Historical/Biographical Note
The Actors' Equity Association collection is the largest of several collections at the Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives devoted to labor unionism in the performing arts. Taken together, these materials comprise the largest archival resource on this subject in the nation. This body of material provides a wealth of information on the history of the American commercial stage and on labor relations in many branches of the entertainment industry.
The Actors' Equity Association is the union of professional legitimate stage actors and stage managers. It was founded in New York City in May 1913, by 112 actors committed to fighting the arbitrary work rules and low wages then prevalent in the American theatre. In July 1919, the American Federation of Labor chartered the Associated Actors and Artistes of America (known as the 4A's). Equity, with a membership of 2,700 was its largest component. With the support of the musicians' and stagehands' unions, a major strike for recognition followed in August 1919. The strike occurred in eight cities and closed thirty-seven productions while preventing sixteen others from opening. This "revolt of the actors" swelled Equity's membership, instigated the formation of the Chorus Equity Association (CEA), and won a strong five-year contract between the union and the Producing Managers Association. From the beginning, Equity fought for the principal of arbitration of contractual disputes. From the beginning, Equity's headquarters have been in New York City; it also maintains branch offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco and Chicago. Equity is governed by its delegate Council, elected by the membership.
In 1924, Equity achieved its goal of closed shop agreements and continued to make basic improvements in actors' contracts. Bonding provisions guaranteed salaries and transportation (1924); restrictions were placed on alien actors' activity in American theatres (1928); franchising of agents was established (1929); a minimum wage was guaranteed (1933); and minimum rehearsal expenses were paid (1935). Under the auspices of the 4A's, Equity-affiliated screen actors attempted to organize the burgeoning motion picture industry in the 1920s, but were frustrated in their efforts. In 1934, the 4A's jurisdiction over screen actors was handed over to the newly formed Screen Actors Guild.
From 1950 on, Equity began to organize the industrial shows field and subsequently regional, children's and dinner theatres. Chorus and Actors' Equity merged in 1955. A safe and sanitary code for backstage working conditions was established, and minimum rehearsal payments were established. The Pension and Welfare Plan was achieved only after a strike -- the twelve-day Broadway Blackout of 1960.
In the field of civil rights, the union initiated a boycott of segregated theatres in 1947, targeting the National Theatre in Washington, DC. Subsequently Equity's policies against segregation were extended to all theatres which discriminated against either performers or patrons with regard to race, color or creed. In recent years this principle has been extended to include discrimination on sexual preference or political persuasion or belief. In 1982, Equity adopted an affirmative action policy to increase employment opportunities for ethnic minorities and women.
Equity's uncompromising support of its members who were affected by blacklisting and other forms of official and informal persecution during the McCarthy era was almost unique in the entertainment industry and among labor unions in general. On September 28, 1951, after several members had been blacklisted and denied the opportunity to work in television, Equity's Council passed a resolution stating that blacklisting was "hostile to the fundamental purposes of this Association, and that Actors' Equity will act to the fullest of its capacities in defense of its members."
Equity's union work has always extended beyond contractual jurisdiction in actors' lives. Benevolent projects are at the heart of much of the union's functions. Actors' Equity Foundation has a theatre grants program, while a credit union provides credit and financial services to members. The Foundation also aids theatres suffering unforeseen catastrophes, contributes to the Actors' Fund of America, the charitable arm of the theatrical unions, and funds certain worthy theatrical projects. Equity also assists Save the Theatres, Inc., a not-for-profit body whose purpose is the preservation of important old theatre houses.
The early records of Actors' Equity include materials created by or relating to a number of luminaries of the theatre, including W.C. Fields, Helen Hayes, Fanny Brice, Eddie Cantor, Florenz Ziegfeld, Basil Rathbone, Maurice Evans, Anita Loos and many others. These famous names constitute only a few of the actors, directors, producers, agents, and other theatrical personalities whose work is chronicled in the Equity collection. This material offers a vivid glimpse into the lives and stage careers that have made up twentieth-century American theatre. The General Files series includes documentation of the presidencies of Ralph Bellamy, Frederick O'Neal and Theodore Bikel, as well as the issues of agents' commissions, pensions, health benefits and housing.
Sources:
Alfred Harding, The Revolt of the Actors (New York: William Morrow and Co., 1929).
Return to topScope and Content Note
This portion of the larger Actors' Equity Association records consists of all of the earliest records of the organization (1913-1929), as well as General Files covering the years 1930-1989, membership records, contract files, claims, and correspondence with other unions, guilds and federations.
Series I. Constitutions, By-laws and Rule Books, is comprised of Constitutions and By-laws, 1914-1970s, and Rule Books for many different kinds of productions (industrial shows, Off-Broadway, stock, etc.), 1924-1979.
