| Yes, unfortunately that's true. I'm sure that salaries vary, but an Equity theater that hires non-Equity actors for a whole season will typically pay about $150 plus room & board. In addition, actors can compile Equity points. A non-Equity theater that only hires non-Equity actors might pay a larger salary (maybe around $300/week) plus room & board, but no Equity points.
I know of a number of theaters that fall into the above salary ranges. Obviously, with the hundreds of theaters across the country, salary and living conditions may vary considerably. |