J. Antonio Rodriguez Forced to Stop Performing in Hadestown Tour Due to DACA Delays

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 3/28/24 at 6:16pm

The actor who was most recently playing Orpheus on the hadestown tour, J. Antonio Rodriguez, has had to leave the production due to delays in DACAs renewal process. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/28/24 at 7:20pm

Insanity. He might be out for awhile.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 3/28/24 at 7:39pm

When it says that the producers haven’t discharged Rodriguez from his contract, what does that mean. Legally speaking. He isn’t able to work, so I assume he also can’t be paid.
 

While support DACA and a pathway to citizenship for dreamers, I don’t disagree with the idea that DACA is terrible. It’s terrible in the same way the ACA is terrible. It just doesn’t do enough fixing the core issue. J. Antonio Rodriguez and others like him shouldn’t have to worry about renewing their status every other year. They deserve to have full rights as natural born citizens. I hope Joe Biden and the democrats make this a priority for the second term.

Updated On: 3/28/24 at 07:39 PM

[kdogg36]

Posted: 3/28/24 at 7:53pm

Call_me_jorge said: "I hope Joe Biden and the democrats make this a priority for the second term."

Given that they did nothing during his first two years when they controlled both houses of Congress, and that Biden just tried to do an immigration deal with Republicans that ignored the Dreamers, I think we can be pretty sure that they're not going to make it a priority.

Updated On: 3/28/24 at 07:53 PM

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 3/28/24 at 7:55pm

Call_me_jorge said: "I hope Joe Biden and the democrats make this a priority for the second term."

What second term?

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 3/28/24 at 8:08pm

i do work in this space, and some of the comments in this thread (as whenever this board takes a stab at anything overtly political) are wildly ignorant, BUT

 

call me jorge asks a good question. USCIS is backlogged and cruelly arbitrary (even within the logic of our outrageously stupid immigration rules) so I understand how that could derail Rodriguez's career. but i do NOT understand the distinction between them keeping him in the cast (and presumably paying him, offering him benefits) but not letting him perform? I'm unaware of any legal distinction there?

[AC126748]

Posted: 3/29/24 at 3:51pm

The tour closes in May. I guess there's a possibility that he won't be allowed to return before it wraps up.

[GottaGetAGimmick420]

Posted: 3/29/24 at 4:02pm

AC126748 said: "The tour closes in May. I guess there's a possibility that he won't be allowed to return before it wraps up."

This. Releasing him from his contract means if his paperwork comes through he's out of luck. Sounds like his application could be moved along literally any minute now, which means he's basically an offstage cover who can't go on stage at the moment. 
 

I feel for him. This is horrible.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/29/24 at 4:53pm

So are they just running with understudies until the tour closes in May?

[toofunktastic2]

Posted: 3/29/24 at 5:05pm

John Krause has been playing Orpheus as far as I can tell.

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 3/29/24 at 8:12pm

GottaGetAGimmick420 said: "AC126748 said: "The tour closes in May. I guess there's a possibility that he won't be allowed to return before it wraps up."

This. Releasing him from his contract means if his paperwork comes through he's out of luck. Sounds like his application could be moved along literally any minute now, which means he's basically an offstage cover who can't go on stage at the moment.


I feel for him. This is horrible."

it is horrible, and im glad hes speaking out about this horrible situation that he and so many others find themselves in thanks to our dysfunctional legislation process.

BUT IT STILL DOESNT MAKE ANY LEGAL SENSE. There is no law that specifies undocumented people cannot perform on stages, so either hes being paid/employed by this production or he isnt. I hope he is! But "Your Honor, I am working without proper authorization papers but don't worry, I haven't actually performed in a while" is not a thing.

[Alexander Lamar]

Posted: 3/29/24 at 8:23pm

He’s not being paid because he’s not working. 

[TheatreFan4]

Posted: 3/29/24 at 8:56pm

Exactly, paying him right now would be as if the production was paying someone who is undocumented which would not be good for them especially in a job that is so public facing. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 3/29/24 at 10:25pm

I guess my confusion was stemmed from the fact they said they didn’t discharge Rodriguez from his contract. I get he can’t be paid because of his current DACA status, but he still is contracted by the show. So what is he, legally, to to the show? If he gets his DACA status approved will they pay him retroactively since he’s still a contracted employee?

Updated On: 3/29/24 at 10:25 PM

[PipingHotPiccolo]

Posted: 3/29/24 at 10:34pm

Call_me_jorge said: "I guess my confusion was stemmed from the fact they said they didn’t discharge Rodriguez from his contract. I get he can’t be paid because his current DACA status, but he still is contracted by the show. So what is he, legally, to to the show? If he get his DACA status approvedwill they pay him retroactively since he’s still a contracted employee?"

Jorge you confusion is well-founded. The article did not say he was let go and people keep saying hes "with the show" and "offstage"--if hes not getting paid, why is he there? If he is getting paid, why isnt he performing? I assume its the former and theyre avoiding saying hes been let go, because nothing else makes any sense.

[FosseTharp]

Posted: 3/29/24 at 11:10pm

My take is his contract is still in place, so if this all gets fixed before his contract expires he gets back on stage and resumes performing and getting paid fulfilling his contract.  They’re not replacing him with a new full time Orpheus and offering that actor a contract… so he gets to continue the role if his DACA status is handled before the tour ends. 

[ACL2006]

Posted: 3/29/24 at 11:40pm

toofunktastic2 said: "John Krause has been playing Orpheus as far as I can tell."

Krause says on his IG he'll be Orpheus through April 14 and then return for the Toronto leg and close the tour.

[CJRochester]

Posted: 4/9/24 at 7:01pm

Some good news here. 

Hadestown Tour Actor J. Antonio Rodríguez's DACA Status Has Been Renewed 

https://playbill.com/article/hadestown-tour-actor-j-antonio-rodriguezs-daca-status-has-been-renewed?utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=PlaybillPost_Fringeship

[Impeach2017]

Posted: 4/10/24 at 3:57am

All that drama and gnashing of teeth on here for a bureaucratic matter.  It seems that the system did work for this individual, despite not being a perfect system.  

[ACL2006]

Posted: 4/10/24 at 7:10am

ACL2006 said: "toofunktastic2 said: "John Krause has been playing Orpheus as far as I can tell."

Krause says on his IG he'll be Orpheus through April 14 and then return for the Toronto leg and close the tour."

On another note, is Krause joining the Broadway company to cover Fisher's hiatus next week?