Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1530033
32 SAG-AFTRA | Fall/Winter 2024 | sagaftra.org For Members SAG-AFTRA, City of L.A. Host Dedication Ceremony for Theodore Bikel Square at SAG-AFTRA Plaza O n Oct. 6, the intersection of Wilshire Boulevard and South Curson Avenue, within Los Angeles' Mid-Wilshire District and adjacent to SAG-AFTRA Plaza, was dedicated in memory of award-winning actor, singer-songwriter, activist, union leader and SAG-AFTRA member Theodore Bikel. The ceremony was a joint effort between SAG-AFTRA, the Office of Los Angeles 5th District Council member Katy Yaroslavsky, the Theodore Bikel Legacy Project and the Actors Federal Credit Union. Well-attended by friends, loved ones and fellow union leaders and public figures, the ceremony was emceed by Bikel's widow and director of the Theodore Bikel Legacy Project, Aimee Ginsburg-Bikel. The dedication event then moved indoors to SAG-AFTRA Plaza for remembrances and musical tributes. In addition to a welcome video prerecorded by SAG-AFTRA President Fran Drescher, other speakers included SAG-AFTRA Board members Dan Navarro and Jenny O'Hara, and L.A. County Federation of Labor President Yvonne Wheeler. Born in Vienna on May 2, 1924, Bikel was a celebrated performer, recording artist and labor and civil rights activist. He was known on Broadway as the original Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music — the song Edelweiss was written especially for him — and Tevye in Fiddler, the latter role in which he starred for over 2,000 performances. His television career included credits for The Twilight Zone, Gunsmoke, Law & Order and Star Trek: The Next Generation and many other programs. After joining Actors' Equity in 1954, he became a member of its council in 1962 and would serve as its first vice president and then, a decade later, as president from 1973–1982. He joined AFTRA in 1955 and SAG in 1957. Bikel went on to serve a five-year term on the National Council on the Arts in 1977, vice president of the International Federation of Actors from 1981–1991, a board member of Amnesty International, and senior vice president of the American Jewish Congress. He remained as president of the Associated Actors and Artistes of America from 1987 until his passing in 2015 at the age of 91. At the dedication, from left, former L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, L.A. City Council member Katy Yaroslavsky, SAG-AFTRA National Board member and recording artist Dan Navarro, Aimee Ginsburg-Bikel, musician Mike Stein, L.A. City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, L.A. County Federation of Labor President Yvonne Wheeler and culture bearer Tina Calderon. CITY OF LOS ANGELES S AG-AFTRA has received additional acclaim for the work of its leaders, members and staff during the 2023 TV/Theatrical/ Streaming strike and campaign. In Washington, D.C., on Oct. 28, SAG-AFTRA was honored with a Global SABRE Award, coming in at No. 7 in the world on the list of 40 best public relations campaigns out of more than 5,500 entries. The strike campaign previously received a 2024 North American SABRE Gold Award for International Multimarket Campaign. SAG-AFTRA received the top award in the Multichannel Campaign category at the PR Daily 2024 Social Media and Digital Awards on Aug. 1. The union was also a finalist for the Campaign of the Year grand prize. And the International Labor Communications Association recently awarded the union 15 honors for its communications work last year, including best social media, swag, podcast and magazine. Union Communication Efforts Receive Accolades SAG-AFTRA National Communications & Marketing Director Damon Romine and Social Media Specialist Delaney Howard accept PR Daily's Multichannel Campaign award on Aug. 1.