The American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO (AGMA) and Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) have entered into a new reciprocal agreement, the two organizations announced Thursday.
The unions, which previously collaborated on the “Return to Stage and Performing Arts Playbook” to determine best safety practices throughout the pandemic, will offer a 50% discount on initiation fees if members of one choose to join the other. New members will still need to meet that union’s rules and policies in order to successfully become admitted as a member.
AGMA represents musicians and performers, while SDC’s membership includes a roster of directors and choreographers.
Robert O’Hara, who directed “Slave Play” on Broadway in 2019 and its return engagement this season, will be the first artist to leverage the reciprocal agreement.
“AGMA and SDC have been working together for quite some time,” said Sam Wheeler, National Executive Director of AGMA in a statement. “AGMA and SDC share members, workplaces, and a vital interest in the arts in the United States. This agreement expands our partnership and provides direct benefits of AGMA and SDC’s collaboration to our members. We are so excited to see where this dynamic partnership takes us next.”
“We are delighted to extend our partnership with AGMA and support the members of both unions,” said Laura Penn, Executive Director of SDC in the press release. “There are currently 40 individuals who are members of both AGMA and SDC. But there are many other SDC Members who work in opera, and hundreds of AGMA members who identify as directors and choreographers. This agreement will help facilitate their movement between opera and theatre jurisdictions, and support directors and choreographers as they explore new artistic opportunities.”
