David Hardin Beaird (August 19, 1952 – February 6, 2019) was an American film and stage director, screenwriter, and playwright. He was born in Shreveport, Louisiana .
35-636: In 1973, he was recipient of the Joseph Jefferson Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role for his performance in the play The Hot l Baltimore at the Ivanhoe Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. In 1974 he founded the Wisdom Bridge Theatre which flourished after Robert Falls took the director's post in 1977. The theatre's name was inspired by a painting whose subtitle read: "The bridge to wisdom
70-481: A secret ballot . In 2018, the committee merged the actor and actress performance categories, eliminating gender from consideration. Two awards are now awarded from each of the new performance categories, ensemble awards remain singular: Performance categories Show and technical categories Special categories Former Performance categories Show and technical categories Special categories Originally chartered to recognize only Equity productions,
105-630: A Play Actors%27 Equity Association The Actors' Equity Association ( AEA ), commonly called Actors' Equity or simply Equity , is an American labor union representing those who work in live theatrical performance. Performers appearing in live stage productions without a book or through-storyline ( vaudeville , cabarets , circuses ) may be represented by the American Guild of Variety Artists (AGVA). The AEA works to negotiate quality living conditions, livable wages, and benefits for performers and stage managers. A theater or production that
140-482: A Revue, and Cameo Performance, as well as Ensemble, Choreography, Scenic Design, Lighting Design, Costume Design, Original Music, Musical Direction, Sound Design, New Work and Adaptation. Two general types of awards are given in each category: "Jeff Awards" are for work done under an Actors' Equity Association contract, while "Non-Equity Jeff Awards" are for non-union work. On occasion, special awards are given for achievements, accomplishments, or services in other areas of
175-572: A luncheon at the Ivanhoe Theatre and went on to become the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee under the first Chairmanship of Henry G. Plitt. Among the original members were three theatre supporters who would be active Jeff members two decades later—Morton Ries, Judith Sagan and Joseph Wolfson. The charter of the Jeff Committee today continues to honor excellence in the Chicago theatre community. The first annual Jeff Awards ceremony
210-506: A major role in the recognition of the impact the AIDS epidemic on the world of theater, co-founding Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS . In 2021, Actor's Equity introduced an "Open Access" membership policy, whereby "any theatre worker who can demonstrate they have worked professionally as an actor or stage manager within Equity's geographical jurisdiction" may join the union. This opened eligibility to
245-568: A member of one of Equity's sister performing arts unions, the "Four A's": SAG-AFTRA , AGMA , AGVA or GIAA . Such applicants must have been a member of said sister union for at least one year, be a member in good standing of that union, have worked as a performer under the union's jurisdiction on a principal or "under-five" contract or at least three days of extra ("background") work, and must have completed non-union theatrical work. The AEA has several different types of contract, with different rules associated with them. Each contract type deals with
280-623: A more organized equality strike. Starting on June 5, 1929, Gillmore attended several meetings in New York with the heads of Broadway. After the meeting, he notified the AEA that appearances in sound and talking motion pictures had been suspended until the outcome of the meetings with the international Studio Crafts Union. Due to the negotiations and the suspension of contracts through the AEA, studios were desperate for actors to speed up production, which had dropped significantly. The New York Times wrote, "It
315-407: A more outspoken criticism of the awards, Time Out Chicago has publishes a "They Wuz Robbed" feature for both the non-Equity and Equity nominations. Source: Joseph Jefferson Award for an Outstanding Actor in a Principal Role in a Musical Joseph Jefferson Award for an Outstanding Actor in a Principal Role in a Play Joseph Jefferson Award for an Outstanding Performer in a Principal Role in
350-453: A specific type of theater venue or production type. These include, but are not limited to: Council of Resident Stock Theatres (CORST), Guest Artist, Letters of Agreement (LoA), League of Resident Theatres (LoRT) Small Professional Theatres (SPT), and Theatre for Young Audiences (TYA). AEA actors and stage managers are not allowed to work in non-Equity houses or on any productions in which an Equity Agreement has not been signed anywhere within
385-443: A studio would put out worldwide. On July 20, 1929, the AEA gained its first victory, which gave producers and actors a leg to stand on in their battle for equality. Over 30 days (up to August 20, 1929), Gillmore fought to give the AEA the ability to represent all actors, producers, radio personality, vaudeville performers, and agents in the country. This would also give all power and representation to one organization in order to create
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#1733111567871420-462: Is not produced and performed by AEA members may be called "non-Equity". Leading up to the Actors' and Producers' strike of 1929, Hollywood and California in general had a series of workers' equality battles that directly influenced the film industry. The films The Passaic Textile Strike (1926), The Miners' Strike (1928) and The Gastonia Textile Strike (1929) gave audience and producers insight into
