Dispatches From The Picket Lines, Day 45: Unionized Strippers In The Pole Position At Warner Bros & Broadway Day In Times Square
It’s safe to say that Thursday’s picket line at Warner Bros in Burbank drew a little more attention than some other days. That’s because newly unionized strippers from North Hollywood turned out to support striking WGA writers — and they brought a pole along.
Have a look at some images and video from Strippers Day below.
More from Deadline
"We Are Today... WGA!" German Writers Show Strike Solidarity At Cologne Cathedral Protest
On-Location Filming Of Scripted TV Shows In Los Angeles Remains At Standstill Amid WGA Strike
The exotic dancers from Star Garden Topless Dive Bar officially joined Actors’ Equity in May after a 15-month battle with the venue’s owners. At that time, their rep — who goes by the mononym Reagan and was on-site at WB today — said: “If you have been following our journey, then you know this has been a long, exhausting fight, which is why this victory is so sweet. We put everything we have into this campaign.”
Reagan was joined today by colleagues including Charm, who told Deadline: “I’m so happy to be here because on our picket line we had so much support from members of IATSE, WGA and other unions, so it’s been amazing to be able to pay it forward.”
Here are Reagan, Charm, May, Halo and Sinder — part of only the second strippers union in the U.S. and the first to organize this century — talking about why they came out to the line today:
WHY WE’RE STRIKING: “We gotta stick together… On our picket line we had so much support from members of IATSE and WGA… so it’s been amazing to be able to pay it forward…” – May, Halo, Reagan, Charm, and Sinder of Equity Strippers NoHo tell Deadline #WritersStrike pic.twitter.com/4DmCzc7j3X
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) June 15, 2023
The dual-union member Reagan mentioned in the clip is Lilith, who doubles as a WGA strike captain. She told Deadline that she and the other members of Equity Strippers NoHo “wanted to come out in solidarity, bring a little of our party that we had on our picket lines and lift morale.” Mission accomplished:
WHY I’M STRIKING: “Because me and the strippers wanted to come out in solidarity, bring a little of our party that we had on our picket lines, and lift morale” – Lilith, WGA and member of Equity Strippers NoHo, tells Deadline outside of Warner Bros. in LA today #WritersStrike pic.twitter.com/Dzy7nnChxZ
— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) June 15, 2023
There was a small but noticeable contingent of police outside WB today. They didn’t harass anyone, and there weren’t any incidents, but unsurprisingly there was more horn-honking from drivers on Olive Avenue than just about any other picket site during the 45-day-old strike. Lots of pedestrian passersby, most deploying cameras, dropped by also.
Oh, and there were far more members of the media at this event than most if not all others since Day 1. Funny, we didn’t notice a lot of free food there …
The cops kept their distance but did move in at one point to have the pole taken down. But not before several people took a turn using it.
To paraphrase what Prince wrote and Sinead O’Connor more famously sang, nothing compares to unionized strippers doing their thing in support of a fair deal. Hit it, May:
Here are a few more shots from the scene between Gates 2 and 4 outside Warner Bros Studio:
Equity Strippers NoHo gather with WGA and IATSE members outside of Warner Bros. Studios in LA today in support of the #WritersStrike
📸 Deadline/Rosy Cordero pic.twitter.com/FlIkLl1hQ1— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) June 16, 2023
Meanwhile, out on the other coast, representatives from a different kind of stage-dancing entertainment joined the WGA East on the picket lines. The Broadway community, coming off a writer-less Tony Awards over the weekend, for a Broadway Day Rally. And it was quite a turnout.
Paula Pell emceed the proceedings from a stage erected on Broadway between 43rd and 44th Street in an event kicked off by WGAE president Michael Winship. Attendees and speakers included the likes of Lin-Manuel Miranda, Sara Bareilles, Robert Schenkkan, Craig Bierko, Norbert Leo Butz, Jordan Cooper, Adam Pascal, Warren Leight and Seth Rudetsky among others.
Sara Bareilles and Jordan E. Cooper at the ‘Broadway Day Rally’ hosted by the WGA East in Times Square today
Full #WritersStrike gallery here: https://t.co/2uSyREf6k7
📸 Getty pic.twitter.com/dRyiy9cRDC— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) June 16, 2023
Among those who performed were Bierko, who sang “Ya Got Trouble” from The Music Man, and Cooper, the Tony-nominated Ain’t No Mo’ star and playwright, who belted out “Everything’s Coming Up Roses.”
Jordan Cooper: “A lot of writers are struggling right now to pay the rent. This is a song of hope.”@WGAEast Broadway Day#WGAStrike #WGAStrong pic.twitter.com/p60lrBWWt0
— WGA East vp Lisa Takeuchi Cullen (@LisaCullen) June 15, 2023
Here are some other scenes from Broadway:
Lin-Manuel Miranda sings at the ‘Broadway Day Rally’ hosted by the WGA East in Times Square today #WritersStrike
📸 Getty pic.twitter.com/F6RLFXaqjY— Deadline Hollywood (@DEADLINE) June 15, 2023
Lin Manuel, Sara Bareilles and her dog. That’s it, that’s the tweet. @Lin_Manuel @SaraBareilles
📍WGA Broadway Day Rally#WGAstrike #WGAstrong #1u pic.twitter.com/hugottqS0D— Writers Guild of America, East (@WGAEast) June 15, 2023
Our @WGAEast prez Michael Winship opening up the stage for Broadway Day!!
EVERY UNION IN NEW YORK IS HERE 🙌🙌🙌
We are #UnionStrong #WGAStrong #WGAStrike pic.twitter.com/aUgMQGnxQB— WGA East vp Lisa Takeuchi Cullen (@LisaCullen) June 15, 2023
SDC continues to stand in solidarity with the #WGAStrike ✊ Today's Broadway Day rally was jam packed with special guests from the stage and screen in Times Square. We were #ProudToRepresent 🚨🪧🗽@WGAEast #WGAstrong #UnionStrong @wgastrikeunite pic.twitter.com/YXLn5dFxBr
— SDC | Stage Directors and Choreographers Society (@SDCweb) June 15, 2023
The @SVUWritersRoom has been staunch during this strike.
Great to see everyone at today’s Broadway rally (along with @SethRudetsky and a host of stars)— WGA Strike Captain Warren Leight (@warrenleightTV) June 15, 2023
Best of Deadline
2023 Premiere Dates For New & Returning Series On Broadcast, Cable & Streaming
Hollywood & Media Deaths In 2023: Photo Gallery & Obituaries
Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.