Actors’ Equity Has A New President As Kate Shindle Unseats Nick Wyman

Kate Shindle has been elected president of Actors’ Equity, defeating incumbent Nick Wyman, who’d held the post since 2010. Shindle, who was Miss America 1998, has starred onstage in productions of Cabaret, Legally Blonde, Wonderland and Jekyll & Hyde. She also bested council member Larry Cahn in the three-way race for president. The union has not released the vote totals.

Shindle’s election is something of an upset, as union leaders seeking re-election rarely are turned out of office. Incumbency is so powerful at Equity that all of the other top elected officials were returned to office without opposition: Paige Price, first VP; Rebecca Kim Jordan, second VP; Ira Mont, third VP; and Sandra Karas, secretary-treasurer.

In regional elections, Dev Kennedy, VP of the Central Region, was returned to office without opposition, as was Melissa Robinette, the union’s Eastern Region VP. Doug Carfrae was elected VP of the Western Region, defeating challenger Donal Thomas-Cappello in the only contested officer race.

Sixteen council seats were also filed. In the Eastern Region, incumbents Dana Ivey, Maureen Moore, Judy Rice, Kristine Nevens were returned to office, with Tonya Pinkins, Kate O’Phalen, and Sid Solomon also winning election. Joanne Borts, who previously served on the council, returns to represent principal performers. Incumbent Ruth E. Kramer and newly elected Amber White are will represent stage managers, and Bill Bateman, who ran uncontested, returns to as a chorus councilor. Two seats were uncontested in the Central Region: Ariane Dolan re-upped as chorus councilor, and Malcolm D. Ewen returns as stage manager councilor. In the Western Region, Mary-Pat Green and Jeff Marlow were elected as principal councilors along with incumbent Barbara N. Roberts.