National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST)
Founded in 1965, the National Association of Schools of Theatre (NAST) is an organization of schools, conservatories, colleges, and universities with approximately 189 accredited institutional members. It establishes national standards for undergraduate and graduate degrees and other credentials for theatre and theatre-related disciplines, and provides assistance to institutions and individuals engaged in artistic, scholarly, educational, and other theatre-related endeavors.
Actor’s Equity Association
Professional actors at the Clarence Brown Theatre are members of Actors’ Equity Association (AEA or “Equity”). Founded in 1913, AEA represents more than 49,000 Actors and Stage Managers in the United States. Equity seeks to advance, promote and foster the art of live theatre as an essential component of our society. Equity negotiates wages and working conditions and provides a wide range of benefits, including health and pension plans, for its members. Actors’ Equity is a member of the AFL-CIO, and is affiliated with FIA, an international organization of performing arts unions.
League of Resident Theatres
The Clarence Brown Theatre is a member of the League of Resident Theatres (LORT). With 72 member theatres, 12 of those being academic theatres, located in every major market in the U.S., LORT is the largest professional theatre association of its kind in the United States. LORT administers collective bargaining agreements with Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), the Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC), and United Scenic Artists (USA) which enables us to bring the best professional talent here to the Clarence Brown Theatre.
LORT Theatres collectively issue more Equity contracts to actors than Broadway and commercial tours combined. In addition to this administrative role, LORT also serves as a forum for sharing information regarding all aspects of theatre. Semi-annual Meetings provide opportunities for LORT members to study, discuss, and exchange information on issues such as development, marketing, public relations, education, and technology as well as providing a forum for developing professional relationships.
Stage Directors and Choreographers Society
The Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (SDC) unites, empowers and protects professional stage directors and choreographers throughout the United States. Its mission is to foster a national community of professionals by protecting the rights, health and livelihoods of members; to facilitate the exchange of ideas, information and opportunities; to educate current and future generations about the role of directors and choreographers, and to provide effective administration, negotiation and contractual support.
United Scenic Artists – Local 829
United Scenic Artists—Local 829 (USA), is a labor union and professional association of designers, artists and craftspeople. Organized to craft standards on working conditions and wages for the entertainment and decorative arts industries, USA represents many of the designers on our show’s artistic teams and all of the Department of Theatre’s design faculty. Members of LUSA work in film, theatre, opera, ballet, television, industrial shows, commercials and exhibitions.
University/Resident Theatre Association
Together, the Clarence Brown Theatre and the Department of Theatre, are a member of the University/Resident Theatre Association (U/RTA)—a select group of training programs with direct professional affiliations. U/RTA advances theatre by connecting theatre training programs with the professional performing arts industry, promoting professional practices and artistic excellence in higher education, and assisting students with their transition into the profession. Established in 1969, U/RTA is the nation’s oldest and largest consortium of professional, graduate (MFA) theatre training programs and partnered professional theatre companies.
Theatre Communications Group
Theatre Communications Group (TCG), the national organization for the American theatre, was founded in 1961 with a grant from the Ford Foundation to foster communication among professional, community and university theatres. TCG seeks to increase the organizational efficiency of its member theatres, cultivate and celebrate the artistic talent and achievements of the field and promote a larger public understanding of, and appreciation for, the theatre.