New York -- Actors’ Equity Association, the national union representing more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers working in live theatre, has named Stefanie Frey as its new mobilization director, effective December 1.
Frey has previously worked for Equity as a national organizer, and in that time took a leading role on several major union initiatives. She organized members for a 33-day strike, Equity’s first in decades, that achieved profit participation in Broadway League show development. She played a vital role in the 2016 Off-Broadway negotiations, organizing the members of the grassroots #FairWageOnstage group in a campaign that delivered historic wins for actors and stage managers. She also spearheaded Equity’s involvement in passing Prop E in San Francisco to increase public arts funding and successfully fought against Missouri’s Prop A, a so-called “right to work” act.
“We are so glad to have Stefanie back at Equity,” said Mary McColl, executive director of Actors’ Equity Association. “She has such great respect for the work that actors and stage managers do. As a former stage manager herself, she brings tremendous skill at corralling the various elements of our union into a cohesive unit. Our members know her and love her. Creating the role of mobilization director is a forward-looking step to involve members more deeply in their union. We are fortunate to have someone in the position who can do that so well.”
Frey joins Equity at a pivotal moment, as the union embarks upon negotiating a new agreement for national tours while theatres reopen across the country as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.
“I’m absolutely thrilled to be returning to Equity," said Frey. “My heart belongs to this industry, and my passion has always been empowering stage managers and actors to own their value as central workers in the theatre. As theatre reopens around the country, it’s important to remember that a labor of love is still labor and must be fairly compensated with equitable and safe working conditions. I look forward to the continued partnership with our employers who take our labor seriously, and when necessary, I am ready to stand side by side with Equity members to raise our voices and demand the changes we need to see in our workplaces.”
Frey became an Equity member as an off-Broadway stage manager in 2011. She joined the staff in 2014 first as a contract associate, then business rep for Off-Broadway and ultimately national organizer.
Following her departure from Equity in 2019, Frey served as senior mobilizer at the NewsGuild of NY, which included notable walkouts, rallies and a credible strike threat supported by national and local politicians and community allies including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Elizabeth Warren. She also held the position of mobilizing director for the Independent Association of Publishers' Employees. Frey holds a BA in Theatre from Miami University.
High-resolution photo available here.
ACTORS' EQUITY ASSOCIATION, founded in 1913, is the U.S. labor union that represents more than 51,000 professional actors and stage managers. Equity endeavors to advance the careers of its members by negotiating wages, improving working conditions and providing a wide range of benefits (health and pension included). Member: AFL-CIO, FIA. www.actorsequity.org #EquityWorks
November 11, 2021
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