DEAR DG – NO MORE 10 out of 12s

Open Letter to The Dramatists Guild

Recently, members of The Dramatists Guild called upon their leadership to make a public statement in support of ending 10 out of 12 technical rehearsals and six day workweeks. In response, their leadership issued a series of questions to their membership as a starting point for discussion on future steps. In order to clear up any confusion, NO MORE 10 Out Of 12s has provided answers for these questions based on our experience and research. We welcome any opportunity to interface further with The Dramatists Guild’s membership as well as their leadership, as we believe honest conversations about our work environment are the only path towards making our theatre community more inclusive and sustainable. As a working group dedicated to being a resource for creating lasting change, NM10/12s is always available for further information and clarification, as needed.

The work of a dramatist transcends hourly limitations, which is why dramatists can sometimes appear to be outliers in the 10 out of 12 model. That said, if the goal of this initiative is to create more sustainable, humane conditions, with a better work/life balance for all, does that mean dramatists would be more fairly compensated for their labor and time spent both in rehearsals and doing around-the-clock rewrites to get the show ready for opening night?

NM10/12s believes that all theatre artists should be justly compensated for their work, period. If dramatists believe that they are undercompensated, we support a review and, if necessary, a revision of their working terms. However, it is worth noting that actors, designers, stage managers, directors and technical crew have their hours set by the producing organization of every show. As far as we understand it, playwrights are not contractually required to be present for every hour of every tech rehearsal. As a result, their compensation is based on royalties of the show’s performance, and not necessarily on their hours. Therefore, the attempt to draw a comparison of their hours and those of other theatre workers is not a direct correlation.

One of the larger goals of NM10/12s is to do away with the one-size-fits-all of scheduling, compensation, and working conditions. NM10/12s seeks to not only abolish inhumane rehearsal hours, but also to ask producers and employers to reconsider their rehearsal, tech, and performance schedules holistically. NM10/12s asks the question: when do we each have time to not be an employee? Are we each being compensated appropriately for the labor that we are completing when we are an employee? We salute the DG for beginning this conversation, and would like to extend it further to all theatre artists.

What other steps can theatre companies take to allow for a better work/life balance, and how would those steps include dramatists?

We are extremely excited to see that the DG is interested in learning more about how to support initiatives for greater equity for artists working in theatre. It is our belief that theatre artists should be pushing for better industry-standards across the board as they affect ALL artists, including dramatists. We believe our work to be a collective action in service of all in our community. In addition to our work at NM10/12s, we encourage everyone to please learn more about other groups working for change in our industry including We See You White American Theatre, Broadway Advocacy Coalition, Parent Artist Advocacy League, Broadway For Racial Justice, Design Action, On Our Team, Lift The Curtain, Costume Professionals For Wage Equity, Fair Wage Onstage, among many others.

If the rehearsal period will contain the same number of hours stretched over more weeks, will this result in shorter runs and/or fewer productions per season? And will that, in turn, reduce the compensation and production opportunities for dramatists? And if this spread-out rehearsal schedule increases production costs while generating less revenue, how can theatres remain financially secure, particularly since we are still in a pandemic and live theatre is only just reopening for much of the country?

We have some excellent news! A longer rehearsal schedule does not necessarily increase production costs nor does it necessarily generate less revenue. We encourage you to reach out to the over 125 producing organizations that have already made this commitment to change to learn directly from them on how their producing experiences have been. You can find them here: https://nomore10outof12s.com/solutions/

However, we want to stress that the answer will be different for every theater, and that is precisely why we are not advocating for a one-size-all approach to solving these issues. Each producer and employer will need to consider their own circumstances, schedule, and type of work they want to produce. However, we can definitely state that 10/12s are dangerous, unhealthy, and completely unnecessary to the process of producing theater.

With longer show schedules, it is potentially possible that theatres will produce 1 less show in a season, for example. In terms of whether that will reduce the compensation or opportunities for playwrights: one might point out that if a majority of theatre artists believe that the current work schedule is unsustainable and inequitable, is it worth it then to continue to maintain those schedules only for the sake of greater compensation of dramatists? Is the DG’s position that theatres should produce as many plays as possible and work as many hours as possible, regardless of any health or safety concerns? As we are in a time of evaluation and change, why not advocate for change that is beneficial to all? Why not advocate for better working conditions for all? Why not advocate for better compensation and more inclusive hiring practices for all? Why not help each other succeed and thrive in an industry that has not been healthy for a long time?

If shows will simply have less rehearsal time overall, how will dramatists be impacted by having less time to develop their work before audiences (and critics) show up?

Our goal is not to reduce the number of rehearsal hours but instead to spread the same number of hours over the course of more weeks, allowing for two days of rest each week. More rest and time away from the work of the rehearsal room will create more opportunities for dramatists to reflect on their work and time to write in a humane way, instead of trying to cram rewrites into an overnight period with the expectation that they are edited/formatted, distributed, and memorized for the following day. This actually creates MORE time for the work to be developed rather than less, which is a distinct advantage for the dramatist.

