D o N o t  P a y . o r g    N e w s   T i m e l i n e

DoNotPay.org was founded in 2001. 
The following timeline tells the story of our efforts over the past 7 years.

Start Here!

Back Stage West Workshop Roundtable - 6/28/2001
Pay Your Money, Take Your Chances -
From Laura Weinert and Rob Kendt
The article from Back Stage West which started it all.

Back Stage West - 8/02/01
Workshop owner, Jack Turnbull, retaliates against DoNotPay supporter,
then admits "I'm an idiot..."

Workshop Article from "Casting Connection" - 1/2002
Teacher/Author Ed Hooks speaks out

Daily Variety - 2/24/2002
Workshops face civil suit - From Dave McNary
First article written regarding the legal opinion from the
California Labor Department

Back Stage West Article on State Opinion - 2/28/2002
Workshops Face Legal Challenge - From Laura Weinert

BackStage West UPDATE on Enforcement - 3/20/2002
CD Workshops Fight Ruling - From Laura Weinert
The spin begins as the workshop businesses fight to save their hides

BackStage West interviews CSA President - 3/22/2002
CSA Prexy Slams DaMota even though he takes money
from actors in workshops - From Bonnie Gillespie

Backstage West Editor on Paid Auditions - 5/2/02
Editorial from Rob Kendt - bingo!

Labor Commissioner Clarifies Legal Opinion - 5/24/02
From the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement

Labor Board Urges CSA Teaching Guidelines - 5/25/02
From the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement -
trying to give the CSA some direction in protecting their reputation

Daily Variety Update on State Position - 5/28/02
CSA President comments; more justification for casting directors
to use  their power to take actors' money - From Dave McNary

ABC 7 - "Audition Scams" - 6/3/02
Gary Zuckerbrod misrepresents the law, rationalizes casting director payoffs.

Dangerous appraisal:"While it's not illegal in the State
  of California to pay for an audition, it's not proper."

Daily Variety Announces Public Hearing - 6/13/02
Workshop Coalition presents its case - From Dave McNary

Backstage West Announces Public Hearing - 6/25/02
CD Workshops get hearing to make their case

Daily Variety Reports on Public Hearing - 7/9/02
State takes casting role - From Dave McNary

Official SAG Statement on Workshops - 7/9/02
From SAG Attorney Vicki Shapiro

Backstage West Comments on Hearing - 7/10/02
Cast of hundreds weighs in - From Peter Keifer 

Daily Variety on Public Hearing "Conduct" - 7/10/02
State Official lambastes workshops - From Dave McNary 

Backstage West Reports on Public Hearing - 7/23/02
Great Performances - From Laura Weinert

Backstage (East) Reports on NYC Problem - 8/21/02
Unions' Guard Up on Casting Classes - Roger Armbrust

Backstage West Reports on Consent Decree - 9/5/02
Who Will  Sign? - From Laura Weinert

Backstage West with Consent Decree Update - 9/12/02
Consenting Workshops? - From Laura Weinert

Backstage West Publishes Consent Decree - 9/12/02
Consent Decree

Daily Variety on Workshop Guideline Update - 10/14/02
Caifornia Cracks down - from Dave McNary

ABC 20/20  Pay-to-Play Exposé - 11/8/02
TV's Version of Payola? - from ABC News

Backstage West on 20/20  Report - 11/14/02
20/20 Probes CD Workshop - from Laura Weinert

Backstage Interviews Workshop Actors - 11/15/02
Whither Casting Workshops?

Daily Variety on Declaratory Judgement - 11/27/02
New state regs aim to end 'pay to audition' from Dave McNary

Daily Variety Reports on Workshop Agreement - 12/29/02
State and Workshops Reach Deal - from Dave McNary

Fox News Reports - 1/25/03
"Hollywood's 'Casting Couch' Vulnerable to Lawsuits"

Zuckerbrod in denial again: "I think those are the
myths that Hollywood has surrounding it, but I don't think  [the Casting Couch] actually exists."

From Backstage West/Rob Kendt - 8/13/03
Warner Brothers "West Wing" Casting Director sells headshots on eBay  

And from Daily Variety's Claude Brodesser  - 8/13/03
WBTV employee bids adieu

From Daily Variety, Claude Brodesser  - 7/12/04
SAG TO ADD ACTING  SESHES
Org hoping to crack down on illegal casting classes

Casting Access Project

After the state hearings, the SAG Foundation put in place the new Casting Access Project, and although  casting directors are still paid, the program  takes the financial burden off the backs of the actors and provides them with FREE ACCESS to those CDs!  Click here for the CAP Press release and Daily Variety article.  SAG members click here to sign up for FREE WORKSHOPS!


RECENT ACTIVITY

JULY 08

Back Stage West recently published an "update" to the workshop issue.  Unfortunately, the article failed to address the real problem with the workshop scheme, and that's casting professionals still taking money from actors for meetings and readings, five years after the workshop companies agreed to follow simple guidelines to remain in business.  Click here to read the article.  Click here to read my response.

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