Would you participate in a one-month boycott of unpaid professional theatre?

2 Comments

  • Annie Yactor - 14 years ago

    The majority of discussion of this poll is at: http://actorsminimumwage.wordpress.com/2010/07/24/the-boycott-question/

    AY

  • Aleasha Chaunte - 14 years ago

    I would definitely not participate in a boycott. In my experience the projects that don't pay or that don't pay much do so because they don't have the money. If you want to squeeze out all of those who don't have access to funding then this is a good way. If you want to support the flourishing of ideas and the development of good, innovative practice I don't think this is the way to do it. Until more money enters the industry generally, as artists, we cannot boycott. The problem would be if there was money, but it wasn't getting to the everyone equally. I can't imagine my friends who are painters refusing to paint because they aren't being paid enough. They paint a canvas because something inside them will not allow them not to. They paint because they are probing and expressing the roots of their humanity. As performers we have the greatest possibilities if we think of ourselves in the same way and seek to cultivate our intrinsic desires. I would love to get paid for everything I do, but I will do things just because I need to do them whether there is money or not. Don't squeeze out those who don't yet have access to funding. They may be the nascent future of the industry.

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