Many years ago, I called Equity inquiring about requirements for joining, and the kind lady I spoke to actually told me it was sometimes worthwhile to wait to build up a resume with some good acting roles before jumping into the Equity audition pool with more experienced actors. I believe it was good advice. Many folks who worked quite a bit in non-Equity roles found that work slowed down significantly after joining Equity. I can understand the eagerness to join, as it seems to be a natural progression in a career to want to become more established as a professional and to go out for bigger shows in better theaters though.
