When I came to New York City from college in the late 1970s, I was fortunate enough to book a few commercials right away for soap products. I admit it did help that an aunt of mine was in the advertising business, so she was able to steer toward the right casting agents and advertisers. They helped me get an AFTRA card, and it was my first experience with being part of a union – and I was very proud.
However, I knew that the card I wanted the most was my Equity card because I knew I wanted to be on the stage. I did do a few Equity-approved showcases and I built up some points toward getting my card. But by 1983, nothing was really happening for me and I was getting rather discouraged. I took a “real” job on Wall Street and was seriously thinking that I might just go for an MBA (which is hilarious, really!) when lo and behold, who entered my life but Charles Busch and Ken Elliott. Along with a number of people, we started Theatre-in-Limbo and started performing down on the lower east side on Thursday nights and weekends. Charles’ play, Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, became a smash, cult hit and we were moved all the way uptown to the Provincetown Playhouse in Greenwich Village. We opened there in June of 1985 and I am happy to say that because of this show, I was able to get my full Equity membership.
I still worked on Wall Street for another two years (yes, I worked as a research manager by day and a “Vampire Lesbian” at night), but by 1987, the market had crashed, I got an agent and I was able to join SAG. I have been a proud union member for all these years and I have never regretted leaving the financial world for the more erratic life of professional theatre. And although the corporate world gets on very well without me, I am still in contact with many of my friends from “The Street” (some were even investors in our theatre company). But my real thanks goes to Equity for making our working lives so much better.