455-457: Is the continual asking of questions." Beaird's first feature film Octavia (1982) was about a blind woman who is raped by a motorcycle gang. His next film The Party Animal , a comedy, was released in 1984. In 1986, he came to wider prominence with the comedy My Chauffeur starring Deborah Foreman . In 1987, he shot the comedy Pass the Ammo and It Takes Two a year later. Beaird founded
490-515: The Hollywood blacklist , the AEA refused to participate. Although its constitution guaranteed its members the right to refuse to work alongside Communists , or a member of a Communist front organization, the AEA did not ban any members. At a 1997 ceremony commemorating the blacklist's 50th anniversary, Richard Masur , then president of the Screen Actors Guild, apologized for its participation in
525-810: The West End Theatre . The play was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play. It was the last play at the Circle Repertory Theatre in New York City before it was closed in 1996. Eddie Izzard , Leland Crooke, Jon Cryer , and Douglas Henshall performed in the play. Beaird married actress Shevonne Durkin in 2001. Beaird's final film, released in 2005, was The Civilization of Maxwell Bright , starring Patrick Warburton , Marie Matiko , Jennifer Tilly , Eric Roberts , and Simon Callow . The film's subject, according to Beaird,
560-612: The 13-part television series Key West in which an Ohio factory worker played by Fisher Stevens wins the lottery and goes to live the writer's life in Florida, with Hemingway as his inspiration. In 1994, Beaird brought 900 Oneonta , a black comedy about a dysfunctional family, to the stage. It had its premiere at the Lyric Hammersmith in London. It later was staged in the Old Vic and then at
595-750: The Actors Equity Association, with more than 111 actors and Francis Wilson as its founding board president. At a meeting held at the Pabst Grand Circle Hotel in New York City, on May 26, 1913, Actors' Equity was founded by 112 professional theater actors, who established its constitution and elected Francis Wilson as president. Leading up to the association's establishment, a handful of influential actors—known as The Players—held secret organizational meetings at Edwin Booth's The Players at its Gramercy Park mansion. A bronze plaque commemorates
630-780: The Jeff Awards established the Non-Equity Wing in 1973 to reward achievement in non-union theatre. The Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee evolved in response to a search by Chicago actors for a way to honor local theatre talent. In 1968, the Midwest Advisory Committee of Actors' Equity appointed member Felix Shuman to find a means of gaining recognition for actors working in the city. Joined by actors Guy Barile, Aviva Crane and June Travis Friedlob, Shuman identified and recruited twenty-four individuals active in education, business and social affairs. These individuals originally met for
665-543: The Whitefire Theatre in Sherman Oaks, California, and he staged a successful play titled Scorchers , a play he had written about a Cajun wedding night in the bayou. The play ran for at least two years and won several awards. In 1991, he adapted the play into the movie Scorchers , with Faye Dunaway , James Earl Jones , Emily Lloyd , Jennifer Tilly , and Leland Crooke in the leading roles. In 1992, Beaird created
700-426: The awards are named in tribute to actor Joseph Jefferson , a 19th-century American theater star who, as a child, was a player in Chicago's first theater company. Two types of awards are given: "Equity" (annual judging season August 1 to July 31) for work done under an Actors' Equity Association contract, and "Non-Equity" (annual judging season April 1 to March 31) for non-union work. Award recipients are determined by
735-550: The ban, saying: "Only our sister union, Actors' Equity Association, had the courage to stand behind its members and help them continue their creative lives in the theater. For that, we honor Actors' Equity tonight." In the 1960s, the AEA played a role in gaining public funding for the arts, including the founding of the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The AEA fought the destruction of historic Broadway theaters . It played
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#1733111567871770-513: The committee. Each year at the request of the theaters, the members of Jeff Committee see the Jeff-eligible, locally produced shows. They nominate and eventually select recipients "for outstanding achievement" in the following categories: Production, Director, Actor and Actress in a Principal Role, Actor and Actress in a Supporting Role, in the two categories of Plays and Musicals. Awards are also given for Production, Direction, Actor and Actress in
805-532: The effect and accomplishments of labor unions and striking. These films were set apart by being current documentaries, not merely melodramas produced for glamor. In 1896, the first Actors Union Charter was recognized by the American Federation of Labor as an attempt to create a minimum wage for actors being exploited. It was not until January 13, 1913, that the Union Charter failed. It later reemerged as
840-411: The following fall. Currently these awards are given at a separate Non-Equity Wing Awards Night each spring. The current Joseph Jefferson Committee consists of up to 55 members who come to the committee with an academic background in theatre, significant professional experience, a history of theatre involvement, and/or years of consistent theatre attendance in Chicago and in other major theatre capitals of
