A group claiming to number more than 200 actors announced that they will hold a protest march starting at 2:30 PM and covering a one-mile route starting at the intersection of Lankershim Boulevard, Vineland Avenue and Camarillo Street in the NoHo Arts District and ending in front of the offices of Actors Equity Association at 5636 Tujunga Avenue near Burbank Boulevard.
The march will come two days before a non-binding vote of local AEA members on a proposal from the union to require Off-Off-Broadway-size theatres with 99 seats to pay them a $9 hourly minimum wage. Many of the actors currently work for far less, or nothing, but are concerned that the union demand will stifle the theatres and result in substantially less work.
Local actors Frances Fisher, French Stewart and Kirsten Vangsness are scheduled to speak at a rally to be held at AEA headquarters following the march. In recent weeks well-known performers including Jason Alexander, Alfred Molina and John Rubinstein have released statements supporting the breakaway group and their desire to stop the new requirement, which will be read aloud.
For more information on the marchers, visit www.ilove99.org.
In earlier Playbill.com stories, Equity announced the plan, Equity responded to the objections, and Playbill looked at the issue in depth.