Disclaimer: I am a stage manager that happens to be a member of Actors’ Equity Association. I am NOT an expert, an agent, an AEA business representative, or a labor expert. Nothing contained herein should be considered formal advice, this is merely how I approach reading and understanding an agreement. Specific questions regarding employment under an AEA contract should always be directed to AEA Staff.
Please note that any excerpts from agreements contained herein are for educational and explanatory purposes only. I do not own the material and it may contain outdated or expired information. Always reference the most recent version of the rulebook.
So you're staring at a rulebook...
Every agreement is different. Rulebooks are long and sometimes complex, which can be daunting. Whether you are new to AEA, have accepted a job working under an agreement with which you are unfamiliar, are a curious student, or are just looking to refresh your understanding, I hope you find this post beneficial.
NOTE: I am writing, naturally, from a stage manager’s perspective, because that is my only experience. That said, all AEA members can benefit from a thorough understanding of the agreements under which they are contracted to work.
What you need to know FIRST and where to find it
The first thing you need to know is which rulebook you should be reading. This is oftentimes as simple as knowing where you work, or where you intend to work. Agreements cover different subsets of our industry, broken up by types of theaters, multi-employer groups, geography/region, producer organizations, etc. Some entities even have their very own rulebook.
Employers sometimes list the agreement under which they operate in a job posting, or during the interview process. AEA members also have access to a theater directory within the member portal on the AEA website which will indicate which agreement a theater or a show uses. If this information is not volunteered or cannot access it, it is important to ask. Additionally, be sure to pay attention to any tiers, levels, or modifiers that may highlight intricacies within the rulebook. This becomes important when looking at minimum salaries and other determinations…more on that later.
Once you know which rulebook you need to read, locate it, either in hardcopy or in PDF. For AEA members, the Rulebooks library in the member portal on the website is the best resource for finding and reviewing agreements.
Reading the document
So you have the agreement in front of you, now what? There is a lot of information in there. The important thing to remember is that NO ONE needs to know absolutely everything and you by no means need to commit every single rule to memory. In fact, a lot of information pertains more to producers, company managers, and general managers than it does to you as a stage manager. The goal, initially, is to gain a broad understanding and determine what you need to know most readily, both to successfully accept a job offer or negotiate terms with a potential employer, and then to stage-manage the show once you’ve accepted a job. I recommend highlighting or keeping notes as you make your first pass through the rulebook.
My first stop is always the table of contents. Give it a skim. This helps me get a sense of the layout of the document and how it might be laid out in comparison to other rulebooks I’ve read. Most agreements follow a similar structure, although not always.
The first time I worked on a LORT contract, for example, I was surprised to see the rules for rehearsal and performance hours grouped together under one heading, whereas I was used to flipping to “REHEARSALS” for rehearsal rules, and “PERFORMANCE” for performance rules on other shows I had done.
After a quick skim of the table of contents, I always take a peek at the first page. This is more curiosity for me than anything else, but it will tell you—either under a heading like “use of agreement,” or just at the top of the page—if the agreement is negotiated (bargained between AEA and an employer/employer group) or promulgated (curated by AEA and offered, at its sole discretion, for use by certain employers and/or under certain circumstances in order that they may hire AEA stage managers and actors.
For Example:
Again, this is personal interest, it has nothing to do with your day-to-day life while working on the show.
From there, I will shamelessly admit my next step is to flip to SALARIES. We love what we do, we appreciate the art, but at the end of the day it is a job, we live in a Capitalist society, and we need to eat food and pay for housing. Therefore, it’s important to know what the base salary for the show is.
What to look for in the SALARIES section:
Job
Actor-Principal/Chorus, Stage Manager, Assistant Stage Manager
Tier or Category
LORT, for example, offers different categories that each employer might fall into. This type of tiered system also exists in the Off-Broadway Agreement, SETA, and many others. It is tied to either the number of seats in the theater, box office projections and guarantees (often relating to NAGBOR), or some other predetermined terms or metric. Your employer should tell you which tier the show is under. More info as to how a show might qualify for each tier can usually be found towards the front of the document …if you really want to dive deep.
Date
Sometimes gradual increases in salary over the life of an agreement are negotiated between AEA and the employer or employer group.
Any special structures that might exist
Play vs Musical, Repertory vs Non-Rep, etc.
ALSO, look for “special provisions” or anything pertaining specifically to your employer. LORT, for example, has appendices for some individual theaters (Fords, CTG, Roundabout, etc.). This information is often located at the end of the document, check the table of contents.
