National Code
This is an internal union membership rule which outlines the terms under which Equity members may participate in a staged reading project, commonly known as a "29-Hour Reading," without benefit of an Equity Contract. Members may participate for a maximum of 29 hours (including both rehearsals and no more than three presentations) over the course of 14 days. No admission may be charged and no donations may be solicited in connection to the readings. The readings may not use sets, props, wigs, make-up or costumes. The readings may not be advertised to the public or reviewed by critics. No recordings of any kind are allowed. For presentations via Zoom, invited audiences may only include those directly working on the production.
If there is any public or invited streaming element to the presentation, producers should contact their closest Equity regional office for streaming salary rates.
Members can view the Staged Reading Code in the Codes Library in the Member Portal.
Producers with questions about the Staged Reading Code should contact their closest Equity regional office.
The Staged Reading Questionnaire and Roster may be found under Producer Resources.
