Scene Around Town

Unions Commemorate MLK

From left, SAG-AFTRA President Gabrielle Carteris, keynote speaker Vanita Gupta, Grammy Award-winning recording artist Faith Evans, L.A. County Federation of Labor President Rusty Hicks, SAG-AFTRA Executive Vice President and New York Local President Rebecca Damon, and SAG-AFTRA Secretary-Treasurer and L.A. Local President Jane Austin at the annual L.A. County Federation of Labor’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Labor Breakfast on Jan. 20.

A delegation of SAG-AFTRA leaders joined more than 1,000 community and labor leaders as well as elected officials to commemorate civil rights accomplishments at the annual L.A. County Federation of Labor’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Labor Breakfast on Jan. 20. The event’s keynote speaker, Vanita Gupta, who formally served as the head of the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice, is currently president of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Others who spoke included Rusty Hicks, president of the L.A. County Federation of Labor, TIME’s Person of the Year Juana Melara and UNITE HERE General Vice President Maria Elena Durazo.

SAG-AFTRA Celebrates Casting

National and L.A. Local Board member William Charlton with L.A. Local Board members Spencer Garrett and Dawnn Lewis celebrate creativity, originality and talent in casting television, film and theater productions at the Casting Society of America’s 2018 Artios Awards held at the Beverly Hilton on Jan. 18.

SAG-AFTRA Connects with Students

Twenty-five Pace University performing arts and theater seniors visited SAG-AFTRA Plaza on Jan. 5 for a Union 101 seminar with SAG-AFTRA Executive Director, Los Angeles, Ilyanne Morden Kichaven to get an inside look at the union and its role in the film industry. The student group, visiting from New York, was on an educational tour of Los Angeles designed to bridge their academic study and performance in theater to the industry.

Seasoned Stars Shine

Pink Lady Jackie Goldberg, holding her certificate of congressional recognition, is joined by former U.S. Rep. and foreign ambassador Diane Watson, center, and SAG-AFTRA Secretary-Treasurer and Los Angeles Local President Jane Austin, right, at the Dec. 21 variety show.

SAG-AFTRA Secretary-Treasurer and Los Angeles Local President Jane Austin joined former U.S. Rep. and foreign ambassador Diane Watson in supporting We Are America: A Musical Salute to Our Veterans at the Madrid Theater in Los Angeles on Dec. 21. Produced by active union member Pink Lady Jackie Goldberg, the patriotic variety show, which features only senior performers, provides an opportunity for members to showcase their talents and is meant to draw awareness of the struggle older performers face when looking for work. Watson presented Goldberg with a certificate of congressional recognition from U.S. Rep. Karen Bass. In addition, SAG-AFTRA swag bags were raffled off and the event concluded with a surprise Champagne toast to celebrate the 90th birthday of Klyda Mahoney, the eldest cast member.

This item was originally featured in the March 2018 local newsletter.