‘Drew Barrymore Show’ Audience Members Say They Were Evicted Amid Sit-in – The Hollywood Reporter

Writers Guild of America sit-in outside the CBS studios on September 11th.

Caitlin Houston

Members of the Writers Guild of America for The Drew Barrymore Show picketed outside CBS Studios on Monday in New York as the talk show resumed filming amid writers and actors strikes.

Two audience members, who had signed up for free tickets to the taping, were handed WGA pins by picketers as they walked in the door and said they were asked to leave before the show started because they were wearing pins.

Dominic Turicek and Cassidy Carter, two students based in New York City, had planned to attend the show, after signing up for free tickets about a week and a half earlier, without knowing that the strike was taking place. As they entered the building on Monday, they were both handed buttons from the picketers that read “Writers Guild on Strike.” Both say they were asked to undo their buttons at security, which Carter complied with. Turiczek was still wearing his button-up when they entered the studio space. He said a crew member discovered the button and told them to leave.

“It is our policy to welcome everyone to recordings of our shows. Due to today’s heightened security concerns, we regret that two audience members were not allowed to attend or were not allowed access. Drew was completely unaware of the incident, and we are in the process of reaching out to the affected audience to offer them new tickets. The Drew Barrymore Show He wrote in a statement to THR.

The two later joined picket lines outside, wearing WGA T-shirts, as Turecek said: “If they think we’re part of the strike, we might as well be.” Carter added that she had signed up for tickets as a Barrymore fan but was now “feeling let down” by the experience.

“It changed my view of it and of the series in general,” said Carter. “I was totally anxious and frustrated with this whole process.”

Barrymore announced her decision Sunday to resume filming the show, saying the talk show would not use WGA writers and would otherwise abide by WGA and SAG-AFTRA rules. “The Drew Barrymore Show It is produced under the Network Television Code and is a separate contract that has not been concluded. “It is permissible action and Drew’s role as host does not violate existing strike rules,” a SAG-AFTRA representative stated.

The show is back without its book and the WGA said it will picket the show this week, because it’s still a great show.

Monday’s scheduled show was a repeat recording, which included Brooke Shields speaking about a documentary that was not covered under the WGA and the documentary’s executive producer, Ali Wentworth. Jordan Fisher, who was on the cast of the Broadway musical Sweeney Todd At the time, he spoke about his time in the musical.

The three WGA writers, all co-writers of the show, were present at the picket line and said they found out that the show, which has been on hiatus since April, would resume via audience ticket giveaways posted on social media.

Chelsea White, one of The Drew Barrymore Show Writers had been picketing outside the studio on West 57th Street, and she said she was surprised and disappointed that the show had resumed.

I think in general this is bigger than the three of us writers The Drew Barrymore Show. It’s disappointing to hear that the show will be returning because it sends the message that union writers aren’t valuable. “It goes directly against what the WGA, SAG-AFTRA and all the unions are trying to unite together to stand up to greedy studios,” White said.

White said after The Drew Barrymore Show I posted about the start of recording Season 4, and I started getting texts from friends asking if this was good or bad news.

“We thought we would have heard something if it was a temporary agreement. I think a lot of people thought that was probably the case,” White said. “But since the three of us hadn’t heard anything, we were pretty sure something was going on.” .”

White said she has not heard from anyone on the show since the announcement that filming would resume. Liz Kuo, another writer on the show, said she saw coworkers entering the building on Monday, and that there was mutual support between coworkers and writers. “It’s not just three people’s jobs, it’s everyone’s jobs,” she said.

“I think it’s a very complex issue. I think Drew cares about the show. She cares about the crew, she cares about us. She cares about everything and I think she made the best decision she could, in light of all these things. I feel like coming here today is nothing,” Coe said. Not at all personal, quite the opposite, it is a collective thing,” he said, adding that this is the comprehensive fight for a fairer decade.

“I’m disappointed, but I understand that everyone should do what they feel is best for them,” writer Christina Kennon said. “For me and the WGA writers on the show, it’s important for us to stand by our union. We deserve a fair contract, so we’re out here today.”

All three fee The writers arrived early Monday and served coffee to other WGA picketers who showed up to support them.

As for whether the three writers will return to the show once the strike is resolved, they say it’s complicated, adding that they don’t know if there will still be WGA jobs.

“In April, when we went on hiatus, which was two weeks before the hit, the idea of ​​coming back to the show was at that time and that was the last conversation we had with anyone on the show,” White said.

As for how she feels about it now, she added: “Maybe no comment.”

September 11, 10 a.m. PT This story originally included the names of guests who were listed “The Drew Barrymore Show”Website as it will appear on September 11. A CBS rep says these guests are from a recurring show airing today.