Theater/Symphony
Broadway Blackout Continues…
By Duane Wells

Nov 28, 2007

Though there appeared to be hope that yesterday’s negotiations between the League of American Theatres and Producers and Local One, the stagehands union, would yield an end to the strike that has darkened Broadway since November 10, talks again broke down leaving the majority of Broadway’s biggest productions closed for yet another crucial and costly day.  

According to Playbill.com, negotiations between the stagehands union and the League of American Theatres and Producers began anew on the morning of November 25 in Manhattan at the Proskauer Rose law firm and continued through 6:30 AM on November 26 before taking a 12 hour adjournment. Both sides then resumed negotiating at 6:30 PM on November 26, but talks broke down yesterday around 8:00 AM on the 18th day of the strike.  

Despite a New York Times report which suggested that the League and the union had been able to come to an agreement concerning the load-in, the period when sets are moved into theatres, the two sides have yet to agree on the rules pertaining to rehearsals and other work calls for shows that are currently playing.  

"Talks will resume tomorrow (Wednesday) at 10 a.m. Performances will be canceled through Wednesday's matinees," the League of American Theatres and Producers said in a statement.  

It has been nearly two decades since Broadway was affected so dramatically by a labor dispute. Not only are producers losing an estimated $17 million a day because of the strike, the City of New York estimates that it is losing $2 million per day as a result of the Broadway blackout.