About Actors Inequity

Actors' Inequity was formed to provide non-paid and non-union performers* a way to say, "I'm inequity." Beyond the ever-swelling pride A.I. members feel in their guts, our organization provides an always growing list of resources to help you hone your craft and, possibly, eventually, one day, carry a more equitable (and vastly more expensive) organization's card around in your wallet.

*For those of you who have issues with folks performing for no pay, please understand what we mean by "unpaid performer." The way we see it, there are 3 basic types of performers:

1. Union Performers - These are the folks who join the union and do their best to make a living performing. Their pay scale is pre-set and they see being asked to act for free as something worse than someone going to a dinner party and asking the host, who happens to be a doctor, to take a look at the rash on their bum. We don't blame them for being protective of offering their talent for money - it's how they make a living! Bravo/Brava to them!

2. Non-union Performers - These people try to get paid for everything they do, but occasionally might take a job "for experience," a slippery slope which we agree with our friends at GotPay, "If money is made, the talent gets paid!" They may also dabble in community theater or other related, unpaid venues (which is groovy, as long as no company or individual is making money off of them)! Many non-union performers have "day jobs," to pay their bills. They supplement their income with acting. These folks don't have a support network like a union - here's where Actors' Inequity steps in! We want to be your resource for getting more gigs! This is why we offer resume examples and other useful links. We want to hear from you!

3. The Unpaid Performer - These performers show off their talent for the sheer joy of acting. While they may occasionally, foolishly, take no pay for a job where the folks at the top are making a profit, they mostly enjoy performing for community theaters, on public access television or in other public venues. These folks have other sources of income and just want to keep up their chops - possibly between occasional paid gigs. Actors' Inequity is an excellent resource for these people as well, as it provides stuff to help them grow and possibly get a paid gig. It also helps theaters look more professional and promote their shows!

A Little History

Sometime, in a blurry corner of 2007, I sat in a clean, well-lit bar with my friend, Kevin "Spike" "George Spelvin" Derrick. Per his urging, I was nursing myself back to health using a tincture of hops, barley, water and yeast - and beginning to fully appreciate the power of their fortification. This is when he mused, "is there an 'Actors' INequity?'"

That seed sat in the corner of my brain for months until, in a fit of poverty, I started fleshing it out into something. After sketching out some ideas, I aproached my cast-mates of Aurora (Ohio) Community Theatre's production of "Exit the Body," and asked them what they thought. Their reaction was better than I could have imagined! They started offering up ideas and really helped me get the ball rolling! So, I started putting things together and, in a week, I had an initial A.I. site up and running!

Here's where I should note that I was a director of marketing for a division of NEC America for about 10 years - and I currently advise companies of all sizes, offering them branding, positioning, logo development, graphic design, marketing and public relations via my company, thinknik. So, I'm no stranger to making an idea tangible - no matter how intangible it might be!

While I wanted A.I. to be a fun place to visit - and a fun card to carry - I also wanted some legitimate resources for theatre lovers. So, the site has free signs for theatre lobbies and back stage, affordable logo design for members and a growing list of links to theatre-related sites across the web.

If you have suggestions as to what I could add to make this a more valuable resource, please let me know - I'll be glad to consider it!

Ni Pucha, Ni Pera,
Brian S. Diehl (Co-founder) 2/19/2008

How to Join Actors' Inequity

Just click here, decide what level you wish to attain, and give us your money (we've made it insanely affordable for you to carry the much-coveted Actors' Inequity card).

Actors' Inequity
Performing because we love it ... and we got cast