Reminder: Minimum salaries are just that…the minimum that an employer can pay you to work under that agreement. It does not suggest that you cannot or should not ask for more.
Note that Production (top) breaks down salaries by job, type of show (musical/drama), and date relative to the life of the negotiated agreement, whereas LORT (bottom) also ranks salaries based upon category.
FYI: Terms like “Production Stage Manager,” “Stage Manager,” and “Assistant Stage Manager,” are typically titles negotiated or requested as part of a stage manager’s billing for the show. You will not find these terms in a rulebook. AEA contract language only recognizes Stage Managers and Assistant Stage Managers (which are sometimes further broken down as 1st ASM and 2nd ASM).
MOVING ON...
By this point, I typically have a pretty good idea of how the rulebook is laid out. Once I have a good handle on what to expect in terms of compensation, I continue working my way through the book to make sure I understand the following:
Preproduction and SM Team
How many Stage Managers are required?
What will your team look like?
This sometimes differs between Plays and Musicals, as well as the complexity of the show. Believe it or not, some agreements do not require an ASM at all, and sometimes they need not even be working on an Equity contract. For obvious reasons, it is best to know this information before accepting a job.
If you are starting with a show from the very beginning:
How much preproduction will you be paid for?
A week? A day?
Do stage managers get more paid prep time than ASMs?
How about health & pension contributions for the preproduction period?
Rehearsal & Performance Hours
This is crucial for scheduling and running the show from first rehearsal through closing.
How many days a week can we work (usually 6), and for how many hours?
After home many hours is a meal break required?
Can we do a "straight 6" (a six-hour rehearsal with a 20 min break in the middle)?
What do we need to vote on at the first rehearsal (option to reduce a meal break from 1.5 hrs to 1hr, for example)?
When can I call an actor for a costume fitting? Does that affect their span of day?
Breaks?
Yes, 5 after 55 and 10 after 80 are fairly standard, but it is always good to read the entire section anyway as it often illuminates rules pertaining to meal breaks, breaks between rehearsal and performance, note sessions after opening or during previews, etc.
Does the rulebook make a distinction between “opening” and “first paid public performance?”
What are the permissible hours for the tech period? 10 out of 12s? How many?
Days Off and Rest Periods
Are there special circumstances that may require or allow a change or alteration to the day off or require you to add a daylight day of rest?
Holiday schedules?
The occasional 9 show week?
How about student matinees?
The “Stage Managers” Section
...if there is one
Additional Duties
What we can and can not do.
Can stage managers be asked to operate lighting or sound consoles*? If so, for what additional compensation?
Can ASMs do scene changes or run and maintain props or scenic elements*? To what degree will Stage Managers and Actors be compensated for set moves?
*In the absence of an IATSE crew/venue, SMs are often asked to perform technical tasks.
Sick Leave, Time off, Health & Pension, etc.
How is sick time accrued and used on this contract and what effect will it have on your paycheck?
Are there employer Health & Pension contributions?
When can you take a vacation?
Media Rules
Both for the actors and the SM team.
Is there a media fee?
When can the company be called for press?
B Roll?
Cast Recordings?
Other Tidbits to Hunt Down
Extraordinary Risk
Are there additional fees for working on a turntable, for example?
Raked stage?
“Tech Bump”
Sometimes there is an additional fee paid to Stage Managers for the week proceeding first public performance.
Is your show a tour, out-of-town tryout, or does it require you to travel? Look for a touring or "out of town" section, if one exists. Learn all you can about housing, travel, per diem scheduling, etc. Note that some agreements make a distinction between "point of organization," and "point of origin" (where the show starts/rehearses vs where the actor lives).
Additional Considerations
Concessions
Find out from your employer if AEA has granted any concessions that may alter or negate anything in the rulebook. This sometimes manifests as additional performances, different salary minimums, altered rehearsal hours, etc.
Riders
Often, employers will ask you to sign a rider in addition to your AEA contract, and it may bind you to terms beyond the scope of the rulebook. For example, does your rider increase the notice you have to give to leave the show? The contract may say you can give two weeks' notice, but the employer may wish to extend it to four weeks by way of your rider to give the company more time to hire and train a replacement. Actors often have to agree to maintain their physical appearance in a certain way for the duration of the contact.
In Conclusion
I hope this has been helpful. Again, this is purely my personal methodology and I am by no means an expert. I hope that this offers an approach that will help anyone intimated by reading a new agreement. The most important thing to remember is that the rulebook is always there for future reference, do not be afraid to consult it time and time again to double-check things or to answer questions along the way.
Parting words...
The index is your friend and when in doubt, contact your AEA business representative.
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