Showing posts with label union. Show all posts
Showing posts with label union. Show all posts

Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival

Jens is excited to again join forces with director Drew Fracher, with whom he's done two award winning
productions (Skin Tight and Gruesome Playground Injuries.) Together with an outstanding cast that includes Giles Davies, Grant GoodmanShanara Gabrielle, Wendy Robie, and Joneal Joplin he will be appearing in the Notre Dame Shakespeare Festival's production of The Winter's Tale.


The End of "Starving" Artists: Jens Rasmussen's Story

Part  of the AEA Narrative Project on Equity's Centennial
In Wisconsin, where I grew up and started my career, the first Equity Actors I was exposed to were members of the Milwaukee Rep and American Players Theatre. These are still some of the finest practitioners of our craft that I have ever witnessed. In addition to brilliant imaginations and incredible technique, they had something that amazed me almost more - they had middle class lifestyles. They owned houses, grew gardens, raised kids. In short, they were artists with a dignified existence. That's all I wanted: To practice this incredible art form of collaborative story-telling to the best of my ability, and to be able to make enough money to have a decent life.
I spent years, first as an apprentice, and then as a non-Equity Actor at companies in the Midwest. I was hungry to absorb all I could by watching and learning from these seasoned Actors. This education has served me well and I've been lucky to continue to be able practice my craft with other talented and passionate artists. But the other part of my dream wouldn't be possible without our Union. 
When I eventually joined Actors' Equity, it meant that I finally had the hope of having that middle-class lifestyle with health insurance and a pension. That modest, yet dignified existence, I had dreamed of since I was a young Actor.
Happy 100th Actors Equity! I owe much to you and all the Union brothers and sisters that have come before and those that keep her strong today.