The pre-show hustle outside the Durham Performing Arts Center will look slightly different Tuesday as actors and stage managers gather to demand a new union contract.
On Tuesday morning, the Actors’ Equity Association announced that union performers and stage managers would be leafleting outside DPAC before the evening performance of “Beetlejuice — The Musical.”
Stars from the national touring show are expected to greet audience members to educate them on the negotiation struggles the union has faced for years. According to a statement from Actors’ Equity, one of the key issues is increasing union members’ per diem needed to cover daily expenses like food and housing, both of which have been impacted by inflation since theaters reopened post-lockdown.
A statement from Actors’ Equity said the union has not been able to negotiate a new contract since 2019, leaving many members frustrated.
A strike is on the horizon, Actors’ Equity warns. Ninety-five percent of the actors and stage managers who work under the national touring contract for Broadway shows have now authorized the union to call a strike, the statement said.
If a strike occurs, many Broadway national tours may be halted, including in North Carolina.
“We don’t want to see stages in North Carolina or anywhere else in the country go dark,” Equity President Kate Shindle said. “But, if we can’t reach a fair agreement a strike will happen.”
Durham is one of three touring locations participating in the leafleting Tuesday night, with performers in Sarasota, Florida, and Richmond, Virginia, also joining the cause.
If Actors’ Equity decides to strike, it would be the first tour strike since 1968.
This story was originally published April 11, 2023 12:34 PM.