HERE’S the story, of a scab named Brady.That’s the line coming out of Actors Equity about former “Brady Bunch” star Barry Williams, who yesterday was fined $50,000 by the union for appearing in a non-Equity tour of “The Sound of Music.”
The fine is believed to be the largest ever leveled at a performer, and is meant as a warning to other Equity members that the union will no longer tolerate their participation in non-Equity shows.
“We think Williams, for his own benefit, has turned his back on what the union stands for and what the union has accomplished,” Alan Eisenberg, Equity’s executive director, told The Post yesterday. “It is heinous.”
Calling himself a “pawn” in a larger battle between Equity and the producers of non-union tours, Williams responded: “Mr. Eisenberg has very colorful language, but I am disappointed he has taken that view. I am not anti-union and I am certainly not trying to bust the union’s goals. Equity is involved in a complex dialogue with the producers of [non-union] shows and I am being leveraged for that purpose, in an unfair manner.”
Eisenberg denied Williams was being singled out because of his celebrity.
“We intend to do this to any member who takes part in a non-union production, regardless of whether they are famous or not,” he said.
The dispute between Equity and Williams has been simmering since the summer, when the actor signed on to play Captain Von Trapp in “The Sound of Music” tour for Troika Productions.
Troika specializes in producing shows whose casts are made up of non-union performers. The actors are paid about $400 a week, a far cry from the $1,200 a week minimum salary for an Equity member.
Williams is said to be earning $15,000 a week in the show.
Officially, union members are barred from taking part in non-union productions, though in fact Equity has long turned a blind eye to the issue, since acting jobs, union or not, are difficult to come by.
The union is putting its foot down now for two reasons: One, non-union tours are becoming more prevalent (a non-Equity “Cats” tour will be launched this summer); and, two, producers are starting to recruit name talents (that is, TV actors from beloved, if cheesy, old sitcoms) as a way of boosting the box office.
“Laverne and Shirley” stars Cindy Williams and Eddie Mekka are also facing the wrath of Equity for appearing in a non-union tour of “Grease.”
Barry Williams said he should not be subject to Equity’s fine because he resigned from the union before joining “The Sound of Music.”
But the union believes he can still be disciplined because he began negotiating for the job while he was still a member.
Williams says he will appeal the $50,000 fine.
“I look forward at some point to reaching an understanding with Equity,” he said.
*
“Passion Play” – Peter Nichols’ superb 1983 drama about adultry – is being revived at the Minetta Lane Theater in the spring. It will be directed by Elinor Renfield.
The play was revived last summer to great acclaim in London by the Donmar Warehouse. The Donmar was unable to move that production to New York, however, because Renfield held the North American rights. She also had raised $500,000 for a New York production.
She told The Post at the time: “I have nothing against the Donmar’s production. I just think mine will be better.”
We’ll soon see.