Date: Fri, 30 Aug 2002 09:46:53 -0400
From: Susan Wall Kronenberg <susan-AT-carouselpuppets.com>
Subject: Re: PUPT: re:  Performers wanted


Boy, do I agree with you!  I hadn't been paid that low a salary since my 
early performing days at Nicolo Marionettes in the late 1970's!   I believe 
at the time they, at least, were basing our wage on what Equity was paying 
for children's performers.

As you know, puppeteering is hard work!  How dare anyone offer such a 
paltry amount for a skilled performer.  It cheapens the art as well as the 
performer.

Susan Wall
CAROUSEL PUPPETS



>After reading the previous post, I decided to check out the job available 
>(you
>never know, I might need a job) and found the following description:
>
>Position:  Traveling Puppetry Instructor / Puppeteer
>Hours:     6-7 hours per day / 5 days per week.
>Pay:  Base pay is $150 per week plus all food, lodging, and travel 
>expenses paid.
>
>
>Now, at the minimum hours per week that comes to $5.00 per hour.   Apart 
>from the
>dubious legality of this (I believe minimum wage is $5.50 per hour), do we 
>really
>believe that puppeteers should be paid less than teenagers slinging fries at
>McDonald^s?
>
>One of the problems with puppetry is that there are too many companies 
>treating
>their puppeteers as a line item in the budget.  Asking ^How little can I 
>pay my
>puppeteers?^ as opposed to ^How much can I or should I pay my puppeteers?^
>Before we start trying to figure out how to get everybody else to respect 
>our art
>form, maybe we should give it a little respect ourselves.
>
>Preston
>
>
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