Union strike: Broadway actors plan rally outside DPAC before 'Beetlejuice'

Broadway actors on Tuesday are expected to rally outside DPAC before the opening of Beetlejuice in a push for new contracts.

Actors and stage crews will be outside DPAC between 6 and 7:30 p.m. to hand out leaflets to explain why touring Broadway shows in Durham and across the country could come to a halt.

Broadway could go dark as Actors’ Equity Union, representing actors and stage mangers, has issued a strike threat warning. The Actors’ Equity Union is back at the bargaining table Tuesday with the Broadway League, which oversees the contracts for thousands of touring performers.

Kate Shindle, president of the Actors’ Equity Union, said the main reason actors and performers are seeking new contracts is the rising cost of food and housing in the places they visit on tour.

Union members get a set allowance to cover those costs and are asking for an increase in that amount. Actors are often dipping into their salary to pay for food and hotel rooms.

Shindle said a strike is not something they want to do because they are aware of the impact theater has on the local community.

"DPAC, for example, really anchors that neighborhood," Shindle said. "So yes to all the cultural and artistic benefits of the theater, but we're aware that it's also a real economic driver and that a lot of jobs depend on those shows going on."

Shindle said she is optimistic they will come to a new agreement on Tuesday, but the union is prepared to move forward with a strike if not.