Actors' Equity Association
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The Actors' Equity Association, commonly referred to as Actors' Equity, is an American labor union formed in New York City in 1913 by 112 actors working in the professional theatre. Its first president was Francis Wilson and membership grew rapidly.
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Wilson led them through the famous strike of 1919 that ended the iron-fisted dominance over actors and theatre workers by the Theatrical Syndicate and its theatre owners and producers like Abe Erlanger and his partner, Mark Klaw. Before the 1919 strike, Actors' Equity had 2,777 members. After the strike, it had increased to 14,000. Today, the Actors' Equity Association represents more than 45,000 actors and stage managers.
Founded during the 1919 strike with Marie Dressler as its first president, the Chorus Equity Association merged with Actors' Equity in 1955.
The associations national headquarters are at 165 West 46th Street in New York City with regional offices in Chicago, Illinois and Los Angeles, California plus a satellite office in San Francisco and in Orlando, Florida.
Presidents of Actors' Equity Association:
- Francis Wilson : 1913 1920
- John Emerson : 1920 1928
- Ralph Morgan (acting president) : 6/178/12,1924
- Frank Gillmore : 1928 1937
- Burgess Meredith (acting president) : 1937 - 1938
- Arthur Byron : 1938 1940
- Bert Lytell : 1940 1946
- Clarence Derwent : 1946 1952
- Ralph Bellamy : 1952 1964
- Frederick ONeal : 1964 1973
- Theodore Bikel : 1973 1982
- Ellen Burstyn : 1982 1985
- Colleen Dewhurst : 1985 1991
- Ron Silver : 1991 2000
- Patrick Quinn : 2000 Present
See also
External links
- Actors' Equity website (http://www.actorsequity.org)