Josh Grisetti

We are all shocked and deeply saddened by the sudden loss of our dear friend, Josh Grisetti. He was loved by so many who crossed paths with him on Broadway, Off-Broadway, in Las Vegas, touring, regionally, on film and on television. He was a published author, a devoted educator and the Professor of Musical Theatre at Cal State Fullerton. He served as a Western Principal Councilor on Equity's National Council.

Josh and I have been friends since our days at The Boston Conservatory. BoCo is a bit like the world's most expensive four year summer theatre camp. You become intensely close with the 30-60 people you end up graduating with. Josh and I connected often on our struggles. He was one of those friends that, while we didn't connect regularly, we had a deep love and respect for each other. In this business we often have a sea of close acquaintances, but only a handful of true friends.

When I wasn't renewed at Beauty and the Beast at Walt Disney World, I was in a very dark place. Heartbroken. I had a great deal of my friends check in, but Josh took the time to say, "I don't know if it ever gets easier, but I do know that one of the things that helped me over the years was when people reached out to let me know that they saw me and understood what I was facing. The least I know how to do is pass that on." He was a person who really checked in when times were tough.

In school, he'd make INSANE choices as an actor. I consider myself a bit of a risk taker, but it was jaw dropping to see what he'd show up with. Gut bustlingly hilarious. I knew immediately he'd be a star. He was absolutely fearless, and utterly inspiring.

I was so happy when he joined us on Equity's National Council. It gave me an excuse to check in with him more often. Our last interaction, I was gathering support for a local colleague to fill a vacant seat. He said, "Any friend of Logan is a friend of mine."

His death is a reminder that social media is the worst kind of rose colored glasses. I've been so busy with my young boys, I took his social persona at face value. To me, his life looked perfect, and I forgot to truly check in with his heart. I deeply regret that.

I love you, brother. We were all so infinitely lucky to share this time and space with you.

We can honor Josh's memory by checking in on each other. Best friends or acquaintances - a little nudge can often be the difference, or gently guide someone back into a brighter place. If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Hotline.

— Logan Benedict, Eastern At-Large Councilor

Josh Grisetti, actor, educator, director, writer and Equity Western principal councilor, died on July 10 at the age of 44.

Grisetti was born in Washington, D.C. on December 1, 1981, and grew up in Roanoke, Virginia. After studying theatre at the North Carolina School of the Arts, he earned a BFA in musical theatre from the Boston Conservatory in 2004. That same year, he joined Equity via contract for a production of Where's Charley? at the Goodspeed Opera House.

Over the next few years Grisetti expanded his theatre career in New York and elsewhere, including starring in an off-Broadway musical adaptation of Enter Laughing. However, his journey had ups and downs. He was set to make his Broadway debut in 2009 starring in a revival of Neil Simon's Broadway Bound, but due to poor ticket sales it closed just two weeks before its premiere. Grisetti instead first performed on a Broadway stage in 2011, as Mordred in a one-night benefit concert version of Camelot on Broadway.

In 2015, Grisetti finally had a more traditional Broadway debut in It Shoulda Been You, and he made a splash, receiving the Actors' Equity Foundation's Clarence Derwent Award, recognizing breakthrough performances by actors with promising careers. He went on to star in Something Rotten!, both on Broadway and the national tour.

Grisetti's other honors included a Garland Award, a Los Angeles Ovation Award and a Theatre World Award.

Grisetti first became active in union governance in 2020, when he served as a Western principal delegate for Equity's two conventions, taking deep dives with his fellow representatives into Equity's policies and direction for the future. From there, he went on to serve on the Short Engagement Touring Agreement Committee. In 2024, he was elected Western Regional principal councilor.

"I am deeply interested in canonizing transparency, accessibility, sustainability, creativity, and safety (physical, emotional, social/cultural, and fiscal) within our industry," he wrote in his candidate statement. "I believe that we work best as a collective when we do not demand binary ideological purity, but rather welcome diverse perspectives, hear all voices, actively seek compromise (when necessary or when possible), and fight together toward our collective goals."

At the time of his death, he was also a member of the Job Category Working Group on Ratios & Negotiating Priorities and second vice chair of the Show Development Committee.

Grisetti also had a long-held dream of teaching theatre at the college level he realized in the last few years. He went back to school to earn an MFA in performance pedagogy from Loyola Marymount University in 2021, becoming the program's first graduate. He also taught at LMU and then went on to lead and redesign the musical theatre BFA program at California State University, Fullerton as a tenured associate professor of theatre and dance.

