AEA question

[THEATRICAL100]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 12:41pm

Do Equity rules require performers that do special stunts during the show to get paid more? (i.e. Elphaba Defying...you know, gravity...because I was watching videos of Priscilla and I noticed just how much the Diva's are off the ground. Was also wondering about how they get hooked up if the enter flying from the ceiling.)

[Yero my Hero]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 1:04pm

Yes, it is called the Extraordinary Risk clause, and in my experience, Equity determines when and how much the increase is once they have seen the show and evaluated the stunts. I don't have any experience with this on Broadway, though, so it may be handled slightly differently.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 1:14pm

People get paid extra if they go nude too.

[Taryn]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 2:06pm

People get paid extra just to move a set piece.

[THEATRICAL100]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 2:07pm

Of course! Broderick can't be bothered with scenery if he's not getting paid.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 2:55pm

"People get paid extra just to move a set piece."

That depends on the situation. There are rules in place that allow an actor to do a set move without getting paid extra. If an actor is entering or exiting in the scene, or if it is a move that is consistent with the nature of the character. So for instance, Frid, Malla, and any of the other named servants in Night Music could set the scene for the dinner in Act II and not be paid extra, as it would not be out of place for a maid or valet to be setting the table, bringing in chairs, etc, in real life.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 4:49pm

I can't imagine that flying in a cherry picker is considered "dangerous".

I'm not saying it's not classified as that, but it's not all that big of a deal to do so. (Unless you are scared of heights.)

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 5:46pm

Here's what the Production Contract rulebook says in regards to Extraordinary Risk

(E) Extraordinary Risk Payments. An Actor called upon to perform "extraordinary risk" shall receive not less than $20 per week above contractual salary, such payments to begin at the time of such assignment. All “extraordinary risks” must be identified by rider.
(1) "Extraordinary risks" are defined as performing acrobatic feats; suspension from trapezes, wires, or like contrivances; the use of or exposure to weapons, fire, pyrotechnic devices and the taking of dangerous leaps, falls, throws, catches, knee drops, or slides.
(2) An Actor shall also be deemed to be eligible for said additional compensation when the staging or choreography requires the Actor to execute dance movements which depart from the accepted techniques of movement and support as used in contemporary theatre dance, i.e., classical ballet, modern, modern jazz, or ethnic or where an Actor in a musical dances on a raked stage.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 5:50pm

Interesting, thanks for posting it. Still sounds like a lot is left up to union discretion.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 6:12pm

It absolutely is, dramamama, and of course the producers are going to try to get away with not paying for as much as possible. Luckily for those of us working in NY it's not hard to get a business rep in to check in on a rehearsal or performance if there are doubts as to who should be getting what. Where it gets trickier is not so much with the stunts, but determining what choreography gets lumped into the extraordinary risk clause.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 6:44pm

Just thinking out loud...would some of the choreography from Spring awakening fall under that....dancing on and jumping off chairs? (I'm specifically thinking of the Totally F'd number)

Do you know what might count as "and the taking of dangerous leaps, falls, throws, catches, knee drops, or slides"? I know what those ARE, but what might constitue it being 'dangerous'?

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 8:10pm

before we get all worked up about this, bear in mind that the amount of money involved is negligible, and where an actor is engaged knowing of the activity, it's routinely folded into their deal. otherwise, it might involve a quick convo with the GM but this is not a place producers can or do save money.

[AEA AGMA SM]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 9:08pm

I can't speak for Broadway, but I have worked many a regional production where the producers will actively avoid paying both extraordinary risk payments and set move payments if they can. Yes, it can be a negligible amount per actor, but when you have a large cast each getting these payments that is one of those small figures that quickly adds up.

dramamama, from my experience something as simple as jumping off of a chair can constitute extraordinary risk, provided the actors or somebody else on the staff speak up about it. On Broadway the business reps would catch that pretty quickly, so nobody would have to speak up about it or be worried about being "the snitch," as it were. Of course regionally is a different story, where the reps don't see everything that happens in every theatre and rely on members to know the rulebook and speak up for their rights, which doesn't always happen on both counts.

[givesmevoice]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 9:38pm

This might have been discussed on the boards before, but I thought it would make sense to ask here. What kind of approval did the Bianca dance in the revival of Kiss Me Kate have to get? (and did Michael Berresse's understudy do the same routine?)

[ghostlight2]

Posted: 5/25/12 at 10:19pm

Most of that choreography was Berresse's. Equity came in to watch it, made him do it backwards (a far more dangerous proposition), and made him sign a release waiver in the event of an injury. Initially, they thought he might have been coerced into doing it. For the first year, at least, it was considered so dangerous that only he was allowed to do that choreography, but eventually David Elder was allowed to do a modified version of it. The dance starts at 5:20. You miss a couple of really amazing stunts during the reaction shots, but you get the idea. It remains one of the most amazing things I've ever seen onstage.

And he did it eight shows a week.



Berresse's Bianca Updated On: 5/26/12 at 10:19 PM