Is There a ‘Right Time’ to Join Equity?

Joining an acting union can be an exciting moment. The possibility of receiving benefits like higher pay, health insurance, a 401K, a pension and more is suddenly real.
But while there’s a lot to gain by joining a union, there’s also a lot to consider before making this financial and professional decision: Once you pay those initiation dues, you pledge to follow the rules, only accept union work, and uphold the rights and responsibilities expected in a professional performer.
Recently, Actors’ Equity announced a change in their Equity Membership Candidate Program, offering candidates the opportunity to join the union sooner (at 25 weeks instead of 50). While 25 weeks might be right for some actors, waiting it out to 50 weeks might be better for others—it’s really dependent on you and your specific career and lifestyle.
So let’s explore this decision. Here are some major things to consider before “taking your card.”
CreditsTake a good long look at your resume. Because Equity is the union for stage actors and stage managers, let’s specifically look at your theater credits.
Does your resume highlight a few dream roles that you were perfect for? Are there recent credits from

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Is There a ‘Right Time’ to Join Equity?

Joining an acting union can be an exciting moment. The possibility of receiving benefits like higher pay, health insurance, a 401K, a pension and more is suddenly real.
But while there’s a lot to gain by joining a union, there’s also a lot to consider before making this financial and professional decision: Once you pay those initiation dues, you pledge to follow the rules, only accept union work, and uphold the rights and responsibilities expected in a professional performer.
Recently, Actors’ Equity announced a change in their Equity Membership Candidate Program, offering candidates the opportunity to join the union sooner (at 25 weeks instead of 50). While 25 weeks might be right for some actors, waiting it out to 50 weeks might be better for others—it’s really dependent on you and your specific career and lifestyle.
So let’s explore this decision. Here are some major things to consider before “taking your card.”
CreditsTake a good long look at your resume. Because Equity is the union for stage actors and stage managers, let’s specifically look at your theater credits.
Does your resume highlight a few dream roles that you were perfect for? Are there recent credits from

Go to Source