Jordan Golding in Drunk Shakespeare, 2021. (Photo by Tom McGrath)
NEW YORK CITY: Association for Actors’ Equity and Brass Jar Productions announced the unanimous ratification of a contract that allows artists to drink (safely and responsibly) on the job. The three-year agreement, formally ratified on October 18 and in effect from November 4 to 7, 2027, covers Drunken Shakespeare and Drunk Dracula productions in Chicago, New York, Phoenix and Washington, DC
The new agreement for the popular show Drunken Shakespeare and its companion seasonal production Drunk Dracula codifies practices regarding workplace safety, job definitions, terms of employment, and job security. Under this contract, all employees will receive health benefits, vacation and sick leave, and many employees will receive salary increases and increased week-to-week income stability. .
“Huzzah!” Seeing Drunk Shakespeare United ratify its first union contract is exciting! Brooke Shields, president of the Actors’ Equity Association, said in a statement. “The collaborative spirit our members brought to the table was rewarded by their employer, and while the process wasn’t always easy, it was well worth it.
Designed by Scott Griffin and Three-day hangover (David Hudson, Lori Wolter Hudson and Beth Gardiner), Drunk Shakespeare takes place in hidden locations across the country, where five professional actors come together as members of the Drunk Shakespeare Society. One of them drinks five glasses of whiskey then tries to play a major role in a Shakespearean play. Hilarity and chaos ensue as the four sober actors attempt to keep the storyline on track. Every show is different depending on who is drinking and what they are drinking.
“This is how the dawn of Drunk Shakespeare’s second decade begins: ratification,” leaders of the Drunk Shakespeare United negotiating team said in a statement. “Our union has won security and dignified rights for our workers. We couldn’t be more thrilled with the result. This makes the first decade more interesting, knowing that this new chapter can be defined as safe, sustainable and equitable.
Actors, managers, waiters, bartenders and bar managers began organizing in spring 2023 in Chicagowhere workers received training from the workplace emergency organizing committee before connecting to Equity. Chicago workers quickly recruited members from other places to join them in the movement they dubbed Drunk Shakespeare United. Brass Jar immediately recognized the union, allowing contract negotiations to begin in September of that year.
“It’s an exciting new era for Brass Jar Productions and the Drunk Theater Universe! This contract reflects the immense amount of hard work on the part of many members of our team, and we are extremely excited to conclude this process,” Brass Jar co-founders Scott Griffin and David Hudson said in a statement. . “Drinking and gambling is the perfect comedic recipe. We are thrilled to receive the Actors’ Equity Association seal of approval and to have the continued opportunity to bring our brand of drunken, outrageous and professional entertainment to customers across the United States.
This new contract is the latest in a series of organizing victories for Equity. Over the past two years, Equity has won union recognition for Disneyland’s Character and Parade departments, Los Angeles planetarium teachers, Portland and Los Angeles strippers, and Chippendales actors. On October 16, it was announced that Equity, in conjunction with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE), had filed a union petition for the theater’s artists and crew. Beautiful house. Drunk Shakespeare is the first of these newly organized bargaining units to cross the finish line of collective agreement ratification.
Fairness encourages all performing arts workers who believe they would benefit from a collective agreement to join the union. This includes traditional theater artists and those working on other types of stages. Anyone whose job would benefit from unionization can visit actorsequity.org/organize.
