How to join Actor's Equity without a job? ?

Question

I can't seem to find any professional theaters that will allow auditions without an Actor's Equity membership, but AE won't let you apply for membership without a contract or association with another union. How does one break into the union?

Answer 1

Its a Catch 22!!  You can't get an equity audition without an equity card but you can't get your equity card without doing an equity show!

Here's what you do... get yourself established as a stage actor. Build a resume, make contacts, etc.

Eventually you just "get lucky". You find yourself cast in an equity production and become AEA eligible.

Or most productions will have cattle call auditions if you're willing to put in the leg work...

Break a leg!

Answer 2

Some Equity theatres participate in the Equity Membership Candidate (EMC) program which allows non-union actors to work on an equity show and receives points for every week of work. Once you reach 50, you can join Equity.

If there are no professional theatres that aren't Equity, you just may not be in the right town. In any city that's large enough to have more than a handful of theatres, there are usually some small professional ones which don't operate under equity contracts. Some of these smaller theatres will usually have open calls and post casting notices. The equity houses usually won't.

If you're just starting out though, I would recommend starting with community theatre to get some experience.

Answer 3

Work with a good community theatre that uses both amateurs and equity actors. That way you get contacts.

Also some 'equity' theatres have contracts that allow them to use both equity and amateurs. Once you are in the cast at a theater like that you can join equity.