Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) and the Broadway League have reached an agreement regarding the Development Agreement. The National Council of the union, which represents over 51,000 professional actors and stage managers, voted to ratify a new five-year deal. The Development Agreement is effective immediately and will expire Feb. 11, 2029.
The agreement serves as the new contract for developmental workshops of new plays and musicals produced by members of the Broadway League. The contract offers compensation to actors during the workshop as well as profit-sharing later on if and when a subsequent full-scale production becomes profitable. The Development Agreement guarantees a cumulative pay increase of more than 8% for AEA members, and also offers increased pre-production time for stage managers, as well as the establishment of a joint working group between AEA and producers to create a new audition access program.
The deal marks the end of AEA’s eight-month strike against the League, the Broadway industry’s national trade association whose membership extends to over 800 producers, general managers, theater owners and more. The former development contract expired in February 2024 amid negotiations that began in January; the labor union warned of a potential strike in April and went into effect in June. The strike put a stop to any new developmental workshops (previously authorized workshops were allowed to continue).
“Today is a day to celebrate the hard work of Equity’s team in getting us back into the rehearsal halls and making some magic,” said Stephen Bogardus, chair of AEA’s negotiating team, in a statement. “The talent and commitment our members bring to their work is vital in transporting what's on paper to the stage, and development work sessions are a crucial step in that process. I know our members are looking forward to digging into the work we love doing while being more fairly compensated for that labor.”
“We are pleased that we were able to reach an agreement with Actors’ Equity on the Development Agreement that recognizes the unique role development projects have in bringing Broadway shows to life,” a spokesperson for the League told Broadway News. “The League thanks the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service for its work during the negotiations.”
Created in 2019, the Development Agreement replaces the now-obsolete Lab, Workshop and Stage Reading Agreements.