Series II. Foundations of Actors Equity, is comprised of all the extant records of the union's earliest years (1913-1929), including agreements, auditors' reports, contracts, correspondence of AEA officers and representatives, records of membership meetings and miscellaneous subject files. Also included in this series are a group of autobiographical notebooks of AEA President Clarence Derwent and an extensive group of research files, notes and typescript drafts for Alfred Harding's historical study of the early years of Actors' Equity, The Revolt of the Actors (1929).
Series III. General Files, Sub-series A, 1930-1944, consists of subject files for these years, arranged alphabetically by topic. Notable among the topics covered are Executive Committee records and minutes, Membership Meeting records, autobiographical notebooks of Clarence Derwent, wartime records, and early material relating to radio and television broadcasting. Series III. General Files, Sub-series B, 1945-1989, consists of subject files divided by year and arranged alphabetically within each year. Notable are extensive files documenting Actors' Equity's struggles against discrimination in the theater, in particular efforts to desegregate the National Theater in Washington, DC, and files relating to blacklisting of actors and the union's activity in defense of its affected members. The files for 1945 contain material relating to USO shows, V-E Day and other wartime subjects. Beginning in the late 1940s, files on television and those devoted to West Coast activities of the union became substantial. Records documenting the activity of Chorus Equity, Equity Library Theatre, stock companies, the "Broadway Blackout," and housing for theatre artists are well represented throughout the period.
Series IV. Membership Files, December 1913-1978, consists of membership applications of Chorus Equity and Actors' Equity members who joined during this period and had not been reported as deceased by 1978.
Series V. Contracts/Agreements/Codes, Sub-series A: Production; Sub-series B: Stock; Sub-series C: Off-Broadway; Sub-series D: Dinner Theatre; Sub-series E: Children's Theatre/Theatre for Young Audiences; Sub-series F: Guest Artist; Sub-series G: Actor/Teacher (U/RTA); Sub-series H: Special Production Contract; Sub-series I: Café Contract; Sub-series J: Letter Form of Agreement; Sub-series K: Summer Festival Contract; Sub-series L: Other; Sub-series M: Showcase General files; Sub-series N: Showcase Productions/Companies. Consists of correspondence, negotiation records, and reference materials.
Series VI. Claims, 1915-1996: Consists of claims for salary, bond, Chorus parts payments, wrongful termination, harassment, blacklisting, actor exchanges and alien dues, along with correspondence and related materials.
Series VII. Other Unions/Guilds/Federations: Consists of correspondence and related materials between and affecting Equity's relations with other unions, guilds, and federations both in the U.S. and worldwide. These organizations include the American Federation of Radio Artists (AFRA) and with the addition of television, AFTRA, Variety Artists (AGVA) and their umbrella organization, the Associated Actors and Artistes of America (4A's/AAAA). Also prominent in the series is correspondence with British Equity, the Federation Internationale des Acteurs/International Federation of Actors (FIA), and The League of New York Theatres among others.
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Arrangement |
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| Series I is arranged alphabetically by topic, and chronologically within topics; Series II is arranged alphabetically by topic; Series III: A is arranged alphabetically by topic; Series III: B is arranged by year, and alphabetically by topic within each year; Series IV is arranged alphabetically; and Series V. is arranged alphabetically by either show title, company or location; Series VI is arranged alphabetically by plaintiff and/or production with a small general file section at the beginning: Series VII is arranged alphabetically by organization name. | ||
| The collection consists of seven series: | ||
| I. Constitutions, By-laws and Rule Books, 1914-1979 | ||
| II. Foundations of Actors’ Equity, 1913-1929 | ||
| III. General Files | ||
| IV. Membership Files, Dec. 1913-1978 | ||
| V. Contracts/Agreements/Codes | ||
| VI. Claims, 1915-1986 | ||
| VII. Other Unions/Guilds/Federations | ||
Related Material at the Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Records of the American Guild of Variety Artists (Wagner 95)
Records of the Actors’ Fund (Wagner 36)
Records of Associated Actors and Artistes of America (4 A’s) (Wagner 110)
Return to topRestrictions
Access Restrictions
Processed portions of the collection are open for research without restrictions. For access to unprocessed materials, consult archives staff.
Use Restrictions
Permission to publish materials must be obtained in writing from the:
Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Elmer Holmes Bobst Library
70 Washington Square South
New York, NY 10012
Phone: (212) 998-2630
Fax: (212) 995-4225
E-mail: gail.malmgreen@nyu.edu
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Administrative Information
Provenance
Through a vote of its governing Council in late 1981, Actors’ Equity Association designated the Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives at New York University the official repository of its historical records. The first shipment of records (more than 200 boxes) arrived at the archives in 1982. Since then several additional donations of material have been made.
Preferred Citation
Published citations should take the following form:
Identification of item, date (if known); The Actors’ Equity Association: Records; Wagner 011; box number; folder number;
Tamiment Library/Robert F. Wagner Labor Archives
Container List
[The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.]
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