Broadway lights set to go down as stagehands strike

Stagehands in America are set to go on strike today, according to a person close to contract negotiations.

The strike in New York is due to begin at 11am (4pm Irish time), stopping an early matinee of 'Dr Seuss How the Grinch Stole Christmas! The Musical', said the person.

Both the union, Local One of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, and the League of American Theatres and Producers held two days of unproductive meetings on Wednesday and Thursday.

Most Broadway theatres were expected to go dark excepting non-profit outfits such as the Roundabout Theatre Company, and several non-League theatres housing shows such as 'Young Frankenstein', 'Mary Poppins' and 'Xanadu'.

Lisa Linden, a spokeswoman for the League, said: “We have not heard from Local One regarding a strike and it would be shocking if they would hurt the theatre-going public by shutting down Broadway without notice.”

A union spokesman declined to comment.

The strike would not affect all Broadway shows.

November is a crucial month for Broadway, leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, the most profitable time of the year for shows.

In addition, this month will see the opening of several plays, including Aaron Sorkin’s 'The Farnsworth Invention' and 'August: Osage County', a critically acclaimed play from Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company.

The talks earlier this week were observed by Thomas Short, international president of the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees.

Local One needed permission from Short to strike and on Thursday, its president, James Claffey Jr, got it.

The union has been without a contract since the end of July. The two sides have been wrangling over work rules and staffing requirements, particularly during the expensive process of loading a show into a theatre.

Both parties have been preparing for a showdown, stockpiling strike funds.

In March 2003, more than a dozen Broadway shows went dark after Local 802 of the musicians union went on a four-day strike, costing the city millions in lost revenue. Earlier this year, the musicians agreed to a new three-year contract.

The 3,000-member union, which has between 350 and 500 members working on Broadway at any given time, contends it could find employment for many of its people in television or film if a work stoppage occurs.