Broadway actors may soon go on strike if the demands of a major union, Actors' Equity, are not met at the negotiating table with producers. The strike would be the first of its kind in 57 years, and it is poised to shut down 32 stage productions.Over 1,000 Broadway actors signed a letter in solidarity with the union. Some of the signees include Brooke Shields (Actors' Equity president), Darren Criss, Andrew Barth Feldman, and Helen J Shen (Maybe Happy Ending), Michael Urie (who will star in Richard II later this month), Sean Astin (SAG-AFTRA president), Brandon Uranowitz (Ragtime), and many others.The union's letter to producers listed three demands: "Pivot toward humane scheduling, including providing appropriate paid time off, to keep everyone in the best shape possible to do the work; pay your fair share toward our health insurance; and reasonably and safely staff our workplaces to foster safety and prevent emergencies. The biggest issue on the table is the producers' contribution to healthcare. Given rising costs, the union is requesting a $4 million increase in contributions from producers, which translates to a 0.21 percent average increase in a show's weekly grosses.In a written statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Al Vincent Jr., executive director of Actors Equity, wrote, "A strike is a last resort, but Broadway producers who are bringing in billions must pay a fair contribution for health care benefits. What were asking for is exceedingly reasonable. If they cant pay their fair share, instead of performing in the theater, we may be walking on picket lines outside the theater."Actors' Equity (a union that represents not only actors but also stage managers) and the Broadway League (a trade organization that represents producers, general managers, and theater owners) have been in negotiations since the end of August, and their three-year contract expired on September 28. The next scheduled meeting between the two parties is set for October 8, but they have agreed to meet again next week to continue negotiations.At the heart of the tension, the union continues to remind producers that last year's season was the highest-grossing Broadway season in history, earning over $1.8 billion. However, the League notes that production costs have also skyrocketed in recent years."We always prefer to negotiate with our union partners at the bargaining table rather than in the press," the League wrote in a statement to Deadline. "We look forward to reaching a fair agreement through good faith negotiations that benefits both sides and sustains Broadway as a destination for millions of people from around the world."