It was a second day of dark Broadway theaters and disappointed audiences as striking stagehands reaffirmed their commitment Sunday to remain off the job until producers started acting ''honorably'' at the negotiating table.
James J. Claffey Jr., president of Local One, said the League of American Theatres and Producers needs to make a ''constructive'' adjustment to its counteroffers.
''We want respect at the table,'' he said at a somber news conference. ''If there's no respect, they will not see Local One at the table. The lack of respect is something we are not going to deal with.''
Twenty-seven shows remained closed Sunday, the day after stagehands went on strike, shutting down such popular productions as Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera, Hairspray, Jersey Boys, and Mamma Mia!
Among the shows canceled Sunday was a gala 10-year anniversary performance of The Lion King, although a party celebrating the Disney musical's decade-long run was still being held.
Producers of August: Osage County, a play by Tracy Letts from Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company, said they may postpone its scheduled November 20 opening. And the producers have offered to pay for the cast members' return to Chicago during the work stoppage.
Pickets again walked quietly in front of the struck theaters around Times Square, and few pedestrians were seen on normally crowded side streets in the area.
Eight shows, which have separate contracts with the union, remained open and did strong, often sold-out business on Saturday, a two-performance day. Among the attractions still running are Young Frankenstein, Mary Poppins, Xanadu, and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, as well as four shows -- Pygmalion, The Ritz, Mauritius, and Cymbeline -- playing at nonprofit theaters.
The same-day discount tickets booths in Times Square and at the South Street Seaport remained open, serving the Broadway shows unaffected by the walkout as well as all off-Broadway productions, which were up and running.
On Sunday, there were lines at the Times Square location, but it was not as crowded as usual. A sign noted that there were no Broadway shows available and suggested off-Broadway options.
Perry Welch, in town from Seattle, was in line hoping to get tickets to The Fantasticks or I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change.
''We had tickets for Rent, [but] that's not going to happen,'' he said.
No new negotiations have been scheduled between the union and the league, and resumption of talks appears uncertain. Mayor Michael Bloomberg again offered his assistance on Sunday, saying ''the city will do everything it can to help [reach an agreement].''
But both sides are standing firm.
''We're fighting for our lives,'' Claffey said at the news conference. ''We're fighting for the people out there, the middle class -- a middle-class job we're trying to protect.''
On Saturday, Charlotte St. Martin, the league's executive director, charged, ''The union chose to strike -- without notifying us -- rather than to continue negotiations. But our members are united in their commitment to achieving a fair contract. Our goal is simple: to pay for workers we need and for work that is actually performed.''
The two sides have been involved in lengthy, tense negotiations since last summer. Much of their disagreement involves work rules and staffing requirements, particularly rules governing the expensive process of loading in and setting up a show. The producers want more flexibility in hiring; the stagehands don't want to give up what they say are hard-won benefits without something in return.
Claffey has enlisted the support of other theatrical unions, including those representing musicians and actors.
Said John Connolly, head of Actors' Equity Association: ''We regret these theaters are closed. We are sorry we are not where we want to be: onstage, entertaining our audiences. That's what we do, that's what we live for. We didn't shut the theaters. We didn't make $100 ticket prices. We did not say it is our mission to refashion the economics of the theater industry. The employers did that.'' (AP)
These comments are reproduced as written by visitors to this Web site. They have not been edited for content, grammar, or spelling. The viewpoints appearing here are those of the writer, and do not necessarily reflect the opinion or views of advocate.com, The Advocate, or its affiliates.
Be the first to comment on this story.
If you would like to submit a comment for posting, please fill out the form above.
All comments submitted via this form are subject to posting or publication. (To send a private letter to an Advocate editor or writer, please use the e-mail button at the top of the page, or use snail mail.) If you would like your comment considered for publication in The Advocate magazine, please include your full name, your city of residence, and a phone number where you can be reached during business hours so that we can confirm your identity. Your e-mail address and telephone number are strictly confidential and will not be shared or used for any purpose other than to contact you about your comment.
Comments that do not concern specific articles in The Advocate or on Advocate.com will not be posted or published. See the Contact page for sending comments for reasons other than responding to Advocate editorial and news stories.
Please note that comments sent by fax or snail mail are unlikely to be posted, although they will be considered for publication along with all letters received via e-mail or via this Web page. Comments that chiefly concern Advocate.com content will be considered for posting only on the Web site. The Advocate reserves the right to edit submitted comments for grammar, spelling, obscenities, or libel; we will, however, do our best to preserve the original comment's style and intent. Comments considered for publication in The Advocate magazine may also be edited for length.
Home | Contact | Current Issue | LGBT Community Partners | Staff
Advertise With Us | Jobs | Help
Subscribe: Print Edition Digital Edition | Subscriber Services: Print Edition Digital Edition
Visit our Websites
Out.com | OutTraveler.com | HIVPlusMag.com | Alyson.com | Gay.com | PlanetOut.com
Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Community Guidelines | Legal Notice
Advocate.com © 2008 PlanetOut Inc. All Rights Reserved.
