The libel case Paradise Square producer Garth Drabinsky filed against Actors’ Equity has been rejected with prejudice.
In the lawsuit, filed in October 2022 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Drabinsky sued the union for defamation after it placed him on the “Don’t Work” list following his production of Paradise Square. Actors’ Equity, as well as other unions and production workers, have separately sued Drabinsky for what they claim is thousands of dollars in payments, wages and health contributions owed.
The musical Paradise Square ran on Broadway from March 15, 2022 through July 17 of that year.
Following the closure, Drabinksy was placed on the “Do Not Work List,” which effectively prohibits him from working on Broadway or any other professional productions, after members of the company spoke out about their experience with the production, claiming that the producer “benefits remembered”. and pay of many company members, and have created an unsafe, toxic and often hostile work environment.”
In the defamation suit, Drabinsky spoke out against that, as well as other incidents that Actors’ Equity had allegedly raised regarding racial slurs and other accusatory language he allegedly made. “Drabinsky, more than any other producer in recent musical theater history, has addressed the insidious issues of racism, prejudice and bigotry in America through the musicals he has produced for Broadway,” the producer’s lawsuit reads.
In the original suit, Drabinsky who also produced Show boat And rag time, uses his work for these shows, which feature many black cast members, and his work for Paradise Square to fight back against the allegations. He claimed that the slur in question was used in reference to a song’s lyrics Show boat.
In Friday’s ruling dismissing the lawsuit, the judge ruled that Actors’ Equity acted in the self-interest of its members by responding to the complaints and placing Drabinsky on the “Do Not Work” list and is therefore not subject to the federal antitrust claims made in the suit.
