 9333 0960
[email protected]

Erin James

Erin James is AussieTheatre.com's former Editor in Chief and a performer on both stage and screen. Credits include My Fair Lady, South Pacific and The King and I (Opera Australia), Love Never Dies and Cats (Really Useful Group), Blood Brothers (Enda Markey Presents), A Place To Call Home (Foxtel/Channel 7) and the feature film The Little Death (written and directed by Josh Lawson).

Erin James

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