Following Trump Threats, Kennedy Center Season Features Several Non-Equity Tours

The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts will present non-Equity national tours for the first time, beginning with upcoming productions of Mrs. Doubtfire and Chicago. The change marks a significant departure from the venue’s long-standing practice of presenting only union-affiliated Broadway touring productions.

The decision comes amid efforts by President Trump to reduce costs associated with union labor at the federally supported arts institution. While touring the Kennedy Center earlier this year, Trump stated that moving away from Equity-affiliated productions would “open up a whole bunch of more options as well as a lot more money.”

Trump also publicly criticized expenses tied to the Kennedy Center's agreement with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE). Recalling an incident involving singer Lee Greenwood, Trump said, “Lee Greenwood wanted to sing a little song today, and because of the cost and the union structure, for him to sing a song just for the board was going to cost $30,000. They wanted $30,000 to move a piano. So you can't have that. We're going to fix it up.”

Non-Equity tours generally allow producers and venues to reduce costs by hiring non-union performers and crew. These performers are not covered by the same protections and benefits as their union counterparts.

Audiences are rarely informed in advance whether a show is Equity or non-Equity, and ticket prices tend to remain consistent across both types of tours in the same market. As of now, single ticket prices for the Kennedy Center’s presentations of Mrs. Doubtfire and Chicago have not been announced.