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Part 68

The Art of Stage Dancing · Ned Wayburn — chapter 68 of 76 · ~1,145 words · public domain

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12. Ten days' rehearsals means ten consecutive calendar days, counting Sunday (when Sunday is used for rehearsals) and said ten days terminate with the dismissal of rehearsal on the tenth day, as herein reckoned.

13. If the Chorus is not allowed or required to work out any notice of dismissal properly given under his contract the amount to which he is entitled shall be paid forthwith upon the giving of the notice.

14. The right of the Manager to close a play and company without a week's notice within four weeks after the opening date does not apply to the second or subsequent season thereof.

15. Notices of termination or closing given at or before the end of the performance on Monday night, effective at the end of the Saturday night following, shall be deemed one week's notice; and such notice effective at the end of Saturday week following shall be deemed two weeks' notice.

16. The essence of this contract is continuous employment and a play once closed shall not be re-opened during the same season within eight weeks of the date of previous closing, without the consent of the Chorus Equity Association. Such consent, if given, shall be upon such terms and conditions as may be considered just and equitable by such Association.

17. Except in a case of notice given on Monday as otherwise provided in these rules, a week's notice shall be seven calendar days and two weeks' notice fourteen calendar days.

18. The Chorus shall be responsible for transporting his own baggage to and from the station or theatre in New York City. The Manager will pay the cost of or reimburse the Chorus for such transportation anywhere on Manhattan Island.

19. Should the Citizens' Jury provided for in New York decide adversely to the continuance of a production because salacious or against public morals, the Chorus shall forthwith terminate his employment without notice, payment or penalty.

20. Should the production in which the Chorus is engaged be complained of as being in violation of any statute, ordinance or law of the United States, any state or municipality in any state and should a claim or charge be made against the Chorus on account of his being engaged in such a production, either civil or criminal, the Manager shall defend the Chorus at his own expense, or shall pay any and all reasonable charges laid out or incurred by the Chorus in his defense, and the Manager agrees to indemnify the Chorus against any loss or damage which he may suffer on account of being engaged in any such production.

This rule shall not apply to any case or any set of conditions where its enforcement would be illegal or against public policy.

21. The Manager shall have the right to lay off his company the week before Christmas and Holy Week without pay. Should such lay-off take place the Manager shall not during said lay-off period be entitled to the services of the company except for a run-through rehearsal on the day of re-opening, and except further that additional rehearsals may be allowed by the Chorus Equity Association in case of illness of the star or prominent member of the company or change of cast.

22. If in any production, the star or featured member of the cast shall be ill and a lay-off shall take place on that account, Chorus receiving less than $100 weekly (but no others) shall be paid by the Manager an amount equal to their board and lodging for the first week. If said lay-off continues beyond one week half salaries shall be paid to the entire company for each day the Chorus are retained up to and including two further weeks. From and after the beginning of the fourth week the Manager shall either pay full salaries to all members of the company or may abandon the production.

23. In case after the opening of the play and after at least two weeks' employment the Manager shall desire a lay-off for the purpose of re-writing or making changes in the cast or any other reason deemed sufficient by him, he may apply to the Chorus Equity Association for the right to do so, which right shall be granted if the Actors' Equity Association grants the same right, and shall be granted upon the terms and conditions that are acceptable to the Actors' Equity Association. But in any event if a change or changes in the cast is made the Chorus dismissed and not employed upon the renewed run of the play shall be paid at least one week's additional salary.

24. Musical comedies, revues or spectacular plays shall immediately after a New York run be allowed one day's lay-off without pay before the opening in either Boston or Chicago. This does not apply to premiers, i.e., original openings in those cities.

25. Should the Chorus deem that he has any claim against the Manager under his contract, he shall present the same to the Chorus Equity Association or to the Manager or both within two months after the time when such claim has arisen, unless he shall give to the Board of Arbitration good and sufficient reason for any delay after such period of two months.

26. Should either party give the other any notice under his contract which terminates the same at any future date and should the Chorus have or secure a new engagement he shall be permitted to attend the rehearsals under the new engagement as may be necessary and as do not conflict with his performance under his then existing contract.

27. The actual salary of the Chorus agreed upon shall be stated in the contract and a lesser or fictitious salary shall not be stated in the contract.

28. Unless special consent otherwise is given by the Manager, understudies shall be present at each performance.

29. "Tryouts" during May, June and July are permissible where the Manager agrees to pay and pays one week's salary for two weeks' rehearsals and an additional half week's salary for each additional week of rehearsal, one week's salary to be guaranteed. Payment for part of a week's rehearsal shall be pro-rata.

30. Sunday performances, referred to in the "Regulations," under Subdivision 4 of paragraph "H" are regular dramatic and musical productions and do not include vaudeville, recitals, concerts and the like.

31. Chorus Equity will raise no objection to the trying out of vaudeville acts in revues or similar type of productions for one performance, provided the act understands and is agreeable to this arrangement and provided, further, that this entails on the company no rehearsal.

* * * * *

FORM 2B

TO BE ISSUED ONLY TO C.E.A. MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING

CHORUS EQUITY MINIMUM CONTRACT

Standard Form Issued by the

Chorus Equity Association

(Affiliated with the American Federation of Labor)

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