[e-drive]EQUIFLASH [EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RESPONDS TO TORONTO STAR ARTICLE - TORONTO]

[Darlene Bullard]

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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR RESPONDS TO TORONTO STAR ARTICLE - TORONTO
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On Saturday, October 9, Martin Knelman, a columnist with the Toronto
Star newspaper wrote an article wherein he blamed decisions by Canadian
Actors' Equity Association as one of the major reasons for the closing
of "Hairspray."

Susan Wallace, Executive Director of CAEA has written the following
response and sent it to the Star with a request that it be published.

Dear Editor,

It was with a great deal of surprise that I read Mr. Knelman's article
on October 9, 2004 about the closing of "Hairspray" being blamed on the
union rules of Canadian Actors' Equity Association. Canadian Actors'
Equity is the professional association of performers, directors,
choreographers, fight directors and stage managers in English Canada who
are engaged in live performance in theatre, opera and dance. It is our
members who are affected by this closing. 

However, I would like to clarify some of the reporting on the part of
the author who at no time sought to contact us for a comment before
writing his factually erroneous article.  

There has been no change in our policies or those of American Equity to
which he refers to throughout the article.  We share a reciprocal
agreement with our counterparts in the United States that ensures
equality in salaries and working conditions and at no time has there
ever been any "fury" between our two associations who share a commitment
to ensuring our members rights are protected no matter where a show is
produced. If a play is a Canadian production and then goes on tour to
the United States it would continue to be under a Canadian Agreement
with rates adjusted so that we do not undercut our American colleagues.
The same is true in the reverse.

Canadian Actors' Equity has no desire to inhibit any producer from
making a profit. However, when a producer chooses to rehearse and cast a
play under a Canadian contract he or she cannot then switch to another
contract when the situation warrants some cost savings. Mr. Mirvish is a
member of the League of American Producers which negotiates with AEA and
he is also a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres
(PACT) which negotiates with Canadian Actors' Equity-he is well aware of
the reciprocity agreement between American Equity and Canadian Equity.
The same contract that was used to tour the Canadian production of
"Mamma Mia" in the United States for two years is still available to the
Mirvishes or any other producer who wishes to tour a production. So
blaming "union rules" is not just inaccurate but blatantly untrue.

Mr. Knelman goes on to argue that CAEA had changed the rules of the game
with prohibitively high per diems. This is so untrue as to be laughable.
In the first case, the Canadian Theatre Agreement under which
"Hairspray" is produced is negotiated with PACT every three years, there
have been no substantive changes in the touring rules in several years.
Per diem rates for our members increased minimally in the last round of
negotiations yet still barely covers the cost of accommodations while on
tour. 

Mr. Knelman is obviously trying very hard to find someone to blame,
however, Canadian Actors' Equity Association is not who ill-informed
reporters or misguided producers should be looking at.  Instead of
playing the blame game perhaps we should be looking at solutions to
issues that are common among our respective organizations-issues like
the downturn in tourism and the residual effects of the SARS crisis
which has had a direct and lasting effect on productions in this city.

Sincerely,
Susan Wallace
Executive Director
Canadian Actors' Equity Association
44 Victoria Street, 12th Floor
Toronto, ON M5C 3C4
Tel: 416-867-9165
Fax: 416-867-9246
e-mail: communications at caea.com