875-469: The loss of their jobs. The theater strikes combined with freelance contracts fueled the need for actors and stagehands to strike for better working conditions and pay. Frank Gillmore , the head and treasurer of the Actor's Equity Association, understood that he would need multiple unions across the country to make a change not only in proper representation and pay, but in actors' ability to negotiate any contract
910-488: The movie stage under better conditions, but this was the least of its problems. In late December, groups of theater owners and non-represented producers filed lawsuits to claim damages from the AEA's contract holdout. "The plaintiffs not only seek a temporary injunction against the defendants, pending trial on an order to show cause why a permanent injunction should not be granted, but also ask damages of $ 100,000." The AEA allowed small numbers of contracts to be negotiated over
945-557: The next few years. In 1933, the Screen Actors Guild was created and took the AEA's place as the main representative for movie actors and producers. This allowed the AEA to focus on live productions, such as theatrical performances, while the Screen Actors Guild focused on movie production and non-scripted live performances, such as minstrel, vaudeville, and live radio shows. In the 1940s, the AEA stood against segregation . When actors were losing jobs through 1950s McCarthyism and
980-704: The room in which The Players met to establish Actors' Equity. Members included Frank Gillmore , who from was the executive secretary of Actors' Equity from 1918 to 1929 and president from 1929 to 1937. Actors' Equity joined the American Federation of Labor in 1919, and called a strike seeking recognition as a labor union. The strike ended the dominance of the Producing Managers' Association , including theater owners and producers like Abe Erlanger and his partner, Mark Klaw . The strike increased membership from under 3,000 to approximately 14,000. The Chorus Equity Association , which merged with Actors' Equity in 1955,
1015-537: The theatre. Award recipients are determined by secret ballot. The Equity Awards are available to theater companies within 45 miles of the intersection of State and Madison streets. The Non-Equity Awards are available only to companies within the city limits of Chicago. The Jeff Awards and Committee have been criticized by Chicago theater professionals, specifically those in the non-Equity sector, for not recognizing critically acclaimed productions and seeming to not be willing to reward daring works in Chicago theater. In
1050-505: The union to theatre workers who had not previously worked for Equity employers. Theatre workers need to provide a copy of their contract and proof of pay. This policy was made permanent in 2023, superseding previous methods for earning eligibility to join Equity such as the Equity Membership Candidate (EMC) program. Asides from Open Access, theatre workers may join Equity by being employed under an Equity contract, or by being
1085-418: The world. A volunteer, non-profit organization, The Jeff Committee does not have specific terms for its members. However, members must meet specific judging standards and can vote on the final ballot each season only if they have met their responsibilities for that complete year. While many of the judges have retained long-standing membership histories, a few rotate off each year as new members are invited to join
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1120-768: Was "how one person pulls the other out of hell." The film won awards at the Beverly Hills Film Festival , the WorldFest Houston and the Florida Film Festival in 2005. Beaird died on February 6, 2019, in Tarzana, California. Joseph Jefferson Awards The Joseph Jefferson Award , more commonly known informally as the Jeff Award , is given for theatre arts produced in the Chicago area. Founded in 1968,
1155-586: Was founded during the strike. Equity represented directors and choreographers until 1959, when they broke away and formed their own union . The Actors Equality Strike was a series of walkouts that started in 1927 in local theaters in Los Angeles and quickly grew to the motion picture stage. During the nationwide walkouts, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences started issuing contracts to freelance film actors, which led Hollywood's actors and actresses to fear
1190-706: Was held in the Guildhall of the Ambassador West Hotel on October 6, 1969. It was attended by 175 people. Six awards were bestowed on the productions of seven theatres. In 1973 the Awards night was first telecast by CBS. During that same year, the Jeff Committee extended its coverage and recognition to include the productions of non-Equity theatres through the creation of a Non-Equity Wing of the Joseph Jefferson Awards Committee. Only five non-Equity theatres had productions judged in that first season, and three awards were presented
1225-462: Was pointed out that while the Equality regulations were in effect, about 2000 motion picture contracts, involving salaries said to amount to $ 500,000 were offered to actors in New York." Any actor who entered into a contract not approved by the AEA would be banished from the union and have to reapply for admission after negotiations were finished. By December 1929, the AEA was negotiating terms to reset
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