Further, anyone who has sat in the last two hours of a 10/12 rehearsal knows, more often than not, that those hours are oftentimes WORSE than useless. Actors, stage managers, designers, directors and technicians are exhausted, mistake-prone, and creatively drained. Those same artists then go home, get inadequate rest, and start the process over with a less-than-full tank. Eliminating 10/12s increases productivity, creativity and gives dramatists a room of artistic collaborators who are better equipped to do their best work. Would two days without rehearsals be more beneficial to dramatists that are working on rewrites? Would having two additional hours back on a tech rehearsal day be beneficial to the work of dramatists?

How will this shorter rehearsal period affect the show’s critical reputation and future licensing opportunities?

Great news! With hours merely reallocated and not cut, theatres will work on the play for the exact same amount of time, while maintaining a more sustainable schedule. The critical reputation and licensing opportunities of a play will not be affected by these changes. Plus, the dramatist will be able to work with creative teams that are alert, well rested, creatively refreshed, and capable of doing their best work to help develop and produce the play. We believe that this definitely serves the best interests of the dramatists, as well as those who creatively support their work.

Would eight-hour days and five-day work weeks apply only to the rehearsal and tech/preview periods, or would this new model be implemented for performance weeks as well? If producers reduce the number of performances per week, will the compensation paid to all those working on the show be proportionately reduced?

Producers already have a variety of performance schedules and NM10/12s is not advocating for a universal approach to solving this problem. We believe that each institution and producer should look at their own circumstances and craft a schedule that makes sense for the artists and technicians, the play, and the institution. As of now, many institutions have chosen to start with making changes to rehearsal and tech weeks, while setting goals for performance weeks in the future. Perhaps The DG could collaborate with these producers as part of setting those schedules as well.

What would success look like for a theatre that eliminates 10 out of 12s? Who defines success in this instance? For example, regional theatres might have multiple periods of technical rehearsals for different shows, while some Broadway shows could have one extended period of technical rehearsals and previews that goes on for months.

As far as we know, none of these “examples” have taken place in reality as of yet, although numerous Broadway shows (including Slave Play, Pass Over, and every returning Broadway show from 2020) and regional theatres (such as The Alley Theatre, Baltimore Center Stage, The Old Globe, among many others) have already made and operated under these schedule changes. If the DG wishes to cite their real-world evidence of these types of situations where technical rehearsals became unwieldy and previews went on for months, we’d love to learn more about them.

The goal of NO MORE 10 Out Of 12s is to make a more sustainable and inclusive work environment for future generations of theatre makers through a more humane work schedule. That might sound like a lofty goal, so let’s break this down to what that looks like on a daily basis.

When people are more rested, the scientific data shows that there is a greatly reduced chance of accidents in the space, unsafe conditions from commuting home late at night, a hostile work environment, short and long term health conditions (such as increased anxiety and a greater chance for a decline in physical and mental health), a barrier to entry into the field for those who do not have the societal resources to work these long hours, and much, much more. This same data shows that when people are more rested, they are much more productive in their work environment, they are more aware of others and how their behavior might affect them, they place greater emphasis on family care, prioritization of physical and mental health, and are much more likely to achieve a work-life balance that will create greater employee satisfaction and loyalty to their employer.

This is what success looks like to us, and we certainly hope that it’s what it looks like to the DG as well.

How are theatres of all kinds finding ways to uphold their commitment to eliminating 10 out of 12s from their productions’ rehearsal processes?

There’s no better way to answer this question than to ask those theatres directly. You can find them here: https://nomore10outof12s.com/solutions/

After considering the possible responses to these questions, what best practices, if any, could or should the Guild recommend to its members in regard to 10 out of 12s and six-day work weeks?

Use NM10/12s as the beginning of a conversation about what your work process looks like. How can your work environment and schedule be more sustainable, safe, inclusive, and humane? During contract negotiations, ask the company/producer if they are eliminating these practices. If they are, celebrate that! Follow up after opening, after closing, in the following season with the artists and staff you have worked with to see how they were positively affected by those ongoing practices and how you can continue to contribute to their growth! If the company is instead choosing to continue these abusive labor practices, emphasize the importance these changes will have industry wide for current and future theatre makers. Talking points for this conversation can be found throughout this letter and we are available to consult as needed.

While the Guild is not a labor union, the DG could offer profound support and solidarity to the creative teams that bring their productions to life by advocating for the elimination of 10/12s. 10/12s are harmful, abusive, and counterproductive to the theatre making process. Ask anyone who is currently working under these changed conditions and ask them if they regret it. We talk to them every day and we know for a fact that they do not. While we agree that the five day workweek seems like a more daunting problem to solve, we encourage the DG to ask its producing and employer partners to thoroughly examine their rehearsal and scheduling processes to ensure equitable, safe, and restful productions for all.

We hope that the members of The Dramatists Guild will encourage their leadership to publicly support these ideas and make a stand in the name of all theatre workers (including dramatists!) who want a more inclusive and sustainable work environment. If you have read this letter and feel this way, we encourage you to share this letter with others to encourage more conversation. We are always available to answer any other questions that may arise about these ideas, and we look forward to partnering with you on this endeavor.

Thank you for your attention and consideration.

Sincerely,

The NO MORE 10 Out Of 12s working group