His film and television work included The Namesake, a recurring role on The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and a leading role in The Knights of Prosperity.

As an author, Grisetti published a memoir in 2016, God In My Head: The True Story of an Ex-Christian Who Accidentally Met God, detailing his spiritual journey following a near-death experience in 2009 at the dentist's office.

Grisetti is survived by his wife Mackenzie.

— Equity News Staff

Albert Sanders

Albert and I were in grad school together, Wayne State, 1965-66 and lived one floor apart in the same building. I was very new to acting, and I thought Albert was brilliant. I paid him to coach me privately in my roles by cooking him dinner every night. After that he'd take me through his notes from Alvina Krause at Eaglesmere. Talk about an education. He was demanding, bitchy , funny and simply inexhaustible. His audition for Trinculo was brilliant, the best Trinculo I've ever seen - though he was cast as Ariel. He was not happy, and left after that year. He and I kept in touch in NYC and I showed him many of my auditions for scathing critiques. I loved him. We lost touch, as life overwhelms. "...flights of angels" and I'm sure he'll have notes for those in charge.

— Ingrid Sonnichsen

Harriet Slaughter

Harriet Slaughter, an actor and activist who at times served on Equity council, staff and as director of labor relations for The Broadway League, died on November 12, 2025. She was 88.

Slaughter was born on April 2, 1937, in Fort Worth, Texas to Richard Lewis and Nan (Grigsby) Slaughter. Her mother was a schoolteacher and her father was the head of the Drama Department at the University of Texas at Arlington. She majored in drama at the University of Texas, Austin and was a dance teacher and choreographer in residence at the University of Texas at El Paso. She made her professional debut in the original 1955 production of Inherit the Wind in Dallas, although she did not make it to Broadway with the show. She did, however, eventually make it to New York, where she was a production assistant for The Hostage on Broadway in 1960.

Slaughter joined Equity in 1963, and her acting career included four years of playing Fruma Sarah in the original Broadway run of Fiddler on the Roof, touring in the chorus of Man of La Mancha and a number of stock productions. Her other work included teaching in New York City public schools, acting in TV commercials and as an extra in films and even choreographing a Timex commercial.

Slaughter was elected as an Eastern chorus councilor in 1972. During her time on council, her work included serving on the National Theatre Committee and as the founding chair of the Times Square Development Committee.

Women's causes were extremely important to Slaughter; during her council tenure she created the Women's Performing Arts Coalition as a joint venture with what were then SAG and AFTRA; the ad-hoc committee tackled everything from increasing job opportunities for women to equal pay.

During this time, Slaughter also went back to school, earning a master's degree in arts administration from NYU in 1973. While in grad school, she served as the director of programming at entertainment venue Town Hall.

In 1976, Slaughter joined Equity's national executive staff, working on issues like the Production Contract and agents. Two years later, she transitioned to the other side of the table, working as Director of Labor Relations for The Broadway League. She remained for 29 years until her retirement in 2007. She negotiated with Equity, IATSE and other Broadway unions. She prized cooperation, including working closely with theatre owners and unions alike in trying to lower Broadway ticket prices in the 1990s.

During her time with The Broadway League, she continued to dedicate herself to women's causes and mentoring young artists. She was board president for the League of Professional Theater Women and co-produced the public access television program Women in Theatre.

Slaughter served on boards of arts organizations like Pen + Brush (also dedicated to gender parity in the arts) and Encompass New Opera Theater Company. In 1994, she co-founded the Better Wellness and You (BWAY) consortium, a preventative healthcare organization for and by theatre industry professionals. The consortium's legacy includes the establishment of the Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative at the Entertainment Community Fund.

In 1996, Slaughter returned to the Broadway stage one more time. Although that Dallas production of Inherit the Wind from over 40 years prior had transferred to Broadway without her, decades later, she had a one-night cameo in a revival starring George C. Scott.

Slaughter's awards included the New York Women's Agenda Galaxy Award and the Lee Reynolds Award. Slaughter was also a poet and painter, and in 2014 she published a collection of her works entitled Ars Poetica: Sights and Words of a Life.

Slaughter married fellow Equity member Renato Cibelli in 1976; he died in 1996. She is survived by her sister, Jane Slaughter Kornblut, and a large extended family including nieces, great-nephews and nieces, stepchildren and step-grandchildren, cousins and friends.

— Equity News Staff