Paying Artists - Schapiro

  • Included in your budget, there must be a payment breakdown in place and submitted to Production Management before the first rehearsal. Columbia students may be paid to work on a Columbia production, if their role does not directly correlate with their concentration.
  • NYU students may be paid for their work in Schapiro Productions, with written consent from their NYU Faculty member.
  • Each person being paid by the University will need to submit a signed Performance Agreement PRIOR TO any work on the show.  There is a 45-day (6 week) processing period, and it is strongly suggested to have the paperwork submitted ASAP.
  • If a current Columbia MFA Theatre Student is working on a show this is not a curricular requirement, they are eligible to receive payment if they are serving in one of the following six design positions:
    • Scenic Designer
    • Costume Designer
    • Lighting Designer
    • Props Designer
    • Sound Designer
    • Projection / Video Designer

  • These are the only creative team positions that current Columbia MFA Theatre students are eligible to be directly paid for. This policy reflects that while Columbia does not offer MFA classes relating to Theatre Design, some students may have professional-level skills they bring with them from outside experience. CU Students are never eligible for payment if they are participating on the show as part of a curricular requirement. 

    If a student at Columbia is not an MFA Theatre student (e.g., they are an architecture student or enrolled as an undergraduate Barnard) they are eligible to receive payment as if they were an outside collaborator.

    *Reimbursement of CU students for direct expenses for the show up to the parity line for the role on the production, not exceeding $300, is allowed. Direct expenses include things like the purchase of props, casting notices, posters, etc. Direct purchases do not include travel, services, or meals, unless explicitly pre-authorized by Production Management. Always check with Production Management before making any purchases that would require reimbursement. Please see the Budgeting section for details on requesting a reimbursement and further info.

    *Please note that the process for hiring a current student is different from hiring an outside collaborator. We will need to know if the student has an existing job on campus. Paperwork must be completed before work begins - the structure of Columbia’s system for hiring students does not allow for students to be paid retroactively.

  • Producers:
    • Please be sure all necessary fields are filled before submission to the APM. This includes artist name and contact info on page 1, production info on page 1, artist address on page 3, artist signature and position (title) on page 4.
    • Please communicate with the APM ASAP if you are paying an international citizen or union member.
    • An international citizen will be asked to provide a copy of the passport with an entry stamp and Visa. Please inquire about their Visa status in advance and share with Production Management to ensure that they can be paid.
    • A union member will need permission from their union for work and a separate contract in collaboration with the union.