Actors’ Equity Union Goes on Strike Over Developmental Contracts

“We never wanted it to come to this,” Equity’s negotiating team chair says as Broadway League talks stall

Actors Equity President Brooke Shields attends the 2024 Drama Desk Awards in New York City (Credit: Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)
Actors Equity President Brooke Shields attends the 2024 Drama Desk Awards in New York City (Credit: Dominik Bindl/Getty Images)

The Actors’ Equity Association will cease issuing contracts on developing live theatre work after negotiations for a new contract stalled.

Equity and the Broadway League began negotiations on a new contract for the Development Agreement at the end of January and the current agreement expired on February 11. The talks broke down following “unacceptable” wage package offers according to a statement released by Equity Negotiating Team chair Stephen Bogardus.

“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 said on Monday.

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