How is it that two well-regarded but lesser-known Off-Broadway companies – the Irish Repertory Theatre and the Mint Theater – are currently streaming productions for free as part of their own wintertime digital theater festivals, while the digital offerings of so many other New York theater companies are scattershot, slim or nonexistent?
Furthermore, how did the Irish Rep and Mint manage to navigate the confusing and changing rules governing digital productions created by Actors’ Equity Association (the union for stage actors) and SAG-AFTRA (the union for screen actors)? While many organizations are reluctant to speak on the record on this subject, representatives from the Irish Rep and Mint graciously fielded my questions.
The Irish Rep’s Theatre@Home Winter Festival (running through Feb. 21) consists of nine digital productions that were created during the shutdown and were mostly adapted from shows that the company produced live prior to the shutdown, including the musical “Meet Me in St. Louis,” Bill Irwin’s “On Beckett/In Screen” and Eugene O’Neill’s “A Touch of the Poet,” which was in rehearsals when the shutdown began. In the style of evening and matinee performances, each show is available for viewing at select times.
According to Lisa Fane, the company’s general manager, these digital productions fall under the jurisdiction of SAG-AFTRA pursuant to the jurisdictional agreement recently reached between AEA and SAG-AFTRA because they “are not recordings of live shows, but are filmed out of order, edited and/or shot using special effects/green screens like a film.” Fane added that “actors are paid pension and health in addition to a daily rate.”
On the other hand, the Mint’s Silver Lining Streaming Series (which runs through June) consists of live recordings of previously produced Mint productions, each of which is available for viewing over the course of multiple weeks, including little-known dramas such as Lillian Hellman’s “Days to Come,” Teresa Davy’s “Katie Roche” and George Kelly’s “The Fatal Weakness.”
For several years prior to the shutdown, artistic director Jonathan Bank made private archival recordings of the company’s shows with the permission of Actors’ Equity in the hope that one day he would be able to stream them. “AEA realized that they needed to create new possibilities for employment (due to the pandemic), so they are (now) sanctioning use of the videos,” said Banks, who also confirmed that the actors in the recordings are receiving weekly salaries.
For more info visit irishrep.org and minttheater.org.
This week’s streaming recommendations…
“ABC Daytime Back on Broadway” (one-night benefit concert starring Susan Lucci and other soap opera personalities), Thurs. at 8 p.m., broadwaycares.org…”Romeo & Juliet” (new English filmed production with Sam Tutty, Emily Redpath and Derek Jacobi), Feb. 13-27, romeojuliet2021.com…”La Boheme” (kickoff of a week celebrating the productions of director Franco Zeffirelli at the Met), Mon at 7:30 p.m., metopera.org.
