My Friend, The Producer (Part 2)

When your boss is a producer, an artistic director, a colleague as well as a friend, how do you deal with him or her when on the other side of the negotiating table?

A greater degree of intimacy with an artistic director/producer gives you an idea of how the field lays when it comes to contracts. Regional theatre in today's United States is not on its strongest footing ever. Very few, if any, have bucketsfull of money hidden away. The best way to negotiate contracts (and a couple of key contracts, like LORT, are up for re-negotiation soon) is to use all that knowledge that we have from working closely as colleagues and friends as a yardstick to know what we can successfully demand, and realistically achieve.

Most theatres of the same economic plane have similar needs and ways of operation. Some are better business people than others, of course. It is our collective wisdom that will allow us to know what and what not to demand; knowing that we seek to, form a symbiosis between our employers and ourselves and not so much a stand-off. Those who are more comfortable in the position of negotiator tend to spearhead contract talks for the producers' side. The signatories-to-be (the producers not actively involved in contract talks) trust in the wisdom and ability of their asignees.

There are producers who enjoy the contract negotiation process. It is the thrill of combat that spurs them along, as well as the actual benefits for their respective business plans. They are committed. They are smart, and they have more money, as a collective, than our union does. We always have an edge in that, they can't present their shows without us. That is power.

That is the macro-relationship. In the micro-relationship, that is the producer in negotiations with a potential and unrepresented employee. There are contract minimums. There are regional producers who will not budge on salary. It never hurts to ask, however. If you are negotiating your own contracts, (many of are right now doing just that. It's Stock Season) make sure you have a list of things that you want and things that you need. Chief among these for you will probably be salary considerations. Have a high (What you think you can get if the market will bear) and a low (the least that you can realistically accept)

If negotiating for salary points comes to a dead end, sometimes it is possible to get a producer to add a per diem. Not all contracts require a per diem. But just because it's not required does not mean that you can't get it. The advantage of per diem, for the producer, is that there are no hidden additional costs. With salaries, the rule of thumb is that on top of the actual salary, the producer will have to pay an additional 40% in fringe benefits. Fringe benefits include AEA pension and health contribution, payroll taxes, unemployment and processing. The advantage for the actor or stage manager, of course, is more money.

Per diem has no on-the-top expenses for the producer. You end up getting more money, but the producer pays less fringes. Of course ones unemployment rate is based on ones salary alone, not salary plus per diem.

There are other points of bargaining, however. Many regional theatres get support, not in money, but in goods and services. There are negotiating points which are not covered in any rule book. Many are locality-specific. Some of them include: lodging upgrades, travel upgrades, temporary health club memberships, comp tickets, and others. Be creative.