Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) has released its latest “Hiring Bias and Age Gap in Theatre” analysis. The fifth in a series, the report quantifies employment opportunities and average salaries for members of AEA, the national union representing over 51,000 actors and stage managers. This publication encompasses data from the calendar years 2022 and 2023 (not the typical June-to-May Broadway season) and focuses on six demographic identity points: race/ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, disability and veteran status.
Race/ethnicity
In 2022, 29.9% of all AEA contracts went to BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) members; in 2023 the figure was 30.3%. This is up from the 21.3% figure seen collectively from 2016 through 2019.
In 2023, the average weekly salary of a BIPOC stage manager was $1,104, compared to the overall average weekly salary for a stage manager of $1,052. In terms of performers, the average weekly salary in 2023 of a BIPOC principal actor in an Equity play was $870 (and $1,292 for a principal actor in a musical). The overall weekly salary for a principal actor in a play and musical was $865 and $1,279, respectively.
Gender
The percentage of contracts that went to individuals who identified as women (43.2%), men (44.4%), nonbinary and third gender (1.6%) in 2023 were slightly lower than the figures seen in 2016-2019 (45%, 51.4% and 2%, respectively). However, there was a significant increase in the percentage of contracts that went to individuals who opted not to select a gender identification (10% in 2023, up from 1.4% in 2016-2019).
In terms of salary, the average weekly salary for women in principal play roles ($845) and principal musical roles ($1,263) was slightly lower that the average weekly salary for men in principal play roles ($878) and principal musical roles ($1,351); however the average weekly salary for individuals who identified as non-binary or this gender was lower for both plays ($766) and musicals ($983). The average weekly chorus contract salary for women ($1,426) was higher than both men ($1,408) and non-binary individuals ($1,273).
Age
The percentage of AEA contracts that went to members in the 45-64 age range increased from 9.5% in 2016-2019 to 15.9% in 2023, the largest of any age bracket.
Sexual Orientation
The amount of contracts that went to LGBQ+ members (the “T” is purposely accounted for in the report’s section on gender to reflect the nuance of “T” in LGBTQ+) in 2023 (14.4%) was more than double that in 2016-2019 (5.9%). However, for this section, 59.8% members did not provide this demographic information.
Disability
The report’s findings note that 2.1% of all contracts offered in 2023 went to an AEA member with a disability (up from 1% in 2016-2019) and 38.7% went to an AEA member who indicated that had no disability (up from 19.6%) in 2016-2019). It is important to note that significantly more members did not provide this information in 2016-2019 (78.8%) compared to 2023 (57.9%).
Veteran status
The percentage of contracts that went to veterans in 2023 (0.5%) was nearly identical to the figure noted in 2016-2019 (0.3%). However, the percentage of contracts that went to non-veteran members nearly doubled in 2023 (40.8%, up from 20.5%); as was the case with disability, far more individuals did not provide this information in 2016-2019 (79.2%) compared to 2023 (58.4%).
AEA hopes this report will continue to lead to more equitable hiring practices in the industry.
“Change doesn’t happen organically,” said AEA president Brooke Shields in a statement. “The whole reason Equity began sharing this data was to bring awareness of existing disparities to the people who make decisions about what shows to stage, who to hire for them and how much to pay those workers.”
“It’s now more important than ever that we take care to ensure our own workplaces can live up to the actual ideals of diversity, equity and inclusion,” added Al Vincent Jr., executive director of AEA. “I hope this report can support all of us in the theatre industry in doing just that.”
The full report, which was written by AEA’s director of diversity and inclusion Danee Conley, can be found here. The data for the report was compiled by Russell Lehrer, while Elizabeth Mason and David Levy provided additional contributions.
