Ep. 106: Bear Bellinger and Matt DaSilva Break Down the Actors Equity and Open Access Policy

Beltline to Broadway

When Actors Equity announced that its Open Access policy would take effect immediately last July, equity and non-equity workers on both sides of the issue took to social media to express their views. On one hand, according to Kate Shindle, the President of Actors Equity, this policy builds a union that uplifts the entire theatre community, especially those who have not felt included or welcome in the past. Critics, however, say that this new policy is bad news for an industry already hard hit by COVID and question the union’s motives. To help me understand Open Access better, I reached out to Actors Equity and was put in touch with two of its representatives, Bear Bellinger, one of the union’s Central Principal Counselors, and Matt DaSilva, a delegate to the Actors Equity Convention. Here is our conversation.