When I look back at my first letter as SDC Executive Board President, which I wrote in January, it feels like a missive from another world.
There are threads that must be put on hold, but also those we carry forward with renewed vigor into the pandemic world we are living in now, in which parallel viruses—one “novel” that has shuttered our theatres and halted our income, and the other systemic, which has had centuries to embed itself in our society—have endangered many thousands of lives and livelihoods. Both need our immediate and sustained attention.
I wrote in January about SDC’s commitment to fostering an inclusive and just field and to celebrating and supporting diversity in all its forms. I wrote about laboring to ensure that our Members work in safe and equitable workplaces and create the conditions in rehearsal halls and theatres that allow actors, designers, and other collaborators to be free to do their best work. “Safety” has accrued more meaning in light of the pandemic and the call for racial justice. So has the concept of “getting in the door”—how do we prepare for a return to rehearsal rooms in what will likely continue, for some time, to be an economically distressed field, while also seeking increased opportunity for our Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) Members?
Right now, most of our productions have been postponed or canceled, but our Members are still working: developing new plays and musicals and resurrecting past pieces on Zoom; remotely directing and choreographing countless benefits for theatres and service organizations; directing radio plays and experimenting with blended work; and mounting productions in drive-in theatres and physically distanced outdoor venues. Many of you have written about such activity in these virtual pages. We expect the creativity and innovation of our Members to expand as we move forward, touching audiences and influencing the culture.
Productions captured as the field was shutting down have been streamed, some with encore performances. New productions going into rehearsal have plans for capture in the face of unknowns regarding gathering audiences. Whatever the work is or becomes over the next months, SDC, through our Collectively Bargained Agreements, a newly promulgated Remote Contract, and modified Capture Provisions, will continue to protect our Members. (If you have any questions about which contract to use, please contact the Contract Affairs staff at Contracts@SDCweb.org)
As you know, SDC has put into place a process for approving theatres’ safety plans. In collaboration with the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA), we have hired three medical experts who, using a rigorous set of criteria, work with us to clear—or not clear—productions for our Members. If a theatre or production is not cleared, SDC will not issue or authorize a contract. We all share the desire to get back to work. Even though each of us has our own level of risk tolerance, SDC must create standards for the protection of all.
The Union is also engaging politically to promote legislative action that helps our Members, especially in relationship to unemployment benefits and health insurance protections, and is supporting efforts to get out the vote in the November election. We are preparing guides for our Members that outline best rehearsal practices with regard to safety and COVID-19. And, importantly, we are taking steps to continue and further the work of anti-racism.
These are challenging times for our Membership and our Union. However, as I said at our Membership meeting in July, I am continually reminded of our collective power. Our strength as directors and choreographers lies in our ability to set a vision, share that vision, and build a community that is drawn to our vision. Our strength is in our ability to find solutions when obstacles cross our paths and our capacity to make great work even when we are constrained.
We need all our strength right now. And we need each other. When I work with my fellow Executive Board Members and feel their passion for serving the Membership, their willingness to roll up their sleeves and tackle thorny issues, their commitment to the path of anti-racism, I feel the strength of our Union. Let us all remain united in our belief in the power of theatre, whatever form or forms it may take; in our faith that we will return to the work we love; and in our resolve that when we do so, it will be in a field that is more just and inclusive.
In Solidarity,
Evan Yionoulis
Executive Board President