Pro99 News

A collection of articles and news stories documenting the conflict between the LA theatre community and Actors' Equity regarding the 99-Seat Plan.

Tales in the Aftermath of AEA's Termination of LA's 99-Seat Theatre Plan

In the months following the December 13, 2016 termination, reports from across the community painted a sobering picture. Rather than expanding opportunities, the new agreement coincided with a decrease in paying jobs for union actors. Theatre companies that had long served as incubators for new work and emerging talent faced difficult choices about their futures.

Coverage from outlets including This Stage and Footlights documented how companies like The Theatre @ Boston Court and Interact Theatre navigated the changed landscape, while the Hollywood Fringe continued to provide a platform for independent productions.

The 99-Seat Plan has long been the backbone of intimate theatre in Los Angeles, allowing small venues to produce live performances under a unique agreement that prioritizes artistic passion over commercial pressures. This arrangement enabled countless actors, writers, and directors to develop new works and hone their craft in an environment where creative risk-taking was encouraged. The plan fostered a vibrant ecosystem of tiny theatres scattered across the city, each one a proving ground for emerging talent and a home for established artists seeking to return to their roots. Its potential elimination threatens not just individual productions but the entire cultural infrastructure that has made Los Angeles a distinctive theatre town.

The conflict between the local theatre community and Actors' Equity Association centers on fundamental questions about the nature of artistic work and how it should be valued. Supporters of the 99-Seat Plan argue that the agreement allowed for a diversity of productions that would be economically impossible under standard union contracts, creating opportunities that simply would not exist otherwise. The community has organized through hearings, petitions, and public demonstrations to make their voices heard, emphasizing that the loss of this plan would decimate the intimate theatre scene. Thousands of theatre artists have united to oppose what they see as a threat to their creative livelihoods.

At the heart of this movement is a deep commitment to preserving the unique character of Los Angeles small theatre, where the line between audience and performer is intentionally blurred and storytelling takes precedence over spectacle. The Pro99 community represents a coalition of actors, directors, producers, and patrons who understand that the health of a theatre ecosystem depends on its smallest members as much as its largest institutions. Through ongoing advocacy and legal efforts, supporters continue to fight for a future where intimate venues can survive and thrive. The struggle reflects a broader conversation about how artistic communities can sustain themselves while honoring both the labor of artists and the necessity of accessible, daring live performance.

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